Antique Arms & Militaria

Early Crusades Reliquary, Pectoral, Encolpion Cross. Containing A Shard of The True Cross. Hinged, Neck Cross Of the Ancient Holy Land. Likely Presented to a Warrior Knight Before His Departure for the Crusade, by an Archbishop or The Pope. 1000 Years Old

An absolute beauty, of great size and presence, and the detailing is superb, reflecting in the quality of the entire piece. This was clearly made to the standard for gifting to a knight of highest rank, status and great standing, such as a warrior Bishop of the Knights Templars.
Obviously with light signs of natural old surface wear, but it has survived superbly complete, especially considering after all the extraordinary turmoil, privations, and indeed likely combat the knight owner would have experienced during the earliest crusades to the Holy Land.
Even some of the best examples, comparable to a beauty such as this, on exhibition in the Metropolitan Museum Collection in New York, are damaged or even only half complete. See photo 10 in the gallery.

With a deep relief cast bronze Jesus Christ in a crucifix pose on the obverse side with four evangelists, and Mary on the reverse side, in an orans prayer pose, also with four busts of evangelists surrounding.
This is a two part, hinged bronze reliquary cross, which is complete, and may once have contained part of the true cross.
The cross is composed of two bronze boxes with were formed and joined by hinges. A thick suspension ring enabled the encolpion to be worn as a pectoral pendant. This unusual cross portrays, on one side, Christ with arms extended, wearing a robe (colobium). On the other side the robed Mary has arms and hands raised (“orans”) in prayer. The reliquary was probably thought to contain a splinter of the True Cross. For other reliquary crosses, see the exhibition catalogue “Kreuz und Kruzifix” (Diocese Museum of Friesing, Germany, 2005) – pgs 174-175. A virtually identical example in bronze is pictured in Pitirakis, "Les Croix-Reliquares Pectorales Byzantine", Paris, 2006, 162. Byzantine representations of the Crucifixion which show Christ wearing a robe are normally earlier than those in which he wears a loincloth.
The hinging is now connected by two hoops of iron.

The hollow portion formed inside the box was intended for the sacred relic that the faithful would have worn around the neck. Part four of the amazing small collection of antiquites including Crusades period Crucifixes and reliquary crosses for the early Anglo Norman Crusader knights and Jerusalem pilgrims.
As used in the early Crusades Period by Knights, such as the Knights of Malta Knights Hospitaller, the Knights of Jerusalem the Knights Templar, the Knights of St John.
The new Norman rulers were culturally and ethnically distinct from the old French aristocracy, most of whom traced their lineage to the Franks of the Carolingian dynasty from the days of Charlemagne in the 9th century. Most Norman knights remained poor and land-hungry, and by the time of the expedition and invasion of England in 1066, Normandy had been exporting fighting horsemen for more than a generation. Many Normans of Italy, France and England eventually served as avid Crusaders soldiers under the Italo-Norman prince Bohemund I of Antioch and the Anglo-Norman king Richard the Lion-Heart, one of the more famous and illustrious Kings of England. An encolpion "on the chest" is a medallion with an icon in the centre worn around the neck upon the chest. This stunning and large neck worn example is bronze three part with its hinged top. 10th to 12th century. The hollow portion formed inside the cross was intended for the sacred relic that the faithful would have worn around the neck. The custom of carrying a relic was largely widespread, and many early bronze examples were later worn by the Crusader knights on their crusades to liberate the Holy Land. Relics of the True Cross became very popular from the 9th century, and were carried in cross-shaped reliquaries like this, often decorated with enamels, niellos, and precious stones. The True Cross is the name for physical remnants from the cross upon which Jesus Christ was crucified. Many Catholic and Orthodox churches possess fragmentary remains that are by tradition believed to those of the True Cross. Saint John Chrysostom relates that fragments of the True Cross were kept in reliquaries "which men reverently wear upon their persons". A fragment of the True Cross was received by King Alfred from Pope Marinus I (Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, year 883). An inscription of 359, found at Tixter, in the neighbourhood of Sétif in Mauretania, was said to mention, in an enumeration of relics, a fragment of the True Cross, according to an entry in Roman Miscellanies, X, 441.

Fragments of the Cross were broken up, and the pieces were widely distributed; in 348, in one of his Catecheses, Cyril of Jerusalem remarked that the "whole earth is full of the relics of the Cross of Christ," and in another, "The holy wood of the Cross bears witness, seen among us to this day, and from this place now almost filling the whole world, by means of those who in faith take portions from it." Egeria's account testifies to how highly these relics of the crucifixion were prized. Saint John Chrysostom relates that fragments of the True Cross were kept in golden reliquaries, "which men reverently wear upon their persons." Even two Latin inscriptions around 350 from today's Algeria testify to the keeping and admiration of small particles of the cross. Around the year 455, Juvenal Patriarch of Jerusalem sent to Pope Leo I a fragment of the "precious wood", according to the Letters of Pope Leo. A portion of the cross was taken to Rome in the seventh century by Pope Sergius I, who was of Byzantine origin. "In the small part is power of the whole cross", says an inscription in the Felix Basilica of Nola, built by bishop Paulinus at the beginning of 5th century. The cross particle was inserted in the altar.

The Old English poem Dream of the Rood mentions the finding of the cross and the beginning of the tradition of the veneration of its relics. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle also talks of King Alfred receiving a fragment of the cross from Pope Marinus (see: Annal Alfred the Great, year 883). Although it is possible, the poem need not be referring to this specific relic or have this incident as the reason for its composition. However, there is a later source that speaks of a bequest made to the 'Holy Cross' at Shaftesbury Abbey in Dorset; Shaftesbury abbey was founded by King Alfred, supported with a large portion of state funds and given to the charge of his own daughter when he was alive – it is conceivable that if Alfred really received this relic, that he may have given it to the care of the nuns at Shaftesbury

Most of the very small relics of the True Cross in Europe came from Constantinople. The city was captured and sacked by the Fourth Crusade in 1204: "After the conquest of the city Constantinople inestimable wealth was found: incomparably precious jewels and also a part of the cross of the Lord, which Helena transferred from Jerusalem and which was decorated with gold and precious jewels. There it attained the highest admiration. It was carved up by the present bishops and was divided with other very precious relics among the knights; later, after their return to the homeland, it was donated to churches and monasteries.To the category of engolpia belong also the ampullae, or vials or vessels of lead, clay or other materials in which were preserved such esteemed relics as oil from the lamps that burned before the Holy Sepulchre, and the golden keys with filings from St. Peter's chains, one of which was sent by St. Gregory the Great to the Frankish King Childebert.

The last time the Pope gave a piece of the true cross was for the coronation of King Charles IIIrd set within the cross for Wales. The relics of what is known as the True Cross were given to King Charles by Pope Francis, as a coronation gift. The cross uses Welsh materials such as slate, reclaimed wood, and silver from the Royal Mint in Llantrisant. King Charles hammered the hallmark onto the silver used in the cross.

Encolpion, a different anglicization of the same word, covers the early medieval tradition in both Eastern and Western Christianity. Superb condition overall, with both the top and bottom hinges secured with loops of iron wire

The natural, aged, surface bronze patination over the past 1000 years is in superb condition.

Picture 10 in the gallery is from a most similar example in the Metropolitan Museum, but only half the cross remaining {the Jesus posed side is missing} bearing Mary and four evangelists as does ours.
3 inches high.  read more

Code: 26066

A Stunning Mid 18th Century Ship's Captain Brass Cannon Barrel Pistol with a Silver Escutchon of the Goddess Minerva Adorned With Her Dolphin Helmet & Fishscale Armour

Blunderbuss pistol all brass cannon barrel, and action, beautifully engraved. Made by Hadley circa 1750, with large silver escutcheon engraved with the profile head of Minerva.

Minerva, whose dolphin helmeted face is depicted is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. Minerva is not a patron of violence such as Mars, but of strategic warfare.


The ‘Queen Anne’ style pistol is distinctive in that it does not have a ramrod. The barrel of the pistol unscrews and allows it to be loaded from the rear and near the touch hole at the breech of the barrel. These pistols were originally made in flintlock.

The Queen Anne pistols were very popular and were made in a variety of calibres, usually about 38 to 50 bore. Boot pistols, Holster pistols, pocket pistols and Sea Service pistols were all made in the 'Queen Anne' style. This type is known as a Queen Anne pistol because it was during her reign that it became popular (although it was actually introduced in the reign of King William III).

Here are some of the specific reasons why people enjoy collecting antique pistols:

Historical significance: Antique pistols are stunning relics of a bygone era, and they can provide insights into the history of warfare, technology, and culture. For example, a collector might be interested in owning a type of pistol that was used in a famous battle or that was carried by a famous historical figure.
Craftsmanship: Antique pistols are often works of art in their own right. Many early gunsmiths were highly skilled artisans, and their creations can be extraordinarily beautiful. Collectors might appreciate the intricate engraving, fine inlays, and other decorative elements that are found on many antique pistols.
Aesthetic beauty: Antique pistols can be simply stunning. Their elegant lines and graceful curves can be a thing of beauty. Collectors might enjoy admiring the form and function of these antique weapons.
Rarity and uniqueness: Some antique pistols are quite rare, and collectors might enjoy the challenge of finding and acquiring them. Others might be interested in owning a pistol that is unique in some way, such as a prototype or a custom-made piece.
Investment value: Antique pistols can also be valuable long term investments. The value of some antique pistols has appreciated significantly over the years. Collectors might enjoy the potential for profit, in addition to the other pleasures of collecting, but that should never be the ultimate goal, enjoyment must always be the leading factor of collecting.
No matter what their reasons, collectors of antique pistols find enjoyment in their hobby. They appreciate the history, craftsmanship, beauty, and rarity of these unique pieces.

In addition to the above, here is yet another reason why people enjoy collecting antique pistols:

Education: Learning about the history and technology of antique pistols can be a thoroughly rewarding experience. Collectors can learn about the different types of pistols that have been made over the centuries, how they worked, and how they were used.

Excellent condition overall, good tight and crisp action, old small split in stock, overall 12.5 inches long  read more

Code: 25219

Stunning Victorian, Silver Hound's Head Walking Stick Of William Page Wood, 1st Baron Hatherley, PC, British Statesman, Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, Presented by John Bright, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster & Sherlock Holmes Connection

With lacquered hawthorn wood cane.

Was this 'Hound's Head' appearance on the walking stick, the inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's, most famed Sherlock Holmes story, of the fiercesome and diabolical beast, 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' serialized in the Strand Magazine?. According to family legend, the notorious 17th century Squire Richard Cabell inspired the character of Squire Hugo Baskerville, but it was the childhood memory of this very hounds head that was the inspiration of the diabolical beast. The likeness to the illustrations of the hound in Doyle’s original novel is unmistakable.

A most beautiful piece with great political history, of the Victorian Liberal Party, of Prime Minister Lord William Gladstone.

The recipient of the stick, from John Bright, was William Page Wood, 1st Baron Hatherley, PC (29 November 1801 – 10 July 1881). He was a British lawyer and statesman who served as a Liberal Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain between 1868 and 1872 in William Ewart Gladstone's first ministry.

John Bright, the sticks original owner (16 November 1811 – 27 March 1889) was a British Radical and Liberal statesman, one of the greatest orators of his generation and a promoter of free trade policies. In 1849 he was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the County Palatine of Lancaster, and in 1851 was made Solicitor General for England and Wales and knighted. He was the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, a ministerial office in the Government of the United Kingdom. Excluding the prime minister, the chancellor is the highest ranking minister in the Cabinet Office, immediately after the Prime Minister, and senior to the Minister for the Cabinet Office. It was he who first used the phrase ‘England, mother of Parliaments, and another ‘flogging a dead horse’ ‘

A Quaker, Bright is most famous for battling the Corn Laws. In partnership with Richard Cobden, he founded the Anti-Corn Law League, aimed at abolishing the Corn Laws, which raised food prices and protected landowners' interests by levying taxes on imported wheat. The Corn Laws were repealed in 1846. Bright also worked with Cobden in another free trade initiative, the Cobden–Chevalier Treaty of 1860, promoting closer interdependence between Great Britain and the Second French Empire. This campaign was conducted in collaboration with French economist Michel Chevalier, and succeeded despite Parliament's endemic mistrust of the French.

Bright sat in the House of Commons from 1843 to 1889, promoting free trade, electoral reform and religious freedom. He was almost a lone voice in opposing the Crimean War; he also opposed William Ewart Gladstone's proposed Home Rule for Ireland. He saw himself as a spokesman for the middle class and strongly opposed the privileges of the landed aristocracy. In terms of Ireland, he sought to end the political privileges of Anglicans, disestablished the Church of Ireland, and began land reform that would turn land over to the Catholic peasants. He coined the phrase "The mother of parliaments."

The hounds head top of the walking stick, is engraved on one reverse panel J.B {John Bright}, and W.B {William Bright, was John's son, also a Liberal politician} and on the other side of the hound's head is engraved, W. Wood { the Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain} in a panel on the obverse beneath the hound's head.

The head was, 'supposedly', the inspiration for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 'Hound of the Baskervilles'

Doyle was educated at the Jesuit preparatory school Hodder Place, Stonyhurst in Lancashire, which may be the initial connection to John Bright. One might conjecture that Doyle, as a young impressionable boy, saw Bright's hound's head cane {before he gave it to William Wood} maybe, on his {Bright's} visit to Hodder Place School in Lancashire.

This story was imparted to us as part of the family legend of the hound’s head stick's past illustrious history. Of course, there is absolutely no written evidence of this being the case, but it does seem, a most intriguing possibility.

It was also meant to be an accurate likeness of a a beloved hound that belonged to John Bright. John Bright took his hound to Doyle’s prep school when he visited.  read more

Code: 25176

A Really Most Rare Original Zulu War Veteran's Souvenir From Isandhlwana, Victorian Army Hospital Corps Helmet Badge. The Surgeon Major, and 1 Officer and 10 Army Hospital Corps Other Ranks Were Slaughtered at Isandhwana 1879. Found in the Medics Waggon

Surgeon Major Peter Shepherd, a first-aid pioneer, was killed in the battle at Isandhlwana alongside his lieutenant and his ten Army Hospital Corps orderlies see the list in the photo gallery. A fabulous and scarce artefact of the early years of the British military medical and hospital service, formed just after the days of Florence Nightingale in the Crimean War. One of the smallest Army Corps of the Victorian era. It provided the medical nursing services for the expeditionary forces for both the Zulu War and Egypt War field hospitals The Army Hospital Corps was raised by Royal Warrant on 1 August 1857 to provide orderlies for military hospitals, except those in India. It replaced the Medical Staff Corps, which had been embodied on 22 June 1855. In December 1859, the name Medical Staff Corps ceased to appear in the returns of the distribution of the army and was substituted with the name Army Hospital Corps. It was found at Isandhlwana at the inspection of the massacre by Chelmsford and his staff. See the London Illustrated News picture in the gallery.

The first transfers from the Medical Staff Corps to the Army Hospital Corps took place on 31 October 1859, when No 4 MSC William Stawtree and No 461 MSC Benjamin Rawlins became No 1 AHC and No 2 AHC respectively with the rank of Sergeant Major. On 30 November 1859, No 2 MSC Blake John became No 275 in the AHC with the rank of Sergeant Major. Captain and Brevet Major Stonehouse George Bunbury MSC, who on 22 June 1855 had been placed in charge of the Medical Staff Corps, became a Captain in the new Army Hospital Corps on 3 February 1860.

In 1858, the organisation of military hospitals, the treatment of the sick and the provision for their transport from the battle field during the Crimean War came under the scrutiny of the Select Committee on the Medical Department of the Army, chaired by Lord Sidney Herbert. Men generally joined the Army Hospital Corps after two to three years' military service and had to undergo a probationary period of six months before being accepted into the corps. They enlisted for twelve years under the Army Enlistment Act of 1870, of which six years were with the Colours and six years with the Reserve. However, while soldiers in India served for the full six years with the Colours, those in Britain could pass into the reserves after three years. From 1878, the AHC fell under the Cardwell Short Service System, and recruits now served for 3 years with the Colours and 9 years with the Reserve. After 1877, the number of soldiers transferring from the infantry declined, as from 1875 the AHC enlisted men directly from civil life and trained them in both military and hospital duties. The AHC had been so undermanned that it found it difficult to fill the home hospitals, those in the colonies, as well as provide the nursing manpower for expeditionary forces, as was borne out by the Zulu and Egyptian campaigns. In consequence of the great pressure placed upon the department during the 1882 Egyptian Campaign, and the complaints made about the nursing of the sick, the new Medical Staff Corps was augmented by an additional 200 men.
On 23 June 1898, the warrant officers, non commissioned officers and men of the Medical Staff Corps merged with the commissioned officers of the Army Medical Staff to form the Royal Army Medical Corps. The Battle of Isandlwana (alternative spelling: Isandhlwana) on 22 January 1879 was the first major encounter in the Anglo-Zulu War between the British Empire and the Zulu Kingdom. Eleven days after the British commenced their invasion of Zululand in Southern Africa, a Zulu force of some 20,000 warriors attacked a portion of the British main column consisting of about 1,800 British, colonial and native troops and perhaps 400 civilians. The Zulus were equipped mainly with the traditional assegai iron spears and cow-hide shields,but also had a number of muskets and antiquated rifles.

The British and colonial troops were armed with the modern16 Martini–Henry breechloading rifle and two 7-pounder mountain guns deployed as field guns, as well as a Hale rocket battery. Despite a vast disadvantage in weapons technology, the Zulus ultimately overwhelmed the British force, killing over 1,300 troops, including all those out on the forward firing line, most of them Europeans, including field commanders Pulleine and Durnford. Only five Imperial officers survived (including Lieutenant Henry Curling and Lieutenant Horace Smith-Dorrien), and the 52 officers lost was the most lost by any British battalion up to that time. Amongst those killed was Surgeon Major Peter Shepherd, a first-aid pioneer. The Zulu army suffered anywhere from 1,000 to 3,000 killed 67mm high  read more

Code: 23755

A Original & Very Rare, Spontoon Pole Arm of The Personal Guard Of The Holy Roman Emperor Charles VIth Circa 1700's

Engraved with the twin headed eagle and the crest of Emperor Charles VIth. On the reverse side engraved with a seated figures flags and cannon. Charles VI (1 October 1685 - 20 October 1740; German: Karl VI., Latin: Carolus VI) succeeded his elder brother, Joseph I, as Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia (as Charles II), King of Hungary and Croatia, Serbia and Archduke of Austria (as Charles III) in 1711. He unsuccessfully claimed the throne of Spain following the death of his relative, Charles II, in 1700. He married Elisabeth Christine of Brunswick-Wolfenb?ttel, by whom he had his two children: Maria Theresa, the last Habsburg sovereign, and Maria Anna, Governess of the Austrian Netherlands.

Four years before the birth of Maria Theresa, faced with his lack of male heirs, Charles provided for a male-line succession failure with the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713. The Emperor favoured his own daughters over those of his elder brother and predecessor, Joseph I, in the succession, ignoring the decree he had signed during the reign of his father, Leopold I. Charles sought the other European powers' approval. They exacted harsh terms: Britain demanded that Austria abolish its overseas trading company. In total, Great Britain, France, Saxony-Poland, the Dutch Republic, Spain, Venice, States of the Church, Prussia, Russia, Denmark, Savoy-Sardinia, Bavaria, and the Diet of the Holy Roman Empire recognised the sanction. France, Spain, Saxony-Poland, Bavaria and Prussia later reneged. Charles died in 1740, sparking the War of the Austrian Succession, which plagued his successor, Maria Theresa, for eight years. We show for information an engraving of the Guard of The Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II of Habsburg, With the very same spontoon. 7 ft overall , head 22 inches including sidestraps  read more

Code: 21520

A Good 19th Century 1830's King George IVth English Percussion Derringer Type Pistol. The Kind Of Boxlock Pistol Known In Dickensian England As A 'Barker'

Good slab-sided walnut grip, all steel frame and barrel with engraved percussion boxlock action lockplate, dolphin form hammer, sliding safety, and concealed trigger that drops down under tension when the pistol is fully cocked

The nickname was popularized in 19th-century literature. For example, in Charles Dickens' 1837 novel Oliver Twist, a character prepares for a robbery by arming himself with a pair of "barkers".

Circa 1830. Boxlock pistols were pocket pistols popular in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Effectively the first Derringers. The most unique feature of their design was the boxlock mechanism. Unlike most firearms which have the hammer located off to the side of the pistol, a boxlock pistol had the hammer located directly on top of the pistol. They were called a boxlocks because all of the working mechanisms for the hammer and the trigger was located in a box or receiver directly below the top mounted hammer. While the hammer obstructed the aim of the user, this system had the advantage of making the gun more compact and concealable than other pistols. The first boxlock pistols were flintlock and where later made in percussion lock. Unlike modern firearms, these pistols were not mass produced, but were hand made in gunsmith's workshops.

In 18th and 19th-century slang, a pistol was called a
barker because its loud explosion was thought to resemble the "bow-wow" or barking of a dog.

The term originated as "barking iron," an Irish expression recorded in the 1785 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue. Over time, it was shortened simply to "barker." It was initially "cant" (thieves' slang) used by footpads and highwaymen during robberies.
The term was also adopted by Royal Navy seamen to refer to both small Sea Service pistols and larger lower-deck artillery pieces.

While other colourful nicknames like "pops," "snappers," and "meat in the pot" were also used during this era, "barker" remained a common term until the end of the 19th century.

Overall light natural aged russet surface, good tight action.

As with all our antique guns no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables  read more

Code: 26065

A Hugely Impressive, Attractive and Historical, Sudan War 'Mahdi' Warrior's War Sword, a Siege of Khartoum' Period & Battle of Omdurman Kaskara. With Spectacular Blade Bearing Armourer's Stamps & Inscription "May God Bless You and Grant You Victory

The inscription is Arabic and approximately interprets to "May God Bless You and Grant You Victory" a 21st Lancer officer's souvenir.

Probably the best and most historical example we have ever seen in the past 50 years thanks to its expert conservation. And it had to spend over a week in our museum conservation workshop, having highly detailed preserving and polishing undertaken by hand. As it had been in storage for likely a hundred years or more, with the Arabic inscription etched in the design

It has a spectacular and huge broadsword blade with cruciform hilt, the blade has a central fuller with another fuller either side of the central one, and the blade has been struck many times with armourer's marks of crescent moons and the large Arabic inscription.

In the 1880’s the Sudan, the vast land just south of Egypt, was ruled by the Khedive from Cairo. Sudan was basically occupied by native Africans in the south and Arab traders in the north. The coming of the Muslim religious leader known as the "Mahdi" unified the population into an uprising against Egypt.

Britain assisted and allowed General Charles Gordon to become the Governor of Sudan on behalf of the Egyptian Khedive. The result was that after a long siege the entire Khartoum garrison, including General Charles Gordon, was butchered leading to much embarrassment for the British Government. It took 14 years, until 1898 for General Gordon to be avenged with the complete destruction of the Muslim Army at the Battle of Omdurman. In this battle In 1898 the 23 year-old Winston Churchill was serving with the 21st Lancers in the Sudan, while earning money on the side as a war correspondent for the Morning Post. While participating in the last British cavalry charge in history at the Battle of Omdurman, he witnessed the bravery of Dublin-born Victoria Cross winner, Private Thomas Byrne. He also became a skin graft donor to the officer that Byrne saved.
The Mahdi army, numbering over 100,000, was made up of many tribes of various origins and used long broad swords fashioned on those the European Crusaders had carried back in the 13th and 14th centuries. These were known as Kaskaras, and were carried along with a large shield.

This Broadsword, known as a Kaskara, is a lovely example of the principal weapon carried by the Mahdi's warriors. These were desert people and had modelled the broadsword on those carried by the European Crusaders in the 14th century.

This particular example is of very nice quality. A fine example taken in combat from one of Britain's native adversaries. Probably 80% of examples one sees in England today are often souk or bazaar bought examples, acquired in the early to mid 20th century by British travelers and soldiers, often with pseudo German markings. This is a completely different order of merit from those.

The Sudanese Wars are famously remembered in the movies too: Charlton Heston in "Khartoum" and in at least two productions of "The Four Feathers”. The close of the Victorian era was the height of the Great British Empire. A British soldier's bring back souvenir from his times on the front line.

The Kaskara was a type of sword characteristic of Sudan, Chad, and Eritrea. The blade of the kaskara was usually about a yard long, double edged and with a spatulate tip. While most surviving examples are from the 19th or 20th century the best type is believed to have originated around the early 14th century and later, and may represent a localized survival of the straight, double-edged medieval Arab sword with blades acquired from Europeans. The kaskara was worn horizontally across the back or between the upper arm and thorax. According to British Museum curator Christopher Spring, "in the central and eastern Sudan, from Chad through Darfur and across to the Red Sea province, the straight, double-edged swords known as kaskara were an essential possession of most men."

34 1/2 inch blade overall 41 3/4 inches long. The scabbard's very tip has developed an inverted bend  read more

Code: 26061

A Beautiful Ancient Viking War Hammer. An Iron Hammer-Axe From 900 to 1000 Years Old in Fabulously Preserved Condition

An iron war hammer-axehead with wide bearded blade, round socket and a rounded hammer section with expanded end extension to the rear.

In 793, terror descended on the coast of Northumbria as armed raiders attacked the defenceless monastery of St Cuthbert on Lindisfarne. The terrified monks watched helplessly as the invaders made off with a haul of treasure and a clutch of captives. It was the first recorded raid by the Vikings, seaborne pirates from Scandinavia who would prey on coastal communities in north-western Europe for more than two centuries and create for themselves a reputation as fierce and pitiless warriors. The Anglo-Saxon cleric Alcuin of York wrote dramatically of the Lindisfarne raid that the church was spattered with the blood of the priests of God, despoiled of all its ornaments given as a prey to pagan peoples and subsequent (mainly Christian) writers and chroniclers lost few opportunities to demonise the (mainly pagan) Vikings. Yet, though they undeniably carried out very destructive and violent attacks, from small-scale raids against churches to major campaigns involving thousands of warriors, the Vikings formed part of a complex and often sophisticated Scandinavian culture. As well as raiders they were traders, reaching as far east as the rivers of Russia and the Caspian Sea; explorers, sending ships far across the Atlantic to land on the coastline of North America five centuries before Columbus; poets, composing verse and prose sagas of great power, and artists, creating works of astonishing beauty.Their victims did not refer to them as Vikings. That name came later, becoming popularised by the 11th century and possibly deriving from the word vik, which in the Old Norse language the Vikings spoke means bay or inlet. Instead they were called Dani (Danes) there was no sense at the time that this should refer only to the inhabitants of what we now call Denmark pagani (pagans) or simply Normanni Northmen In medieval Scandinavian languages, a Vikingr is a pirate, a freebooter who seeks wealth either by ship-borne raids on foreign coasts or by waylaying more peaceful seafarers in home waters. There is also an abstract noun Viking, meaning ‘the act of going raiding overseas

In the world of collecting early weaponry an axe is defined as it’s head, it’s haft was separate often made of vulnerable woods that can not survive the ravages of time.

One of the most famous Viking axes is Helm (named after the Norse death goddess), which belonged to King Magnus of Norway and Denmark. He is said to have inherited the weapon from his father, Olav Haraldsson of Norway, whose ax features prominently in Norway’s national coat of arms. Some Viking axes if they were wielded by a particularly strong and skilled warrior could even cut through chainmail and helmets. When King Magnus’s poet credited the king with being able to split heads like firewood, he wasn’t necessarily being hyperbolic. Writing about the pre-Viking Franks and their use of throwing axes, the Francisca, Procopius makes it clear that the Franks threw their axes immediately before hand to hand combat with the purpose of breaking shields and disrupting the enemy line while possibly wounding or killing an enemy warrior. The weight of the head and length of the haft would allow the axe to be thrown with considerable momentum to an effective range of about 12 m (40 ft). Even if the edge of the blade were not to strike the target, the weight of the iron head could cause injury. The francisca also had a psychological effect, in that, on the throwing of the francisca, the enemy might turn and run in the fear that another volley was coming. It is most logical that the Vikings may well have adopted this system of axe throwing combat from the earlier Franks, as it seemed most effective in numerous combat arenas.

For reference of type see; Cf. Sedov, B.B. Finno-Ugri i Balti v Epokhi Srednevekovija, 1987, table CXXIV 7".  read more

Code: 25459

A Most Fine Original Copper-Bronze Imperial Roman Legionary's Military Bravery Award Armilla, {Bracelet} Awarded for Military Gallantry Around 1700 Years Old

Awarded in the reign of Constantine I "the Great" Flavius Valerius Constantinus. He was the first Christian emperor and founder of Constantinople. Sole ruler of the Empire after defeating Maxentius in 312 and Licinius in 324. Died of natural causes after his 30 year reign

An Armilla (plural Armillae) was an armband bracelet awarded as a military decoration (donum militarium) to soldiers of ancient Rome for conspicuous gallantry. Legionary (citizen) soldiers and non-commissioned officers below the rank of centurion were eligible for this award, but non-citizen soldiers were not. However, a whole auxiliary regiment could be honoured by a title as an equivalent award, which in this case would be Armillata ("awarded bracelets"), or be granted Roman citizenship en masse as a reward. This entitled an auxiliary regiment to add the appellation civium Romanorum (Roman citizens) to its list of honours.


A very fine circa 300 AD. Imperial Roman Armilla, around 1700 years old in superb condition with natural verdigris patination. It is incised and punched in typical Roman military style. A fine cast bronze Armilla bracelet with rectangular section and tapering terminals with stylised Phalera type punch marks and one pierced, repeated numerous times, and numerous, typical military engraved lined panels, with hammered dot decor, and open ended flattened pierced spatula terminals.

A Phalera was a disk, usually made of gold, silver, bronze or glass, and worn on the breastplate during parades by Roman soldiers who had been awarded it as a kind of medal. Roman military units could also be awarded Phalerae for distinguished conduct in action. These circular disc awards were often mounted on the staffs of the unit's standards see photo in the gallery of one such standard in a German Museum.

Armillae were armband style bracelets awarded as a military decoration. The rank of the soldier in question determined the metal from which the bracelet was made either gold, silver or bronze. These bracelets were not for everyday wear but were occasion pieces worn at special military and civic events such a triumphs, religious ceremonies and games.
Roman military honours were not awarded posthumously, but those won during a soldier's lifetime were often proudly shown on his sarcophagus or cenotaph. The armillae awarded to senior centurion Marcus Caelius of Legio XVIII, for example, are evident on his funerary monument, and three pairs of armillae can be seen on the memorial panel at Villa Vallelunga in Italy which depicts the awards granted to veteran C. Vibius Macer during his years of active service.

Military armillae were modelled on those worn by the Celts. The tradition of using Celtic-style torcs and armillae as Roman military decorations had its beginnings in 361 BC when Titus Manlius Torquatus (consul 347 BC) slew a Gallic chieftain of impressive size in single combat. He then stripped the bloodstained torc from the corpse's neck and placed it around his own as a trophy. The Romans were initially daunted by the fearsome appearance of the Gauls, whose elite warriors were "richly adorned with gold necklaces and armbands". The torc was the Celtic symbol of authority and prestige. By his action, Torquatus in effect took the vanquished chieftain's power for his own, and created a potent, visible token of Roman domination. As such, over time the torc and also the armilla were adopted as official awards for valour, taking on the role of symbolic war trophies.

Armillae were made in a substantial masculine style and produced in a variety of designs: a solid, hinged cuff, sometimes inscribed with legionary emblems or decorated with incised patterns; an open-ended spiral; a chunky, rounded bracelet with open or overlapping ends; or a torc in miniature. Armillae which were open-ended or had overlapping ends often featured knobs or snake-heads as terminals.

The tombstone of Marcus Caelius who was the First centurion of the 18th Legion. His brother set up this monument to commemorate his death in the ‘bello Variano’, he is wearing his military gallantry award Armilla above his right wrist. See photo 7 in the gallery.

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Code: 26060