Antique Arms & Militaria

A Superb Ancient Greek Dagger Blade 13th to 11th Century B.C. From the Trojan War Era, Acquired With. Full Length Bronze Sword Blade From The Same Era

2nd millennium BC. A bronze dagger with tapering triangular blade and median thickening, curved shoulders, flat, sub-rectangular tang with two tang hilt mount piercings. In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and has been narrated through many works of Greek literature, most notably Homer's Iliad. The core of the Iliad (Books II – XXIII) describes a period of four days and two nights in the tenth year of the decade-long siege of Troy; the Odyssey describes the journey home of Odysseus, one of the war's heroes. Other parts of the war are described in a cycle of epic poems, which have survived through fragments. Episodes from the war provided material for Greek tragedy and other works of Greek literature, and for Roman poets including Virgil and Ovid.

The ancient Greeks believed that Troy was located near the Dardanelles and that the Trojan War was a historical event of the 13th or 12th century BC, but by the mid-19th century AD, both the war and the city were widely seen as non-historical. In 1868, however, the German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann met Frank Calvert, who convinced Schliemann that Troy was a real city at what is now Hisarlik in Turkey. On the basis of excavations conducted by Schliemann and others, this claim is now accepted by most scholars.

Whether there is any historical reality behind the Trojan War remains an open question. Many scholars believe that there is a historical core to the tale, though this may simply mean that the Homeric stories are a fusion of various tales of sieges and expeditions by Mycenaean Greeks during the Bronze Age. Those who believe that the stories of the Trojan War are derived from a specific historical conflict usually date it to the 12th or 11th century BC, often preferring the dates given by Eratosthenes, 1194–1184 BC, which roughly correspond to archaeological evidence of a catastrophic burning of Troy VII, and the Late Bronze Age collapse. Legend has it that the war originated from a quarrel between the goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, after Eris, the goddess of strife and discord, gave them a golden apple, sometimes known as the Apple of Discord, marked "for the fairest". Zeus sent the goddesses to Paris of Troy, who judged that Aphrodite, as the "fairest", should receive the apple. In exchange, Aphrodite made Helen, the most beautiful of all women and wife of Menelaus of Sparta, fall in love with Paris, who quit Sparta with her and returned to Troy. Menelaus's brother Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, led an expedition of Achaean troops to Troy and besieged the city for ten years because of Paris' insult. After the deaths of many heroes, including the Achaeans Achilles and Ajax, and the Trojans Hector and Paris, the city fell to the ruse of the Trojan Horse. The Achaeans slaughtered the Trojans (except for some of the women and children whom they kept or sold as slaves) and desecrated the temples, thus earning the gods' wrath. Few of the Achaeans returned safely to their homes and many founded colonies in distant shores. The Romans later traced their origin to Aeneas, Aphrodite's son and one of the Trojans, who was said to have led the surviving Trojans to modern-day Italy113 grams, 26cm (10 1/4"). From a Japanese collection, 1990s.  read more

Code: 23417

A Yemeni Jambiya A Stunning WW1 Yemeni 'Lawrence of Arabia's' Favoured Pattern of Jambiya

Just returned from over 30 hours of specialist hand conservation to clean and conserve the whole dagger, and a remarkable result has been achieved, but it was simply a labour of love, as it's stored condition was most sad indeed. Likely this intriguing piece was acquired from a souk in Arabia sometime after the war.
Very similar to Lawrence of Arabia's jambiya when he was serving in WW1 in the Turkish Campaign in Arabia. The word jambiya actually means “something worn at one’s right side” (from the triliteral root j-n-b). Lawrence of Arabia had several very similar ones presented to him, they were his favourite dagger, and he was frequently photographed wearing them. One picture is a portrait of Lawrence with his Jambiya, most similar to this example. photo for historical context information only and not included It is made from silver metal, but usually, more often than not, coin silver, certainly not English hallmarked silver. The jambia, a curved Islamic dagger, is the main customary accessory to the clothing worn by Arabian men. For centuries the people of South Arabia have inherited the their jambiahs from generation to generation. There are several theories about the origin of the Jambia. There are historical facts, concerning the existence of the Jambia revealing that it used to be worn at Sheban times, in the Himiarite kingdom. They take the statue of the Sheban king (Madi Karb 500 bc ) as proof. This statue, which was discovered by an American mission in Marib in the 1950s, was found to be wearing a Jambia.

Reference; a Lanes Armoury *Special Conservation* Item, restored and conserved in our workshop, see info page for details on our conservation principles.  read more

Code: 24682

Seeking A Dagger Designed For a King? Then Look No Further. 16th Century Style Holbein Swiss Dagger, a Fabulous Masterpiece, With a Superbly Pierced Scabbard Depicting a Scene of Landsnicht Knights. Designed By Hans Holbein For King Henry VIIIth

Wonderful 16th century pattern dagger, designed by Hans Holbein one of the greatest Old Master artists in the reign of King Henry VIII, with brass fully three dimensionally piecerd scabbard displaying scenes of Landsnecht knights mounted on horseback. This is not only a wondrous and extravagant dagger, it is a fine example object d'art. The dagger that gained its name from its design, and patterns of dagger, by Hans Holbein, one of the worlds greatest portrait artists of the 16th century, whose most famous owner of a Holbein pattern dagger was King Henry VIIIth, as can be seen in his portrait [see the gallery]. Holbein travelled to England in 1526 in search of work, with a recommendation from the renown Erasmus. He was welcomed into the humanist circle of Thomas More, where he quickly built a high reputation. He returned to Basel for four years, then resumed his career in England in 1532 under the patronage of Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell. By 1535, he was King's Painter to Henry VIII of England. In this role, he produced portraits and festive decorations, as well as designs for jewellery, plate, and other precious objects, including daggers. His portraits of the royal family and nobles are a record of the court in the years when Henry was asserting his supremacy over the Church of England.

Holbein's art was highly prized from early on in his career. French poet and reformer Nicholas Bourbon (the elder) dubbed him "the Apelles of our time," a typical highest accolade at the time. Holbein has also been described as a great "one-off" of art history, since he founded no school. Some of his work was lost after his death, but much was collected, and he was recognised among the great portrait masters by the 19th century. Recent exhibitions have also highlighted his versatility. He created designs ranging from intricate jewellery to monumental frescoes.

Holbein's art has sometimes been called realist, since he drew and painted with a rare precision. His portraits were renowned in their time for their likeness, and it is through his eyes that many famous figures of his day are pictured today, such as Erasmus and More. He was never content with outward appearance, however; he embedded layers of symbolism, allusion, and paradox in his art, to the lasting fascination of scholars. In the view of art historian Ellis Waterhouse, his portraiture "remains unsurpassed for sureness and economy of statement, penetration into character, and a combined richness and purity of style"

Double edged blade. This is a fabulous 19th-century representation of Holbein’s 16th century dagger, One of Holbien’s versions had a most similar pierced and chiselled decorative scabbard displaying scenes from the dance of death. In July 2000 Christie’s Auctioneers sold another 19th century representation of this Holbein dagger, it sold for £3,760, 21 years ago. The most famous example of a Holbein pattern dagger is depicted being worn by King Henry VIIIth in his portrait by Hans Holbein, we show this portrait in a gallery with Henry and his version of his personal most similar and beautiful Holbein Dagger. This Renaissance style dagger is based on original drawings from the work-books of Holbein the Younger, from whence the dagger gets its name. This is an accurate design that a nobleman of very high status could have chosen in around 1536, out of Holbein's work-books, and to have a personal dagger commissioned by a dagger maker.

See a plain wooden hilted version of Holbein’s original dagger in photo 8 in the gallery in the Wallace Collection in London.
This is a formidable dagger of impressive proportions and most substantial weight.
.  read more

Code: 23326

A Beautiful Noble's Early Antique Sinhalese Ceylonese Piha Kaetta Knife Dagger

A most engaging ornate pihas and likely made exclusively by the Pattal Hattara (The Four Workshops). They were employed directly by the Kings of Kandy. Kandy, the independent kingdom, was first established by King Wickramabahu (1357-1374 AD). The last Kandyan king was in the early 1800's, and the workshops are no longer in existence today.The simplest are of plain steel, but very graceful form, with wooden or horn handles, and carried in the belt, to lop off inconvenient branches as one passes through the jungle, or, to open coconuts, or cut jungle ropes. 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, and possibly never intended for regular use. 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 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.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  read more

Code: 14577

A Stunning Antique 18th Century Indonesian Silver Mounted Kris

Keris Melayu Semenanjong with a serpentine blade with 7 Luk [seven curves or waves]. A very good and rare example of a keris from the southern Malaysian peninsular region of Johor or Selangor. Handle in the jawa demam form. This form of hilt is common in central or southern Sumatra, as well as the Malay peninsular regions. The Minang variant is usually more upright with a more flaring top.
The top sheath in the typical Malay tebeng form, are made from very well selected kemuning woods with flashing grains. Bottom stem is likely made from well selected angsana woods with tiger?s stripe grains. It has a beautifully tooled silver sheath and a plain silver pendoko or ferrule completes the wonderful fittings.
Pamor patterns are arranged in the mlumah technique of the wos utah or scattered rice variations which is said to enhance the owner?s material well being. Traditionally the pamor material for the kris smiths connected with the courts of Yogyakarta and Surakarta originates from an iron meteorite that fell to earth at the end of 18th century in the neighborhood of the Prambanan temple complex. The meteorite was excavated and transported to the keraton of Surakarta; from that time on the smiths of Vorstenlanden (the Royal territories) used small pieces of meteoric iron to produce pamor patterns in their kris, pikes, and other status weapons. After etching the blade with acidic substances, it is the small percentage of nickel present in meteoric iron that creates the distinctive silvery patterns that faintly light up against the dark background of iron or steel that become darkened by the effect of the acids.  read more

Code: 22608

A Fabulous Javanese Kris With Pure Gold Snake God Symbol Onlaid on to The Fabulous Pamor Serpentine Blade

Probably 19th to early 20th century. In an esteemed London auction house, a most similar quality gold inlaid example, of the same age, sold three Decembers ago for just over £5,400 [inc commission]. This is simply one of the most beautiful we have seen on the market in over 20 years. A sarpa lumarka wavy blade with a gold naga [snake] in sangkelat [13 waves, or lok]. Ladrang form of wrangka hilt crosspiece [boat form] of a simply stunningly grained wood, which may well be Javan pelet, with a fine gilt metal sleeve covering the haft, with a most intricate and detailed pieced design on the obverse side. In Java, the metal sleeve is called pendokbunton, which is a full metal sleeve. The keris is considered a magical weapon, filled with great spiritual power. In Javanese there is a term "Tosan Aji" or "Magic Metal" used to describe the keris. The keris is replete with the totems of Malay-Indonesian culture of hindu and islam. The blade is a mixture of meteoric steel and nickel According to traditional Javanese kejawen, kris contain all the intrinsic elements of nature: tirta (water), bayu (wind), agni (fire), bantolo (earth, but also interpreted as metal or wood which both come from the earth), and aku (lit: "I" or "me", meaning that the kris has a spirit or soul). All these elements are present during the forging of kris. Earth is metal forged by fire being blown by pumped wind, and water to cool down the metal. In Bali, the kris is associated with the naga or dragon, which also symbolizes irrigation canals, rivers, springs, wells, spouts, waterfalls and rainbows; thus, the wavy blade symbolizes the movement of the serpent. Some kris have a naga or serpent head carved near the base with the body and tail following the curves of the blade to the tip. A wavy kris is thus a naga in motion, aggressive and alive; a straight blade is one at rest, its power dormant but ready to come into action.

In former times, kris blades were said to be infused with poison during their forging, ensuring that any injury was fatal. The process of doing so was kept secret among smiths. Different types of whetstones, acidic juice of citrus fruits and poisonous arsenic bring out the contrast between the dark black iron and the light coloured silvery nickel layers which together form pamor, damascene patterns on the blade. The distinctive pamor patterns have specific meanings and names which indicate the special magical properties they are believed to impart  read more

Code: 22745

A Most Fine Knightly Polish War-Hammer Nadziak or Obuch, 1500's A.D. Inlaid with Silver Cross Hatching. Certainly one of the Most Beautiful & Well Preserved We Have Ever Seen.

A fine early original war-hammer composed of an ovoid haft socket, a fierce downturned ‘tiger’s claw’ spike, and a square section hammer head, all inlaid with a stunning and intricate silver geometric design. Overall in superb condition for its great age.

We show it in the gallery with the form of haft it would have had, and indeed could do once more, but this one shown is for information only and not present or included

The name obuch is Polish and means 'the blind end of an axe', but already at the beginning of the 15th century it meant a unspecified war hammer. According to Polish sources of 17th century, the war-hammer could have been formed into the shape of an axe (czekan), or in the form of a thick, slightly sloping spike (nadziak), or curved like a round cracknel (obuch). A 17th century description states: 'It was a terrible instrument in the hand of a Pole...With the sabre one could cut off somebody’s hand, cut the face, injure the head, and the running blood of the adversary would calm down the rancour. But with the obuch one could cause a deadly wound without even seeing the blood, and – not seeing it – he would not calm down instantly, but would strike several times without cutting the skin, breaking ribs and bones at the same time.'

There is a stunning original drawing of a very similar example [we show a copy of it in the gallery] with a full description and how it was used in the attempted assassination of the king of Poland by Michal Piekarski in 1620.

The translation of the drawings text reads

:” a sledge hammer, a war hammer design called a 'Crane' with which Russian nobleman Michele [Michal] Piekarski, aged 40, wounded the King of Poland called Sigismund of Lithuania in the back with one blow of the hammer point and another of the hammer shaft (having used the metal for the first blow). This happened on Sunday the 15th of November 1620 at 9 ½ hours in Warsaw while his Majesty was in church studying the learnings of the Dominican Fathers. In June of that year [The King/the Hammer] cut to pieces .?. Polish people with the death of their earthly life.”

The drawing is perhaps the work of a political sympathiser in opposition to the Swedish annexation of Poland under Sigismund III Vasa as part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

By the end of the 16th century, the hussars had adopted enough armor to become a new, more agile heavy cavalry, using their trademark 18-foot light-long lance as their initial shock weapon. They sported breastplate, a mail shirt, forearm guards, thigh armor (cuirass), and an open-faced burgonet-like helmet called a zischaage. Total weight of a hussar’s armor was no more than 30 pounds. An animal-skin mantle, particularly leopard, was a showy form of identity and esprit de corps. Perhaps the most notable element of the latter array was the famous “wings” the hussars would sometimes wear—eagle wings attached to arching frames and a special support on their back armor or saddle. The rush of these wings during a charge was psychologically unnerving, and the extra height they gave riders was intimidating.

The war hammer was the hussars’ most common secondary weapon. Slung from the saddlebow, the early Polish hussar war hammer was of German and Italian design, with a long shaft. Two styles had names derived from Turkish. The czekan was a combination of hammerhead on one side and an ax on the other. The nadziak, perhaps the most popular war hammer, had a hexagonal head balanced by a long, slightly drooping beak.

By 1600, Polish hussars had bested all other cavalries thrown against them. Each hussar unit charged in three or four ranks, depending on terrain, with the rear rank ready to deal with flank attacks. Hussars initially attacked in open order for ease of movement and maneuvering, but nearing impact with the enemy, they would squeeze together knee to knee, moving at full gallop. This difficult maneuver not only gave them powerful crushing strength, but also minimized losses from enemy firepower.

In comparison to the heavy cavalry of the West, which depended more on sheer weight than speed, the hussars could move quickly from standing to maximum speed. The deadly lance was practical only for the first few ranks, with the rest ready with their secondary weapon of preference, the war hammer, second only to the much-revered sabre.

The haft that fitted the socket would often have been turned or carved wood, but it simply doesn't usually survive around 500 years. However a good cabinet maker or a wood turner could easily create a replacement for a fine display.

Approx 19cm long overall.

As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity
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Code: 24624

A Very Fine .36 Calibre Colt Navy London Revolver, 1851 Model Navy Manufactured in 1855, Probably The Most Iconic Revolver of the 19th Century

An absolute beauty. All matching serial numbers, good spring action, holds and fires on first cock. Bright and very clear surface polish overall with no pitting to the surface visible. Some small age losses to the wooden grips and a small steel loss at the very top of the blackstrap screw housing. One of the 42,000 superb revolvers made in the London factory, used in all the major conflicts of the day, from the Crimean War, Indian Mutiny to the American Civil War and beyond in the American Wild West era.

The designation "Colt 1851 Navy" was designated by collectors, though the popular name "Navy Revolver" is of early origin, as the gun was frequently called the "Colt Revolving Belt Pistol of Naval Caliber." The cylinder was often engraved with a scene of the victory of the Second Texas Navy at the Battle of Campeche in May 16, 1843. The Texas Navy had purchased the earlier Colt Paterson Revolver, but this was Colt's first major success in the gun trade; the naval theme of the engraved cylinder of the Colt 1851 Navy revolver was Colt's gesture of appreciation. Despite the "Navy" designation, the revolver was chiefly purchased by civilians and military land forces. Famous "Navy" users included Wild Bill Hickok, William Buffalo Bill Cody, John Henry "Doc" Holliday, Richard Francis Burton, Ned Kelly, Bully Hayes, Richard H. Barter, Robert E. Lee, Nathan B. Forrest, John O'Neill, Frank Gardiner, Quantrill's Raiders, John Coffee "Jack" Hays, "Bigfoot" Wallace, Frederick Townsend Ward, Ben McCulloch, Addison Gillespie, John "Rip" Ford, "Sul" Ross and most Texas Rangers prior to the Civil War. Usage continued long after more modern cartridge revolvers were introduced in 1873. Wild Bill Hickok was a legendary character in the Old West and a great exponent of the Colt Navy 1851. Wild Bill arrived in the West initially as a stage coach driver and later became a Lawman in the territories around Kansas and Nebraska. He fought during the American Civil War on the side of the Union Army and achieved renown afterwards as a scout, gambler and gunfighter. During his time as a Lawman Wild Bill engaged in many shootouts, and with his Colt Navy 1851 he was a very accurate and deadly shot, more so as he always remained calm, cool and collected in a shoot out, whilst the other party was nervous and scared. Hickok's guns were inscribed they also had ivory handles and were quite special pieces. Apparently they were both engraved with the words J.B. Hickok 1869. He was presented the guns in 1869 by Senator Henry Wilson of Massachusetts for his services as scout for a hunting trip. It was said to have been remarked by a Colt Navy owner "A Gentleman would not want to appear armed, but would not be so foolish as to go unarmed.

However, the most famous gunman who favoured the Navy above other arms was James Butler (“Wild Bill”) Hickok. He was fast and deadly, and long before he was murdered in Deadwood, Dakota Territory in 1876, he had acquired the title “Prince of Pistoleers.”
The 1851 Navy is believed to have been Sam Colt’s personal favorite. The evidence is derived from the only image of Colt with a weapon. The revolver that is in that picture is the Navy. Colt’s personal revolvers seemed to have been an engraved pair of Navies with ivory grips displaying a horse head. In addition to the portrait, Colt favored the Navy for presentation to individuals who could help his business. Among the many recipients of these beautifully engraved gifts were President Franklin Pierce, Secretary of War John B. Floyd, Sam Houston, Czar Nicholas, and Colonel Thomas Lally.

42’000 were produced in London, England, with state-of-the-art machines and dedicated production lines; back then the most technologically advanced factories in the world. The designation "Colt 1851 Navy" was designated by collectors, though the popular name "Navy Rev." is of early origin, as the gun was frequently called the "Colt Revolving Belt Pistol of Naval Calibre."

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

Code: 24708

An Exceptional 1700 to 1600 Year Old Spartha Sword of A Warrior of the Roman Empire's Invasions by the Huns and Visigoths. A Hun or Visigoth Horseman's Sword Spartha With Its Lifstein, the Magical Life-Stone, and Original Crossguard

A rarest of the very rare, a fabulous museum quality example of an original spartha sword, used by both the Visigoth and Hun horsemen, modelled on the Germanic Roman spartha during the battles in the invasions of the Roman Empire's territory by the Visigoths and Atilla the Hun, leading to the Sack of Rome and beyond, in fact, eventually to the fall of Rome, and the Western Roman Empire itself.

A long double edged horseman’s sword with lentoid section blade with its rhomboid crossguard still present, it is overall russetted as is always the case with swords of such great age, yet it is in superb condition for a sword of this period, and it was recovered originally, and most remarkably, with its magical ‘life stone’ intact. The large bead, Lifstein or life-stone, is likely polished white chalcedony, and these legendary large beads are called life-stones, since they were believed to have magical properties for the sword'sman, and thus be able to heal wounds and keep a wounded warrior alive. They were attached to the scabbards on this Migration Period example, although some were possibly attached to the hilt.

To find one of these incredibly historical swords with its original, excavated Life-Stone present and together still is simply amazing. The grip and pommel that were once part of this sword would have been the usual organic material, such as ivory, bone, horn or wood, and thus always and naturally they crumble into dust, in likely just a few hundred years or so, after it was concealed or buried. Only precious gold, silver, or metal sword mounts could survive the millennia, but the spartha would never usually have metal grips or pommels. Only the most wealthy and superior warriors could possibly afford or even bother to adorn their sword hilts with gold and the like, such as Hunnish clan chiefs or kings. Such as has the same form of sword in Alamannenmuseum Ellwangen, in Germany. { See the gallery photo}

This sword itself was likely worn by the horseman using the belt suspension method, with its ‘Life stone’ tied with a stout cord of some kind attached to its scabbard, although the sagas don't really say, and one example of is in Kormak's Saga 9th C. where it's stated
"Bersi had a sharp sword called Hviting, with a Lifstein (life stone) attached to it, which he carried in many dangers." It doesn't specifically say if it was attached to his hilt or scabbard.

Hrolf Kraki's sword Skofnung is also said to possess a life-stone, but it is supposedly set into the hilt. Perhaps like the garnet inlaid hilts of the recovered swords of the Migration Period

This hint at a likely Hunnish origin for this actual type of horsemen's sword is supported by an early literary source, that specifically points out that the Huns wore two matching swords, a long double-edged sword, just as this example, carried at the left side of the warrior, and a single-edged short sword at the right.
This literary source is the oldest preserved epic of the Nibelungen cycle, Waltharius, also known as the Waltharilied, or the Lay of Walther and Hildegund, composed in Latin after lost German prototypes by a monk of St. Gall, Switzerland, during the tenth century.
In this heroic epic is the history of Walther of Aquitaine, a Visigothic prince, and Hildegund, a Burgundian princess.

“Though hostages, Walther and Hildegund were entrusted to the army, and in command was a general, and for a time even, commander-in-chief of the Hunnish forces.”
This is another gem of trustworthy historical information, since this putting of a hostage into a responsible position was exactly according to Hunnish custom. It continues;
“With them was Hagen, a noble youth of the royal house of the Rhenish Franks, they are hostages at the court of King Etzel of the Huns, the Attila of history. Hagen manages to flee, and Walther and Hildegund, his betrothed from childhood, escape soon afterward. In preparing for the flight Walther arms himself in Hunnish fashion-
"pro ritu Panoniarum"-with a double-edged long sword, spatha, belted to his left hip-"et laevum femur ancipiti praecinxerat ense"
-and a single-edged half-sword, semispatha, at his right-
"atque alio dextrum, pro ritu Panoniarum; Is tamen ex una dat vulnera parte."

The Sack of Rome on 24 August 410 AD was undertaken by the Visigoths led by their king, Alaric. At that time, Rome was no longer the capital of the Western Roman Empire, having been replaced in that position first by Mediolanum (now Milan) in 286 and then by Ravenna in 402. Nevertheless, the city of Rome retained a paramount position as "the eternal city" and a spiritual center of the Empire. This was the first time in almost 800 years that Rome had fallen to a foreign enemy, and the sack was a major shock to contemporaries, friends and foes of the Empire alike.

The sacking of 410 is seen as a major landmark in the fall of the Western Roman Empire. St. Jerome, living in Bethlehem, wrote: "the city which had taken the whole world was itself taken"

Photo in the gallery of a very similar Alamannic gold grip spatha, 5th century, with Life-bead attached to its museum created representational wooden scabbard portion. Without doubt in our opinion this was originally the former Hunnish or Visigoth sword of a highest ranked general, clan chief, king, or the equivalent status of leader.
Photo of that sword was taken at the Alamannenmuseum Ellwangen, Germany.

See;
Io. Grimm and Schmeller, LateinischeGedichtedes io. und ir. Jahrhundert(sGottingen, 1838). Alwin Schulz (San-Marte), trans., Walthervon Aquitanien(Magdeburg, I853). The most popular
translations are Victor von Scheffel's appendix to his Ekkehard (1855), the first romantic historical novel in German, and Karl Simrock's Das KleineHeldenbuch(Stuttgart and Berlin, I874).

About the Sword of the Huns and the
"Urepos"of the Steppes
HELMUT NICKEL
Curator of Arms and Armour, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity  read more

Code: 24623

A Quite Rare Danish M1889 Krag-Jorgensen Knife Bayonet, Early Model by Weyersberg

Single-fullered spear point blade, forged together with the entire hilt as one piece of steel. Chequered black leather grips secured by two steel rivets. Black leather scabbard with steel mounts at the throat and chape. Unique locking mechanism, consisting of an integral locking catch on the scabbard, and sprung release lever on the hilt.

The ricasso of the blade is stamped with a ‘king’s head’ and ‘knight’s helm’ marks, over ‘W. K & C’, which stands for the maker Weyersberg, Kirschbaum & Co. of Solingen, Germany. Below this on the rim of the grip is stamped a crown over ‘91’, which means this bayonet was produced in 1891.

The pommel is stamped on one side with a unit mark ‘. to the th Battalion, over a cancelled unit mark ‘B ’ to the th Battalion, and on the other side with the item number ‘’. The chape finial of the scabbard is stamped ‘B’ to the rd Battalion and on the other side with ‘’.

The leather grips mark this out as the early version of this bayonet, which was made in Germany. The later and more common version was introduced in 1892: made in Denmark, it had wooden grips, which held up better to heavy use and wet conditions. Those bayonets of the early model whose grips wore out also received wooden replacements. The Danes were the first nation to adopt the Norwegian-designed Krag-Jorgensen rifle, followed by the United States and Norway. The blade is superbly bright The hilt and pommel have light, even patination. The leather grips have some light handling wear to the chequering. overall in great condition for age.  read more

Code: 25180