Antique Arms & Militaria

A Superb & Very Rare Original Grouping, 5th to 7th Century Roman & Goth Period 'Ceremonially Folded' Sword, From a Pagan Ritual, A Warrior or Legionary's Spartha Sword, and War Shield Mounts

A very similar find of a Roman sword and shield boss was excavated in Greece last May, and caused a sensation and world news. The 'astonishing' findings have been shared by Errikos Maniotis, an archaeologist at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece, who believes the man likely served in the Roman imperial army.

'Usually, these types of swords were used by the auxiliary cavalry forces of the Roman army,' Maniotis told Live Science.

'Thus, we may say that the deceased, taking also into consideration the importance of the burial location, was a high-ranking officer of the Roman army.

It's rare to find a 'folded' sword in an urban landscape, let alone in this part of Europe, Maniotis pointed out. The term 'folded' sword describes that it has been believed to have been ceremonially killed and bent, in a pagan rite, to sacrifice the sword from current use, to represent a warrior passing into the afterlife, for it to be used in the afterlife by the warrior, and thus buried with his shield and offerings to the gods. Our sword group is around 1400 to 1600 years old. It was likely recovered more up to two centuries ago, probably a ‘Grand Tour’ find, from the area historically known as Merovingian Roman-Frankish Germany or France. The shield boss and handle have survived remarkably well, naturally the leather covered wooden shield body and sword hilt have rotted away over its 1200 plus years underground. The organic parts of shields and swords simply never survive this great period of time being buried. For example, we know not of a single complete Viking wooden shield in existence today, the only way we know today of their appearance is from ancient texts and poems that have survived. The spatha is a type of straight and long sword, measuring between 0.75 and 1 m , with a handle length between 18 and 20 cm , in use in the territory of the Roman Empire during the 1st to 6th centuries AD. Later swords, from the 6th to 10th centuries, like the Viking swords, are recognisable derivatives and sometimes subsumed under the term spatha.

The Roman spatha was used in war and in gladiatorial fights. The spatha of literature appears in the Roman Empire in the 1st century AD as a weapon used by presumably Germanic auxiliaries and gradually became a standard heavy infantry weapon, relegating the gladius to use as a light infantry weapon. The spatha apparently replaced the gladius in the front ranks, giving the infantry more reach when thrusting. While the infantry version had a long point, versions carried by the cavalry had a rounded tip that prevented accidental stabbing of the cavalryman's own foot or horse.

Archaeologically many instances of the spatha have been found in Britain and Germany. It was used extensively by Germanic warriors. It is unclear whether it came from the Pompeii gladius or the longer Celtic swords, or whether it served as a model for the various arming swords and Viking swords of Europe. The spatha remained popular throughout the Migration Period. It evolved into the knightly sword of the High Middle Ages by the 12th century. Picture of combating Frankish warrior knights using spartha and shields of the same type, from the Stuttgart Psalter.

The Merovingians were a Salian Frankish dynasty that ruled the Franks for nearly 300 years in a region known as Francia in Latin, beginning in the middle of the 5th century. Their territory largely corresponded to ancient Gaul as well as the Roman provinces of Raetia, Germania Superior and the southern part of Germania. The semi legendary Merovech was supposed to have founded the Merovingian dynasty, but it was his famous grandson Clovis I (ruled c.481-511) who united all of Gaul under Merovingian rule. Charles de Gaulle is on record as stating his opinion that "For me, the history of France begins with Clovis, elected as king of France by the tribe of the Franks, who gave their name to France. Before Clovis, we have Gallo-Roman and Gaulish prehistory. The decisive element, for me, is that Clovis was the first king to have been baptized a Christian. My country is a Christian country and I reckon the history of France beginning with the accession of a Christian king who bore the name of the Franks. The Merovingians are featured in the book The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail (1982) where they are depicted as descendants of Jesus, inspired by the "Priory of Sion" story developed by Pierre Plantard in the 1960s. Plantard playfully sold the story as non-fiction, giving rise to a number of works of pseudohistory among which The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail was the most successful. The "Priory of Sion" material has given rise to later works in popular fiction, notably The Da Vinci Code (2003), which mentions the Merovingians in chapter 60 . The ritual 'killing' of swords, such as bending or breaking have been found in thousands of examples of this practice across Europe, indicating that it was a ritual common to all the pan-Celtic tribes. However, although many theories have been postulated, for now the exact significance of this mysterious custom remains unclear. Some suggest it may be for all to know that the blade is not to recovered by grave robbers, or, possibly, the warrior or knight owner has been killed in battle, and thus his sword, as part of him, is also now dead. Or, maybe an offering to the gods of the afterlife. A Merovingian Frankish sword in 'un-killed' condition, is such a rare piece to survive to today, would likely be valued comfortably into five figures £12,000 plus. In May 2021 An iron sword deliberately bent as part of a pagan ritual has been discovered in a Roman soldier's grave in Greece, an archaeologist has revealed.

The deformed or 'folded' sword was buried with an as yet unidentified soldier about 1,600 years ago in the Greek city of Thessaloniki.

His 'arch-shaped' grave was found in the underground remains of a basilica – a large public building and place of worship – dating from the fifth century AD. 'Folded swords are usually excavated in sites in Northern Europe,' he said.

'It seems that Romans didn't practise it, let alone when the new religion, Christianity, dominated, due to the fact that this ritual was considered to be pagan.'

Archaeologists are yet to assess the remains of the soldier, described as likely a 'Romanized Goth or from any other Germanic tribe who served as a mercenary'.

'We don't know anything about his profile – age of death, cause of death, possible wounds that he might have from the wars he fought,' Maniotis said.

The soldier's grave was one of seven found in the basilica, but not all of them were found containing artefacts. in the third century A.D., the Goths launched a series of raids into the Roman Empire. “The first known attack came in 238, when Goths sacked the city of Histria at the mouth of the river Danube. A series of much more substantial land incursions followed a decade later,” writes Peter Heather, a professor at King’s College London, in his book “The Goths” (Blackwell Publishers, 1996).

He notes that in A.D. 268, a massive expedition of Goths, along with other groups also called barbarians, broke into the Aegean Sea, wreaking havoc. They attacked a number of settlements, including Ephesus (a city in Anatolia inhabited by Greeks), where they destroyed a temple dedicated to the goddess Diana.

“The destruction wrought by this combined assault on land and sea were severe, and prompted a fierce Roman response. Not only were the individual groups defeated, but no major raid ever again broke through the Dardanelles,” writes Heather.

The Goths' tumultuous relationship with Rome would continue into the fourth century. While Goths served as Roman soldiers, and trade took place across the Danube River, there was plenty of conflict.

Heather notes that a Gothic group called the Tervingi intervened in Roman imperial politics, supporting two unsuccessful claimants to the emperorship. In A.D. 321, they supported Licinius against Constantine, and in A.D. 365, they supported Procopius against Valens. In both instances this backfired, with Constantine and Valens launching attacks against the Tervingi after becoming emperor.

As contact with Rome intensified, a form of Christianity known as Arianism spread among the Goths.

“In the 340s, the Arian Gothic bishop Ulfilas or Wulfila (d. 383) translated the Bible into the Gothic language in a script based chiefly upon the uncial Greek alphabet and said to have been invented by Ulfilas for the purpose,” writes Robin Sowerby, a lecturer at the University of Stirling, in an article in the book “A New Companion to the Gothic” (Wiley, 2012).
In time, the Goths would adopt the Catholic form of Christianity that came to be used in Rome. ; From a private collection of an English gentleman acquired in the 1940's. As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity. Almost every iron weapon that has survived today from this era is now in a fully russetted condition, as is this one, because only the swords of kings, that have been preserved in national or Royal collections are today still in a relative good state and condition. We show in the gallery two photos of the excavated Roman's tomb in Thessaloniki, and the Roman's folded spartha sword. In the photo of the tomb interior one can plainly see the folded sword and shield boss, the shield boss has been crushed flat. Another photograph is of the exhibit in the museum of Nuremberg Germany showing another original spartha sword unfolded and a fully formed shield boss, both are extremely similar to ours.

A sword was still so valued in the much later Norse society that good blades were prized by successive generations of warriors. There is even some evidence from Viking burials for the deliberate and possibly ritual "killing" of swords, a ritual from ancient times, which still involved the blade being bent so that it was unusable. Because Vikings were often buried with their weapons, the "killing" of swords may have served two functions, namely a ritualistic function in retiring a weapon with a warrior, and a practical one in deterring any grave robbers from disturbing the burial in order to get one of these costly weapons. Indeed, archaeological finds of the bent and brittle pieces of metal sword remains testify to the regular burial of Vikings with weapons, as well as the habitual "killing" of sword  read more

Code: 21852

Antique Museum Worthy 17th-18th Century Sinhalese Nobleman's Dagger Piha Kaetta, From The Royal Workshops of The King Of Kandy, Sri Lanka, With Fabulous Chisseled,Engraved Gold Alloy, Silver, & Carved Black Coral Grip

A most stunning, ornate, pihas, and made exclusively by the Pattal Hattara (The Four Workshops). They were employed directly by the Kings of Kandy. Kandy, the independent kingdom, that was first established by King Wickramabahu (1357-1374 AD).

From our latest incredible collection of early 'Royal' daggers from the 17th century Pattal-hatara (Four Workshops) of the King Kandy of Sri Lanka. Each one a masterpiece of the early craftsman’s art

The last Kandyan king was in the early 1800's, and the workshops are no longer in existence today.
From these knives there are all transitions to the finest versions of nobles and princes, the most elaborate and costly of silver or gold inlaid and overlaid knives worn by the greatest chiefs as a part of their formal dress. The workmanship of many of these is most exquisite but this fine work is done rather by the higher craftsmen, the silversmiths and ivory carvers, than by the mere blacksmith. Many of the best knives were made in the Four Workshops, such as is this example, the blades being supplied to the silversmith by the blacksmiths.

"The best of the higher craftsmen (gold and silversmiths, painters, and ivory carvers, etc.) working immediately for the king formed a close, largely hereditary, corporation of craftsmen called the Pattal-hatara (Four Workshops). They were named as follows; The Ran Kadu Golden Arms, the Abarana Regalia, the Sinhasana Lion Throne, and the Otunu Crown these men worked only for the King, unless by his express permission (though, of course, their sons or pupils might do otherwise); they were liable to be continually engaged in Kandy, while the Kottal-badda men were divided into relays, serving by turns in Kandy for periods of two months. The Kottal-badda men in each district were under a foreman (mul-acariya) belonging to the Pattal-hatara. Four other foremen, one from each pattala, were in constant attendance at the palace.This beautiful noble's dagger is stunningly decorated with veka deka liya vela double curve vine motif and the flower motif sina mal, and a bold vine in damascene silver. The blade is traditonal iron and the hilt beautifully carved black coral

From the sixteenth century, the Kandyan kingdom was drawn into the Wars of Kotte Succession after the Kingdom of Kotte was divided among three brothers. It was also at this time that the Portuguese Empire intruded into the internal affairs of Sri Lanka, establishing control over the maritime regions of the island and seeking to control its lucrative external trade. During this civil war the Kandyan kingdom almost lost its independence the Kingdom of Sitawaka who occupied it for a decade. The Crisis culminated in the collapse of the Kotte kingdom in 1597 and all of its successor states, including the Sitawaka kingdom. Kandy was the only independent Sinhalese kingdom to survive thus beginning the Kandyan period (1592–1815). Kandyan rulers, in an effort to protect their independence, alternated between resistance and diplomacy when dealing with the Europeans.
In the seventeenth century, the kingdom formed an alliance with the Dutch East India Company to expel the Portuguese from the island. Although the Portuguese were eventually removed, the Dutch double-crossed the Kandyans and retained control of the coastal regions and relations between Kandy and the Dutch became strained. The Kandyans and the Dutch would engage in two wars with the later resulting in loss of all of Kandy's remaining coastal territory, making it a landlocked country.
A related but less ornate example also without a scabbard currently is on display in London’s Victoria & Albert Museum. Another example is in the Clive Collection (see Archer, 1987, p. 45 for an illustration.). The Clive example was first mentioned in inventories in 1775.
References
Caravana, J. et al, Rites of Power: Oriental Weapons: Collection of Jorge Caravana, Caleidoscopio, 2010.
Hales, R.,
Islamic and Oriental Arms and Armour: A Lifetime’s Passion, Robert Hale CI Ltd, 2013.

De Silva, P.H.D.H & S. Wickramasinghe,
Ancient Swords, Daggers & Knives in Sri Lankan Museums, Sri Lanka National Museums, 2006.

Weereratne, N.,
Visions of an Island: Rare works from Sri Lanka in the Christopher Ondaatje Collection, Harper Collins, 1999.

https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O452562/knife-and-sheath/

Occasionally, as we are Great Britain’s leading gallery of our kind, we had had such knives, over the past 30 years, before, but nothing as fine as these museum grade examples, from the small collection we were thrilled to have acquired.  read more

Code: 14577

A Most Beautiful and Intriguing, Early, Possibly 17th Century, Carved Lion Head Sinhalese Simha Makkara Lionhead Hilted, Tail-Bladed Knife

A large knife version of a Sinhalese early kastane short sword.

Traces of an early armourer's stamp at the ricasso of the blade, carved hardwood hilt in the form of a Sinhalese simha lion. The hilt has a pair of rivets through which the blade tang is held in place, and the rivet heads have copper rosette collars, very similar to the rosettes found on 17th century cabassat helmet rivets. A wide blade with an unusual recurved tail, and a single cutting edge. It is of a most unusual form and may for sacrificial purposes, or, a ceremonial implement of another function entirely. We feel it may be Sinhalese, by the hilt design, possible even loosely based on a very large piha kaetta knife.

Curiously it is incredibly similar to artefacts of the early pre-Colombian Central American period, such as Incan or Mayan. 13.5 inches long overall.  read more

Code: 22539

A Late 1600’s to 1700’s Very Fine Museum Grade, Black Coral Handled Sinhalese King’s or Noble’s Knife. A Royal Piha-Kaetta (Pihiya) With Finest Chisseled Silver And Gold. From The King of Kandy’s Workshop

The knife is being artisan conservator cleaned and conserved in the workshop, it is photographed here pre-conservation at present

A Fine Sinhalese Knife Piha-Kaetta (Pihiya) from Sri Lanka, Late 17th early 18th Century.

From our latest incredible collection of early 'Royal' daggers from the 17th century Pattal-hatara (Four Workshops) of the King of Kandy of Sri Lanka. Each one a masterpiece of the early craftsman’s art

From the sixteenth century, the Kandyan kingdom was drawn into the Wars of Kotte Succession after the Kingdom of Kotte was divided among three brothers. It was also at this time that the Portuguese Empire intruded into the internal affairs of Sri Lanka, establishing control over the maritime regions of the island and seeking to control its lucrative external trade. During this civil war the Kandyan kingdom almost lost its independence the Kingdom of Sitawaka who occupied it for a decade. The Crisis culminated in the collapse of the Kotte kingdom in 1597 and all of its successor states, including the Sitawaka kingdom. Kandy was the only independent Sinhalese kingdom to survive thus beginning the Kandyan period (1592–1815). Kandyan rulers, in an effort to protect their independence, alternated between resistance and diplomacy when dealing with the Europeans.
In the seventeenth century, the kingdom formed an alliance with the Dutch East India Company to expel the Portuguese from the island. Although the Portuguese were eventually removed, the Dutch double-crossed the Kandyans and retained control of the coastal regions and relations between Kandy and the Dutch became strained. The Kandyans and the Dutch would engage in two wars with the later resulting in loss of all of Kandy's remaining coastal territory, making it a landlocked country.

This Pihiya is a very well known form of early Ceylonese royal knife, with a straight-backed blade and a curved cutting edge.
The Pihiya Handle and part of the blade are beautifully and finely engraved and decorated with delicate tendrils, the powerful hilt is made out of different combinations of materials such as Gold, Silver, Brass, Copper, Rock Crystal, Ivory, Horn, Black Coral Steel and Wood. Sometimes the Gold or Silver mounts extend down halfway the blade.
Handles were made in a certain and very distinctive form, occasionally they were made in the form of serpentines or a mythical creature’s head, most similar to this stunning piece.
The Kaetta means a beak or billhook, it is a similar but larger knife to the Pihiya, it has a blade with a carved back and a straight cutting edge that curves only towards the tip.
The finest examples were made at the four workshop (Pattal-Hatara), where a selected group of craftsmen worked exclusively for the King and his court, and were bestowed to nobles and officials together with the kasthan? and a cane as a sign of rank and / or office. Others were presented as diplomatic gifts. Many of the best knives were doubtless made in the Four Workshops, such as is this example, the blades being supplied to the silversmith by the blacksmiths.
"The best of the higher craftsmen (gold and silversmiths, painters, and ivory carvers, etc.) working immediately for the king formed a close, largely hereditary, corporation of craftsmen called the Pattal-hatara (Four Workshops). They were named as follows; The Ran Kadu Golden Arms, the Abarana Regalia, the Sinhasana Lion Throne, and the Otunu Crown these men worked only for the King, unless by his express permission (though, of course, their sons or pupils might do otherwise); they were liable to be continually engaged in Kandy, while the Kottal-badda men were divided into relays, serving by turns in Kandy for periods of two months. The Kottal-badda men in each district were under a foreman (mul-acariya) belonging to the Pattal-hatara. Four other foremen, one from each pattala, were in constant attendance at the palace. Prince Vijaya was a legendary king of Sri Lanka, mentioned in the Pali chronicles, including Mahavamsa. He is the first recorded King of Sri Lanka. His reign is traditionally dated to 543 -505 bc. According to the legends, he and several hundred of his followers came to Lanka after being expelled from an Indian kingdom. In Lanka, they displaced the island's original inhabitants (Yakkhas), established a kingdom and became ancestors of the modern Sinhalese people.
A related but less ornate example but without a scabbard currently is on display in London’s Victoria & Albert Museum. Another example is in the Clive Collection (see Archer, 1987, p. 45 for an illustration.). The Clive example was first mentioned in inventories in 1775.
References
Caravana, J. et al, Rites of Power: Oriental Weapons: Collection of Jorge Caravana, Caleidoscopio, 2010.
Hales, R.,
Islamic and Oriental Arms and Armour: A Lifetime’s Passion, Robert Hale CI Ltd, 2013.

De Silva, P.H.D.H & S. Wickramasinghe,
Ancient Swords, Daggers & Knives in Sri Lankan Museums, Sri Lanka National Museums, 2006.

Weereratne, N.,
Visions of an Island: Rare works from Sri Lanka in the Christopher Ondaatje Collection, Harper Collins, 1999.

https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O452562/knife-and-sheath/

Occasionally, as we are Great Britain’s leading gallery of our kind, we had had such knives, over the past 30 years, before, but nothing as fine as these museum grade examples, from the small collection we were thrilled to have acquired.


13 inches long overall  read more

Code: 22534

A Finest Museum Piece. A Most Beautiful and Early Black Coral Handle, inlaid With Engraved Silver Banding and Four Rubies. Gold Alloy Mounted Sinhalese King's Knife 'Piha-Kaetta' (Pihiya)

From our latest incredible collection of early 'Royal' daggers from the 17th century Pattal-hatara (Four Workshops) of the King Kandy of Sri Lanka. Each one a masterpiece of the early craftsman’s art.

A Fine Sinhalese Knife Piha-Kaetta (Pihiya) from Sri Lanka, Late 17th early 18th Century. Stunningly decorated with gold alloy, silver and what appear to rubies. The gold alloy is incredibly floridly patterned and fully engraved with great skill. This early royal dagger is truly a joy to behold.

The Pihiya is a very well known Ceylonese highest status knife, made for Sri lankan royalty, with a straight-backed blade and a curved cutting edge.

The Pihiya handle and part of the blade are beautifully and finely engraved and decorated with delicate tendrils, the powerful hilt is made out of different combinations of materials such as gold, silver, brass, horn, black coral inlaid with rubies and a steel blade. Sometimes the gold or silver mounts extend down halfway the blade as does this wonderful example.

Handles were made in a certain and very distinctive form, occasionally they were made in the form of serpentines or a mythical creature's head, similar to this beauty.

The Kaetta means a beak or billhook, it is a similar but larger knife to the Pihiya, it has a blade with a carved back and a straight cutting edge that curves only towards the tip.

The finest examples were made at the four workshop (Pattal-Hatara), where a selected group of craftsmen worked exclusively for the King and his court, and were bestowed to nobles and officials together with the kasthan and a cane as a sign of rank and / or office. Others were presented as diplomatic gifts. Many of the best knives were doubtless made in the Four Workshops, such as is this example, the blades being supplied to the silversmith by the blacksmiths.
"The best of the higher craftsmen (gold and silversmiths, painters, and ivory carvers, etc.) working immediately for the king formed a close, largely hereditary, corporation of craftsmen called the Pattal-hatara (Four Workshops). They were named as follows; The Ran Kadu Golden Arms, the Abarana Regalia, the Sinhasana Lion Throne, and the Otunu Crown these men worked only for the King, unless by his express permission (though, of course, their sons or pupils might do otherwise); they were liable to be continually engaged in Kandy, while the Kottal-badda men were divided into relays, serving by turns in Kandy for periods of two months. The Kottal-badda men in each district were under a foreman (mul-acariya) belonging to the Pattal-hatara. Four other foremen, one from each pattala, were in constant attendance at the palace. Prince Vijaya was a legendary king of Sri Lanka, mentioned in the Pali chronicles, including Mahavamsa. He is the first recorded King of Sri Lanka. His reign is traditionally dated to 543-505 bce. According to the legends, he and several hundred of his followers came to Lanka after being expelled from an Indian kingdom. In Lanka, they displaced the island's original inhabitants (Yakkhas), established a kingdom and became ancestors of the modern Sinhalese people.

A related but less ornate example but without a scabbard currently is on display in London’s Victoria & Albert Museum. Another example is in the Clive Collection (see Archer, 1987, p. 45 for an illustration.). The Clive example was first mentioned in inventories in 1775.
References
Caravana, J. et al, Rites of Power: Oriental Weapons: Collection of Jorge Caravana, Caleidoscopio, 2010.
Hales, R.,
Islamic and Oriental Arms and Armour: A Lifetime’s Passion, Robert Hale CI Ltd, 2013.

De Silva, P.H.D.H & S. Wickramasinghe,
Ancient Swords, Daggers & Knives in Sri Lankan Museums, Sri Lanka National Museums, 2006.

Weereratne, N.,
Visions of an Island: Rare works from Sri Lanka in the Christopher Ondaatje Collection, Harper Collins, 1999.

Overall 32 cm's long,

Occasionally, as we are Great Britain’s leading gallery of our kind, we had had such knives, over the past 30 years, before, but nothing as fine as these museum grade examples, from the small collection we were thrilled to have acquired.  read more

Code: 20795

An Incredibly Rare & Historically Significant. An Early19th Century, Georgian to William IVth Irish, Crum Castle Infantryman's Large Shako Helmet Plate

This is a superb, and incredibly desirable large Bell-Top Shako helmet plate, from one of the small Irish Militia of the early 19th century. Their motto was 'Rebels Lie Down'.

Surviving artefacts of this militia are so scarce that we know of only one other surviving piece of early uniform militaria, a shoulder belt plate, regimentally named and also bearing their motto.
Early 19th century Irish Militia helmet plates are incredibly rare in their own right, and both highly prized and very collectable indeed.

Crum Castle was the alternative old spelling of Crom Castle, County Fermanagh. Although the Yeomanry’s official existence ended in 1834, the last rusty muskets were not removed from their dusty stores till the early 1840s. With unintentional but obvious symbolism, they were escorted to the ordnance stores by members of the new constabulary. Although gone, the Yeomen were most certainly not forgotten. For one thing, they were seen as the most recent manifestation of a tradition of Protestant self-defence stretching back to plantation requirements of armed service from tenants then re-surfacing in different forms such as the Williamite county associations, the eighteenth-century Boyne Societies, anti-Jacobite associations of 1745 and the Volunteers. Such identification had been eagerly promoted. At the foundation of an Apprentice Boys’ club in 1813, Colonel Blacker, a Yeoman and Orangeman, amalgamated the siege tradition, the Yeomanry and 1798 in a song entitled The Crimson Banner:

Again when treason maddened round,
and rebel hordes were swarming,
were Derry’s sons the foremost found,
for King and Country arming.

Moreover, the idea of a yeomanry remained as a structural template for local, gentry-led self-defence, particularly in Ulster. When volunteering was revived in Britain in 1859, northern Irish MPs like Sharman Crawford tried unsuccessfully to use the Yeomanry precedent to get similar Irish legislation. Yeomanry-like associations were mooted in the second Home Rule crisis of 1893. The Ulster Volunteer Force of 1911-14—often led by the same families like Knox of Dungannon—defined their role like Yeomen, giving priority to local defence and exhibiting great reluctance to leave their own districts for training in brigades. Two loop mounts one with old re-bedding 6.25 inches high.  read more

Code: 23283

A Superb Original Imperial Roman Legionary's "Whistling" Sling Bullet Circa 1st to 2nd century AD.

Identical to the few found at an archaeological dig at a Roman Fort site in southwestern Scotland a few years ago, and one of a very small collection of fine original sling bullets of antiquity we acquired.
Over 1,800 years ago, Roman troops used "whistling" sling bullets as a "terror weapon" against their barbarian foes, such as were in Scotland and the Celts in England, according to archaeologists who found the cast lead bullets at a site in Scotland.

Weighing about 1 ounce (30 grams), each of the bullets had been drilled with a 0.2-inch (5 millimeters) hole that the researchers think was designed to give the soaring bullets a sharp buzzing or whistling noise in flight.

The bullets were found recently at Burnswark Hill in southwestern Scotland, where a massive Roman attack against native defenders in a hilltop fort took place in the second century A.D. These holes converted the bullets into a "terror weapon," said archaeologist John Reid of the Trimontium Trust, a Scottish historical society directing the first major archaeological investigation in 50 years of the Burnswark Hill site.

"You don't just have these silent but deadly bullets flying over; you've got a sound effect coming off them that would keep the defenders' heads down," Reid told Live Science. "Every army likes an edge over its opponents, so this was an ingenious edge on the permutation of sling bullets."

The whistling bullets were also smaller than typical sling bullets, and the researchers think the soldiers may have used several of them in their slings — made from two long cords held in the throwing hand, attached to a pouch that holds the ammunition — so they could hurl multiple bullets at a target with one throw.

"You can easily shoot them in groups of three of four, so you get a scattergun effect," Reid said. "We think they're for close-quarter skirmishing, for getting quite close to the enemy." Onasandrius wrote the 1st C. BC, in his book "Strategy". "The Sling is the deadly weapon used by light infantry because lead is of the same colour as the air and therefore not visible, thus the impact is unexpected and not only smites hard, but the bullet penetrates deeply into the victims flesh". Used by Roman auxiliary troops like Greeks, Sicilians, North Africans, but after the Roman conquest of the Balearic Islands elite slingers were always the Balearic that fought in the legions of Julius Caesar.

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading, as Britain’s oldest established, and favourite, armoury and gallery  read more

Code: 23794

A Fine & Rare Original Heavy Grade Imperial Roman Legionary Cavalry Officer's Iron Prick Spur 1st - 2nd Century A.D From Emperors Augustus, Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius & Nero to The Era Of Emperors Trajan & Hadrian

In very nicely preserved condition. A good heavy grade quality and rare piece from Imperial Rome.

Imperial cavalry (30 BC – 476 AD)
When the Republic transitioned into the Empire, Augustus made a regular Auxilia corp of non-citizen soldiers. These professional Roman soldiers, like the Legions, were subjects recruited from the non-citizens in provinces controlled by Rome that had strong native cavalry traditions. These men, unlike the Allied Foederetii cavalry, were a regular part of the Roman army and were paid and trained by the Roman State. Arrian describes them as well-equipped and performing well-executed manoeuvres. A typical cavalrymen of the Ala would be paid 20 percent more than a typical citizen legionary.

Roman Auxilia cavalry were usually heavily armoured in mail and armed with a short lance, javelins, the Spatha long sword, and sometimes bows for specialist Horse archer units. These men primarily served as Medium missile cavalry for flanking, scouting, skirmish, and pursuit. As opposed to more modern cavalry units where the horses were kept in stables separate from the riders, Roman cavalry housed the riders and horses in the same barracks.
Although Augustus created regular Auxiliaries, irregular allied forces were still used. For example, Marcus Aurelius recruited Sarmatian allied cavalry to be stationed in Britain. By the 4th century, Romans relied heavily on irregular allies from the migrating Germanic tribes and the Huns.

Augustus, Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), was also known as Octavian, and was the founder of the Roman Empire. He reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. The reign of Augustus initiated an imperial cult, as well as an era of imperial peace (the Pax Romana or Pax Augusta) in which the Roman world was largely free of armed conflict. The Principate system of government was established during his reign and lasted until the Crisis of the Third Century.

Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37, was Roman emperor from AD 14 until 37. He succeeded his stepfather Augustus, the first Roman emperor. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC to Roman politician Tiberius Claudius Nero and his wife, Livia Drusilla. In 38 BC, Tiberius's mother divorced his father and married Augustus. Following the untimely deaths of Augustus's two grandsons and adopted heirs, Gaius and Lucius Caesar, Tiberius was designated Augustus's successor. Prior to this, Tiberius had proved himself an able diplomat, and one of the most successful Roman generals: his conquests of Pannonia, Dalmatia, Raetia, and (temporarily) parts of Germania laid the foundations for the empire's northern frontier.

Caligula, Gaius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was Roman emperor from AD 37 until his assassination in AD 41. He was the son of the Roman general Germanicus and Augustus' granddaughter Agrippina the Elder, members of the first ruling family of the Roman Empire. He was born two years before Tiberius was made emperor. Gaius accompanied his father, mother and siblings on campaign in Germania, at little more than four or five years old. He had been named after Gaius Julius Caesar, but his father's soldiers affectionately nicknamed him "Caligula" ('little boot')
Caligula's sister, Agrippina the Younger, wrote an autobiography that included a detailed account of Caligula's reign, but it too is lost. Agrippina was banished by Caligula for her connection to Marcus Lepidus, who conspired against him.170287Caligula also seized the inheritance of Agrippina's son, the future emperor Nero. Gaetulicus flattered Caligula in writings now lost. Suetonius wrote his biography of Caligula 80 years after his assassination, and Cassius Dio over 180 years after; the latter offers a loose chronology. Josephus gives a detailed account of Caligula's assassination and its aftermath, published around 93 AD, but it is thought to draw upon a "richly embroidered and historically imaginative" anonymous biography of Herod Agrippa, presented as a Jewish "national hero".286 Pliny the Elder's Natural History has a few brief references to Caligula, possibly based these on the accounts by his friend Suetonius, or an unnamed, shared source. Of the few surviving sources on Caligula, none paints Caligula in a favourable light. Little has survived on the first two years of his reign, and only limited details on later significant events, such as the annexation of Mauretania, Caligula's military actions in Britannia, and the basis of his feud with the Senate

Claudius, Tiberius Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus 1 August 10 BC – 13 October AD 54) was a Roman emperor, ruling from AD 41 to 54. A member of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, Claudius was born to Drusus and Antonia Minor at Lugdunum in Roman Gaul, where his father was stationed as a military legate. He was the first Roman emperor to be born outside Italy.

Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus 15 December AD 37 – 9 June AD 68) was a Roman emperor and the final emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty, reigning from AD 54 until his death in AD 68.
Nero was born at Antium in AD 37, the son of Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus and Agrippina the Younger (great-granddaughter of the emperor Augustus). Nero was three when his father died.1 By the time Nero turned eleven,2 his mother married Emperor Claudius, who then adopted Nero as his heir. Upon Claudius' death in AD 54, Nero ascended to the throne with the backing of the Praetorian Guard and the Senate. In the early years of his reign, Nero was advised and guided by his mother Agrippina, his tutor Seneca the Younger, and his praetorian prefect Sextus Afranius Burrus, but sought to rule independently and rid himself of restraining influences. The power struggle between Nero and his mother reached its climax when he orchestrated her murder. Roman sources also implicate Nero in the deaths of both his wife Claudia Octavia – supposedly so he could marry Poppaea Sabina – and his stepbrother Britannicus.

With his death, the Julio-Claudian dynasty ended. Chaos would ensue in the year of the Four Emperors.

4 inches x 3.5 inches, 2 inch long spike .  read more

Code: 21916

Roman-British Cobra Head Brooch, With Amber Glass Eyes. Combined With A Swan's Neck and Head Loop Ist - 2nd Century AD.1900 to 2000 Years Old

Britain was part of the Roman Empire for over three and a half centuries. From the invasion under the emperor Claudius in AD 43 until rule from Rome ended in the early 5th century, the province of Britannia was part of a political union that covered most of Europe.

Roman administration in Britain lasted about 370 years – the same length of time as between now and the end of the English Civil Wars in 1651. It was a complex era of frequent change, which spanned the reigns of more than 80 emperors and saw periods of peace, prosperity and expansion, as well as times of raids, war, fear and recession.

The Romans brought many things to the lands they conquered, including towns, roads, permanent military garrisons and centralised government. In Britain this has left a rich archaeological legacy, from villas and towns to forts and the magnificent Hadrian's Wall.

During Julius Caesar’s military campaigns in Gaul between 58 and 50 BC, he mounted two expeditions to Britain. The first, in 55 BC, was simply an armed reconnaissance, but the second in 54 BC was a serious attack that subdued the major tribes in south-eastern Britain. The Romans didn’t stay, but several tribes may have become friendly ‘client states’, in some respects still independent but also subordinate to Rome.

For almost a century afterwards, tribal rulers in southern Britain maintained diplomatic relations with Rome and traded across the English Channel with its provinces. However, during the first 40 years of the 1st century AD, the Catuvellauni tribe, based to the north and east of London, gradually gained power over neighbouring tribes, the Trinovantes and the Atrebates. This gave them control of territory further south, and also forced the expulsion from Britain in AD 42 of Verica, the pro-Roman king of the Atrebates.

The Catuvellauni’s growing anti-Roman stance coincided with the emperor Claudius’s desperate need to consolidate his fragile hold on power. The usual way for emperors to shore up support was by military victory. So, the invasion of Britain was planned, with the treatment of Verica and the Atrebates as the pretext. Claudius sent an army in AD 43.

How much difference the Roman conquest made to everyday life varied from place to place. In the far West, Wales and most of the North, the army always remained at the forefront of daily life. Soldiers occupied a network of forts, connected by good roads, to police this huge area, in which Roman ways of life had far less impact than in the Midlands, South and East. In those areas, urban civilisation developed. Camulodunum was initially the province’s main town, though Londinium quickly replaced it.

There was never a massive influx of ‘Romans’. The people living in Britannia across the period of Roman rule were mostly the descendants of the pre-Roman tribes, and they lived and worked mainly in the countryside. There was a veneer of Roman officials, while the troops were originally recruited from provinces across the empire.

There would have been a gradual merging of people and culture in and around towns and forts, but in the countryside perhaps less so. The population was probably between 3 and 4 million, of which the Roman army of occupation comprised of up to 50,000 men, almost 2/3rds of the size of the British Army regulars today but 1800 years later. Which currently, strategically, would possibly, be sufficient to defend the Isle of Wight, but not much else.

Picture in the gallery of a Roman silver plaque where the male figure on the right is wearing a similar shaped robe brooch upon his right shoulder.  read more

Code: 25583

A Beautiful and Original Antique Mandingo Chieftain's Slave and Gold Trader Sword With Tattoo'd Leather Scabbard

In superb condition for age, with amazing traditional leather work, wonderfully cared for.

Traditional antique African tribal weaponry are incredibly sought after today, especially as unique pieces of interior decoration to display their beauty and historical appeal

A chieftain's weapon of Mandingo slave and gold traders. The Manding (Mandingo) are West African people. Their traditional sword for the slave traders comprises a sabre like blade, guardless leather grip and scabbard with exquisite leather work.

This example is a long sized example, of a high ranking Mandingo, of very nice quality and finely tattooed. inches long curved blade, leather grip and leather scabbard with leaf shaped widening tip, entirely tooled tattooed and decorated. Of special interest is the finely bound and decorated leather work. These weapons are well known for their leather-work and the tattooing applied to the leather of the scabbards. The iron work skills are typical of the region and period. Many blades are taken from European weapons such as sabres and cutlasses.

While the Baule are a distinct tribal group to the west, it is important to observe that Malinke is a variant term applied to the Mandingo (also Manding, Mandin, Mande).

In general, these remain primarily considered Mandingo weapons, and from regions in Mali. These were of course invariably mounted with European sabre blades. Mandingo Tribe (also known as the Mandinka, Mande, or the Malinke Tribes) were the traders of the African West Coast, trading primarily in gold and slaves from other African tribes.

30 inches long overall in scabbard, blade 23 inches long  read more

Code: 17967