Antique Arms & Militaria

An Absolutely Stunning Museum Piece & Fit For A Prince, An 18th-19th Century Wootz Steel & Gold Dagger. Likely Made for A Turkish, Ottoman Empire Pasha Or Noble Of the Highest Status. Napoleonic Wars Period. As Worn By A Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire

A wonderful antique khanjar dagger of all wootz steel, and the hilt is decorated with chiselled flower heads within an Islamic geometric cartouche form pattern, with scrolling acanthus leaves and flowers at the ricasso of the wootz Damascus blade, overlaid with fine gold koftgari.

Likely worn and used by such as, for example, a great ruler of the Ottoman's, Ali Pasha {he ruled from the 1788 till 1822}.
The great Ali Pasha was, during the Napoleonic Wars, at first, an admirer of Napoleon and formed a brief alliance with him during said Napoleonic wars, but, with changing winds he went against his previous ally in order to support the British. Napoleon thus sanctioned a planned rebellion against Ali, but the British arrived, as funds were being collected and rebels were being recruited. Ali's rival, Ibrahim Pasha of Berat, turned to the French and gathered a coalition of Ali's enemies, including Mustafa Pasha of Delvinë, Pronio Aga of Paramythia, Hasan Çapari of Margariti, the Beys of Himara, the Aga of Konispoli and the Souliotes. This coalition began attacking Ali's realm with support from French artillery, and Ali responded by bribing Ibrahim's supporters with British support. Ali besieged Ibrahim Pasha in Berat with an 8,000-man army commanded by the Albanian captain Omer Bey Vrioni, and with the aid of British rockets, Berat finally fell after a year of skirmishing. Ibrahim retired to Vlorë, and Ali told the Porte that he had taken Berat in response to the revolts in upper Albania that were the result of Ibrahim's inability to rule

The wootz of the blade is in the typical recurved form shape with an armour piercing tip. The type of dagger arm was particularly adept at piercing the armour of enemy combatants.

Developed originally in India, wootz steel technology features a system of isolating micro carbides within a matrix of tempered martensite. The ancient metalwork specialist Herbert Maryon of the British Museum in London described the metal technique as: the undulations of the steel resemble a net across running water the pattern waved like watered silk it was mottled like the grains of yellow sand. With roots in the Tamil Nudu region of the sub-continent, the technology was considered the most effective in the world for maximizing armor piercing potential. The indigenous Indian population presented the invading armies of Alexander the Great with tribute ingots of wootz around 300 B.C. From there, the process was refined over time throughout the world in Damascus, Syria; continental Europe; and later Great Britain, where the process underpinned the Industrial Revolution that began in the 18th century. The Rajahs of India submitted tulwars, shamshirs, khanjars, in addition to other ancient swords and daggers manufactured with wootz to the International Exhibition of 1851 and 1862, whereby the pieces become coveted for the quality of their steel.

We show in the gallery an 18th century portrait of Yirmisekizzade Mehmed Said Pasha, Grand Vizier of the Ottoman Empire in Paris. At his waist is his gold hilted khanjar almost identical to ours.

Originally this khanjar would have had a simple red velvet covered wooden scabbard, now lost.

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: 20674

A Very Fine 17th Century Spontoon. Central Double Edge Blade With Side Wings. Used For Over 140 Years in Military Service Including From the English Stuart to Early Hanoverian Reigns, The French-Indian War & Revolutionary War In The Americas

With original long, studded full haft, around 8 foot long, with steel foot. Spontoons (also spelled “espontoons”) appeared later than halberds, coming into use in the late 17th century. The word seems to come from the Italian spuntone, meaning “pointed.” A spontoon’s iron point, sometimes decorated with tassels, was fitted to a sturdy hardwood shaft measuring from six to nine feet in length. The weapon’s distinguishing feature were sidewings sometimes plain and sometimes elaborately ornamental, perpendicular to the main blade.

Spontoons may have evolved from earlier spear-like weapons called pertuisanes or partisans. The partisan had a large blade, sharp on both sides. The blade was wider at the bottom, where twin symmetrical blades of various shapes sprouted from the sides. Rather blurry lines separate the spontoon and a number of other spear-like staff weapons. There were hybrids known as “partisan spontoons,” and some 18th-century European accounts refer to officers’ weapons as partisans rather than spontoons. Other sources refer to spontoons as “half-pikes,” and some simply call them spears.

Although the British serving both in America and Europe, used them in the French Indian War {aka the 7 Years War} quite liberally, we put aside a lot of their use as pole weapons during the Revolutionary War, yet spontoons formed a large part of the equipment of the US Continental Army. Captain Daniel Morgan led a portion of the Continental attack on Quebec on December 30, 1775. His men carried spontoons in addition to rifles and scaling ladders. Attacking a two-gun battery, they drove the defenders into a nearby house. Morgan ordered his men to “fire into the house and follow up with their pikes (for in addition to our rifles, we were also armed with long espontoons), which they did, and drove the guard into the street.”

In several surviving written orders, General George Washington insisted that Continental officers carry spontoons. At Valley Forge on December 22, 1777, Washington directed that each officer “provide himself with a half-pike or spear, as soon as possible.” Washington did not want his officers to carry muskets, which he believed had a way of “drawing their attention too much from the men.” He needed the officers focused on commanding their men, not distracted with loading and firing a musket. Additionally, Washington believed that an officer with neither firearm nor spontoon had “a very awkward and unofficerlike appearance.”

In America, spontoons held on into the early Federal period. A North Carolina militia law of 1787 required infantry officers to carry “side arms or a spontoon.” Because militia officers might well wear civilian clothing, a spontoon or sword served as an indication of superior rank.

The U.S. War Department ordered 120 spontoons for its officers in 1800. Captains Meriwether Lewis and William Clark each carried one during their transcontinental expedition of 1804-1806. Both officers would have reason to be glad they were burdened with these heavy staff weapons. In what is now Montana, on the night of May 26, 1805, Lewis nearly stepped on a rattlesnake. Guided by the sound of the rattles, Lewis stabbed about in the dark with his spontoon until he killed the snake. Three days later, Clark killed a wolf with his spontoon. Lewis’s spontoon would twice more save his life, once in driving away a bear and another time when the captain saved himself from falling 90 feet from a precipice by bracing himself with his weapon’s long staff.

Lewis and Clark may have been the last American military officers to get any real use out of the spontoon. Watchmen and policemen in some cities carried smaller versions of spontoons until about 1860, but by the time of the War of 1812, they had essentially disappeared from military life. However, William T. Sherman, in an 1890 article in the North American Review, pointed out that U.S. militia laws still on the books stated that “each commissioned officer shall be armed with a sword or hanger and spontoon.” So, strictly speaking, all militia officers without spontoons were in violation of Federal statutes until the militia laws were revised in 1903.

The British Monarch's Royal Bodyguard, the Yeoman of the Guard, wearing their scarlet and gold full dress Tudor style uniforms, still carry the traditional spontoon polearms {see photo in the gallery at the Tower of London}. In the gallery is a photograph of spontoons in a Swiss castle museum gallery. This one is polearm type number four on the right.

It has its original studded haft but since it has been in armoury display for likely two centuries all its surface velvet is now gone and overall surface worn.

what is incredibly interesting is the iron foot of the spontoon, it is a 17th century Civil War pike head, that has likely lost its point so the haft has been turned around the spontoon head fitted, and the pike head left in place to be used as its foot.

See photo 10 in the gallery to show exactly how the pike {now an iron foot} would have looked with its point intact, the pike is on display in the Metropolitan Museum in the USA.

Delivery completely assembled with its haft is within the UK mainland only due to length.

Two links to a similar spontoon and a pike in the Metropolitan Museum below, for reference

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/25095

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/25847

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: 25649

A Superb 16th Century Tudor Era Gothic Renaissance Halberd, Queen Elizabeth Ist Period. Traditional Iron Head With Tall Central Spike With A Twin Bird's-Head Axe Blade & Sharp Flat Hook Counter Blade. With Original 7ft Studded Haft

The iron head is in superb condition for its age, with fixed and shortened haft straps. It’s original haft is now very worn.
Halberds appeared by the late Middle Ages. The halberd’s origin, or its evolution from earlier battle axes, is obscure. Some Georgian-era antiquarians traced the weapon all the way back to the ancient Amazons of classical mythology. Other sources called it “the Danish axe” and credited its invention to the Vikings. In documented history, Swiss soldiers fighting for the independence of their cantons or as international mercenaries made the halberd famous in the 14th century.

Halberds were mounted on sturdy poles about six to eight feet long, which were crafted from ash or similar hardwoods. The iron head had a pointed long spear tip with two additional blades set at right angles to the central axis. One of these side blades resembled a hatchet head, and the other was a sharp, downturned fluke or hook. The hatchet blades often were small and crescent-shaped and could have elaborate contours and pierced decoration as does this halberd. On the other hand, some halberds had a monstrously large axe added to one side. Those designed for combat were usually sturdy and simple, while those with the more elaborate patterns were carried by honour guards and palace sentries.

The halberd’s pointed tip fended off opponents, as would a simple pike. The sharp point could puncture chain mail or slip between plates of armor. The curved fluke could catch a horse’s reins or pull riders down from their mounts. By swinging the six to eight-foot-long wooden handle, the axe blade landed with considerable power on the armour of a dismounted knight. Halberdiers were vulnerable when swinging their weapons back to deal a blow. They were also at a disadvantage against soldiers carrying much longer weapons, such as lances or full pikes. In practice, armies mixed halberdiers with soldiers bearing pikes, bows, and other weapons.

The introduction of the harquebus in the early 16th century heralded the slow demise of the halberd as a battlefield weapon.
Halberds also helped soldiers climb up steep slopes or defensive obstacles. The sharp axe-like blades were also perfect for hacking and tearing down field fortifications such as fascines or gabions.

It has its original studded haft but since it has been in armoury display for likely two to three centuries, all its surface velvet is now gone and overall surface worn. Delivery fully intact and full length, upon its haft, can be within the UK mainland only. Photo two in the gallery are three halberd in an Italian castle armoury, the third on the far right is very similar to this one. Note the red velvet covered hafts within the castle armoury photo of three halberds, that is how this one would have looked originally, but the red velvet is now completely lost through age, and it now looks as it does on the third halberd in the photo.

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: 25650

Original Ancient Roman ‘Cross-bow” Fibula Bronze Toga Pin Military Issue, Fine Piece For Higher Ranking Figures in the Legion, Such As a Centurion or Tribune. Bow Fibula with a Folded Spring Hinge, Early Imperial - Beginning of Anno Domini 2nd Century.

We acquired a very small collection of different Roman toga pins, A super, small collection of original, historical, Imperial Roman, Viking, and Crusader's artefacts has just been acquired by us.
Shaped in the form of a roman military crossbow fibula, in bronze.
It became the most popular form of closure for Roman fibulae, and is characteristic of the bow brooches from the early imperial times to the beginning of the AD 2nd century. Original Ancient Roman ‘Cross-bow” Fibula Bronze Toga Pin Military Issue, Fine Piece For Higher Ranking Figures in the Legion, Such As a Centurion or Tribune, c. Early Imperial - Beginning of AD 2nd Century.Arguments abound over what shoulder was exposed, but it seems fairly clear that the garment was fastened loosely enough to move around, The paludamentum was a cloak that was specifically associated with warfare. A general donned one for the ceremonial procession leading an army out of the sacred precinct of the city of Rome and was required to remove it before returning to the city…a sign that he was no longer a general, but a common citizen. The paludamentum or sagum purpura (purple cloak) was the iconic red cloak worn by a Roman general (Legatus) and his staff officers. Originally, it’s distinctive red/purple color clearly delineated between these officers and the rest of the army, which sported the sagum gregale (cloak of the flock). Although the sagum gregale, worn by the rank and file, started out the color of the flock (i.e. undyed wool), it seems likely to have transitioned to a coarser version of the sagum purpura by the imperial period (27BC – AD 476). Outfitting the entire army in red garments would have been a mark of the great wealth of Rome – well, that and the fact that the Romans controlled the source of purple dye by then.The pin is now frozen through two millennia in a fixed position.


Richard Lassels, an expatriate Roman Catholic priest, first used the phrase “Grand Tour” in his 1670 book Voyage to Italy, published posthumously in Paris in 1670. In its introduction, Lassels listed four areas in which travel furnished "an accomplished, consummate traveler" with opportunities to experience first hand the intellectual, the social, the ethical, and the political life of the Continent.

The English gentry of the 17th century believed that what a person knew came from the physical stimuli to which he or she has been exposed. Thus, being on-site and seeing famous works of art and history was an all important part of the Grand Tour. So most Grand Tourists spent the majority of their time visiting museums and historic sites.

Once young men began embarking on these journeys, additional guidebooks and tour guides began to appear to meet the needs of the 20-something male and female travelers and their tutors traveling a standard European itinerary. They carried letters of reference and introduction with them as they departed from southern England, enabling them to access money and invitations along the way.

With nearly unlimited funds, aristocratic connections and months or years to roam, these wealthy young tourists commissioned paintings, perfected their language skills and mingled with the upper crust of the Continent.

The wealthy believed the primary value of the Grand Tour lay in the exposure both to classical antiquity and the Renaissance, and to the aristocratic and fashionably polite society of the European continent. In addition, it provided the only opportunity to view specific works of art, and possibly the only chance to hear certain music. A Grand Tour could last from several months to several years. The youthful Grand Tourists usually traveled in the company of a Cicerone, a knowledgeable guide or tutor.

The ‘Grand Tour’ era of classical acquisitions from history existed up to around the 1850’s, and extended around the whole of Europe, Egypt, the Ottoman Empire, and the Holy Land.

Fibula 54mm long

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: 23986

A Superb Excavated & Fragmented Bronze Age Sword 3200+ Years Old. Seige of Troy Period

A very inexpensive pre-history period antiquity of immense beauty and age. A short sword or long dagger traded between the Eastern Mediterranean Scythians, Persians and Greeks during the the Ist millennium B.C. around 2700 to 3200 years ago. Made in bronze in the Western Asiatic region.

Western Asiatic bronzes refer to items dating from roughly 1500-500 BC that have been excavated since the late 1920's in the Harsin, Khorramabad and Alishtar valleys of the Zagros Mountains especially at the site of Tepe Sialk. Scholars believe they were created by either the Cimmerians or by such related Indo-European peoples as the early Medes and Persians.
Weapons from this region were highly sought after by warriors of many cultures because of their quality, balance and durability. Graduating blade with integral hilt, with open panels for organic inserts of wood, bone, or ivory, fabulous areas of crystallized malachite naturally aged blue/green patination.

The acinaces, also spelled akinakes or akinaka is a type of short sword used mainly in the first millennium BC in the eastern Mediterranean region, especially by the Medes, Scythians and Persians, then by the Greeks.
The akinakes was worn at the hip in an elaborate scabbard. The chape, generally a rounded triangle, could be made of bronze, chased gold or carved ivory, and probably lots of other materials. Just above the chape, a cord was tied around the scabbard, passed around the thigh and then through a slipknot next to the chape. The throat had a large tab, which at its own upper corner was tied through a hole in the weapon belt.

We show another most similar Bronze Age short sword or long dagger, in a similar state, excavated near Stonehenge, in the U.K. now in a museum collection. This piece is 17 1/2 inches long overall.

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: 23012

A Rare Victorian Bengal Native Light Infantry Badge in Silver

They were a rifles infantry regiment of the Bengal Army, later of the united British Indian Army. They could trace their origins to 1803, when they were the 1st Battalion, 22nd Bengal Native Infantry. Over the years they were known by a number of different names the 43rd Bengal Native Infantry 1824?1842, the 43rd Bengal Native (Light) Infantry 1842?1861, the 6th Bengal Native (Light) Infantry 1861?1897 and finally after the Kitchener reforms of the Indian Army the 6th Jat Bengal (Light) Infantry. The regiment was involved in the First Anglo-Afghan War, the First Anglo-Sikh War, the Second Anglo-Afghan War, the Boxer Rebellion and World War I. After World War I the Indian Government reformed the army moving from single battalion regiments to multi battalion regiments. The 6th Jat Light Infantry became the new 1st Battalion, 9th Jat Regiment. After India gained independence they were one of the regiments allocated to the Indian Army.  read more

Code: 20971

A Stunning Original 11th,12th Century Crusader’s Battle Axe of War, Used From The Time Kings Henry Ist, King Stephen, Queen Matilda and King Henry IInd, During The Early Crusades to the Holy Land. Regarded as the The Weapon of Choice of Kings, and Knight

In the Norman through to the Plantagenet eras, War Axes were often the weapon of choice of Kings of England in battle. Used from the time of Henry Ist of England, King of England from 1100 to 1135. King Stephen and Queen Matilda, in the age of Anarchy, and through to King Henry IInd 5 March 1133 to 6 July 1189.

Henry 1st was the fourth son of William the Conqueror. Considered by contemporaries to be a harsh but effective ruler, Henry skilfully manipulated the barons in England and Normandy. In England, he drew on the existing Anglo-Saxon system of justice, local government and taxation, but also strengthened it with additional institutions, including the royal exchequer and itinerant justices. Normandy was also governed through a growing system of justices and an exchequer. Many of the officials that ran Henry's system were "new men" of obscure backgrounds rather than from families of high status, who rose through the ranks as administrators. Henry encouraged ecclesiastical reform, but became embroiled in a serious dispute in 1101 with Archbishop Anselm of Canterbury, which was resolved through a compromise solution in 1105. He supported the Cluniac order and played a major role in the selection of the senior clergy in England and Normandy. The early years of Stephen's reign were largely successful, despite a series of attacks on his possessions in England and Normandy by David I of Scotland, Welsh rebels, and the Empress Matilda's husband, Geoffrey of Anjou.
In 1138 the Empress's half-brother Robert of Gloucester rebelled against Stephen, threatening civil war. Together with his close advisor, Waleran de Beaumont, Stephen took firm steps to defend his rule, including arresting a powerful family of bishops. When the Empress and Robert invaded in 1139, however, Stephen was unable to crush the revolt rapidly, and it took hold in the south-west of England. Captured at the battle of Lincoln in 1141, Stephen was abandoned by many of his followers and lost control of Normandy. Stephen was freed only after his wife and William of Ypres, one of his military commanders, captured Robert at the Rout of Winchester, but the war dragged on for many years with neither side able to win an advantage. Henry Iind was an energetic and sometimes ruthless ruler, driven by a desire to restore the lands and privileges of his royal grandfather, Henry I. During the early years of the younger Henry's reign he restored the royal administration in England, re-established hegemony over Wales and gained full control over his lands in Anjou, Maine and Touraine. Henry's desire to reform the relationship with the Church led to conflict with his former friend Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury. This controversy lasted for much of the 1160s and resulted in Becket's murder in 1170. Henry soon came into conflict with Louis VII and the two rulers fought what has been termed a "cold war" over several decades. Henry expanded his empire, often at Louis' expense, taking Brittany and pushing east into central France and south into Toulouse; despite numerous peace conferences and treaties no lasting agreement was reached. By 1172, he controlled England, large parts of Wales, the eastern half of Ireland and the western half of France, an area that would later come to be called the Angevin Empire.

Normans were very strongly represented in the First Crusade, in 1096–1099. At that time, the Normans were the best fighters, the shock troops, of Western Christendom, and looking for places to fight and rule. Different groups of Normans had recently taken over England, and were in the process of taking over Sicily (plus the southern half of Italy), defeating the last Muslim Emir of Sicily in 1091. Moreover, they were the newly reformed Papacy’s greatest allies and supporters, as ferocious in piety as in war.

Among the Norman leaders of the 1st Crusade were Robert Curthose (first son of William the Conqueror and later Duke of Normandy himself), Bohemond of Taranto, who masterminded the capture of Antioch and became its first crusader Prince, Tancred of Hauteville, who became Prince of Galilee in the new Kingdom of Jerusalem, and Richard of Salerno, who later acted as regent in the crusader County of Edessa.

By the time the Second Crusade took place, in 1147–1150, Norman greatness was already starting to wane. When the last Norman King of England died at that point the Duchy of Normandy lost its independence and ceased to be a major force in French affairs. The most famous of all English crusaders was, of course, Richard I, the “Lionheart,” but we should not forget that his father too had taken a strong interest in the fate of the crusader kingdoms. Two years before the fateful Battle of Hattin in 1187, Henry promised to support 200 knights annually in the Holy Land as part of his penance for the murder of Thomas of Becket. In consequence, 200 “English” knights fought at Hattin, although sources are unclear as to whether these knights were Englishmen, subjects of Henry Plantaget, or simply knights financed by Henry II.

Regardless of their exact nationality, two hundred knights out of a total of 1200 to 1500 is significant. Furthermore, Henry II personally took crusading vows after the fall of Jerusalem to Saladin. Although many question Henry II’s sincerity – and he certainly had good reasons for thinking he should not leave his vast domains unprotected or his unruly vassals without royal oversight for too long – there can be no doubt that he did introduce a “Saladin Tithe.”These revenues were collected directly by the Knights Templar and were certainly employed to help finance the Third Crusade. Thus, while Henry II did not personally take part in a crusade, he provided something arguably more important at this juncture in time – the means to outfit, transport and sustain many other fighting men.

Almost every iron weapon that has survived today from this ancient era is now in a fully russetted condition, as is this one, because only the weapons of kings, that have been preserved in national or royal collections, are today, still in a relatively fair state and condition. Surviving ancient medieval axes, such as we offer here, can be incredibly inexpensive and great value, compared to their combat cousins, the knightly sword. Firstly, because knightly swords cost far more in their day, and were thus rarer, and secondly, when a knightly sword is lost in combat and buried in the ground very few survive, due to the thin iron blade structure, whereas the axe has far more 'meat on the bone' so to speak, and will fare much better from the vagaries and corruption of time. Wooden hafts and sword handles on the other hand never survive
5.5 inch blade's edge  read more

Code: 24515

A Beautiful, Victorian, Scottish Artillery Service Helmet of the First Renfrew and Dumbarton Artillery. Blue Cloth with Silver Badge, Fittings, Ball Top, & Rose Head Curb Chain Mounts and Chin Chain

Overall in superb condition, just the usual wear to the blue cloth surface The 1st Renfrew and Dumbarton Artillery Volunteers was a part-time unit of the British Army's Royal Artillery founded in Scotland in 1860.
The Artillery Volunteers were formed in response to perceived threats of invasion, particularly from France during the mid-19th century. By 1881, these units were well established as part of Britain’s auxiliary forces, providing coastal and homeland defense. The First Renfrew and Dumbarton unit operated in Scotland, drawing recruits from these regions, and contributed to local and national defense efforts.

Officers' helmets like this are prized by collectors for their craftsmanship and historical significance, offering a glimpse into the organization, pride, and traditions of Scottish Victorian-era volunteer forces.

The helmet plate is crafted with intricate detailing. Such plates were worn on the helmets of officers as a part of their formal uniform.

Central Emblem: The plate features a central badge, often incorporating a cannon or artillery piece, symbolizing the artillery unit, surrounded by wreaths of laurel and oak to represent victory and strength.

Crown: It is topped by a Victorian Crown (Queen Victoria's reign), indicating the era of service.

Unit Designation: The name "First Renfrew and Dumbarton Artillery Volunteers" is prominently displayed.

The enthusiasm for the Volunteer movement following an invasion scare in 1859 saw the creation of many Rifle and Artillery Volunteer Corps composed of part-time soldiers eager to supplement the Regular British Army in time of need.Three Artillery Volunteer Corps (AVCs) were formed in Renfrewshire and three more in neighbouring Dumbartonshire in 1860, and on 22 August 1863 all six were included in the 1st Administrative Brigade, Renfrewshire Artillery Volunteers, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel John Scott, with its headquarters (HQ) at Greenock:

1st (Greenock) Renfrewshire AVC formed 20 January 1860, four batteries by 1867
2nd (Greenock) Renfrewshire AVC formed 20 January 1860, absorbed into 1st in 1864
3rd (Greenock) Renfrewshire AVC formed 20 January 1860, absorbed into 1st in 1864
1st (Helensburgh) Dumbartonshire AVC formed 9 February 1860
2nd (Rosneath) Dumbartonshire AVC formed March 1860, moved to Kilcreggan 1866, disbanded in 1872
3rd (Dumbarton) Dumbartonshire AVC formed 24 December 1860, increased to two batteries 22 March 1869
When the AVCs were consolidated in May 1880, the administrative brigade became the 1st Renfrewshire (Renfrew and Dumbarton) Artillery Volunteers, shortly afterwards adopting the title of 1st Renfrew and Dumbarton Artillery Volunteers with the following organisation
HQ, Greenock
Nos 1–4 Batteries, Greenock
No 5 Battery, Helensburgh
No 6–7 Batteries, Dumbarton

In 1882 all the AVCs were affiliated to one of the territorial garrison divisions of the Royal Artillery (RA) and the 1st Renfrew & Dumbarton AV became part of the Scottish Division. In 1889 the structure was altered, and the corps joined the Southern Division. In 1899 the RA was divided into separate field and garrison branches, and the artillery volunteers were all assigned to the Royal Garrison Artillery (RGA). When the divisional structure was abolished their titles were changed, the unit becoming the 1st Renfrew and Dumbarton Royal Garrison Artillery (Volunteers) on 1 January 1902

During the First World War, it served with 51st (Highland) Division at the Battle of the Somme before being broken up. In the Second World War, the regiment saw action in the Battle of France, in the campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, the Greek Civil War and in North West Europe.  read more

Code: 25641

To Find Antique Arms, Armour & Specialist Books in the UK There is Only one place you need to visit. We Trust You Will All Enjoy Your Visit & Viewing Experience of Our Online Site, Frequently Described As The Best Militaria Collectables Site in the World

This week we be showing our usual intriguing and amazing selection of our latest rare and fascinating pieces, including some fabulous and most beautiful and historical collectables offered on our site over the past few days, including a stunning, ancient and exceptional 1700 to 1600 Year Old Spartha Sword of A Warrior of the Roman Empire's Invasions by the Huns and Visigoths. A 10th century ceramic 'Greek Fire' grenade, very rare example incised with overal flame decor and a flaming ball spout.
A Hun or Visigoth Horseman's Sword Spartha With Its Lifstein, the Magical Life-Stone, and Original Crossguard Plus stunning ancient Roman rings, one a Gladiator’s ring, also, Greek arrow heads, spears, lead sling bullets, antiquities and rings from an 1820 Grand Tour Collection. A Stunning Pair of Antique, Signed, French Rococo Patinated Bronze and Gilt Bronze Satyr & Bacchus Candelabra, Louis XVI, Signed Clodion. On Griotte Rouge Marble, Fluted & Truncated Columns, A Fabulous Museum Grade Samurai Daimyo's Art-Sword. From The Koto Era. A Samurai Wakizashi Sword By Master Tadamitsu With Rare Gaku-mei Nakago. Blade, Circa 1440-1460. Mino Goto Koshirae, With Deep Red Ishime Lacquer Saya & Black Silk Binding, plus we have added another rare, original Archaic Chinese Warrior's 'Bronze & Tinned' Jian Sword, 2300+ years old, from a collection we acquired, from one of the most respected and academically admired experts in ancient Chinese swords the UK,.... and so, so much more.

We Are Also Europe's Leading Original Samurai Sword Specialists.
We were listed by the world famous New York Times as one of the ‘must see’ places for Americans to visit when in Europe!! and regularly, as one of the very best shops in the whole of Great Britain. And bearing in mind, in the UK, recorded in 2019, there were 306,655 retail outlets,..apparently, so as you can imagine, the competition was pretty stiff.

Last year we were consultants on three seperate docu/dramas based around original historical warfare

For us it is vitally important that every customer, old and new, has confidence to deal with a well established, generations old company that believes every customer must have an enjoyable, successful and satisfactory experience, and you can know that you can also enjoy a personal one to one contact with our partners during any visit to our permanent gallery in Brighton, which for us is a priority.

Here are just two of our clients comments we received in the past few days.
‘Today the armour arrived. It was of the highest quality as always and I am more than satisfied. Kindest regards C.C.’ From New York

‘The swords arrived and are simply lovely. In fact, the Light Company sabre is especially striking, and it's out of this world. You take very fine photos but they simply didn't do this piece justice. The French sword has tremendous presence. It's hard to find French Napoleonic pieces over here, especially ones with little or no wear. Many thanks again”
A.G. From Australia

Enjoy our site, it has been over 100 years in the making!.

The history of the ‘Grand Tour’

Richard Lassels, an expatriate Roman Catholic priest, first used the phrase “Grand Tour” in his 1670 book Voyage to Italy, published posthumously in Paris in 1670. In its introduction, Lassels listed four areas in which travel furnished "an accomplished, consummate traveler" with opportunities to experience first hand the intellectual, the social, the ethical, and the political life of the Continent.

The English gentry of the 17th century believed that what a person knew came from the physical stimuli to which he or she has been exposed. Thus, being on-site and seeing famous works of art and history was an all important part of the Grand Tour. So most Grand Tourists spent the majority of their time visiting museums and historic sites.

Once young men and women began embarking on these journeys, additional guidebooks and tour guides began to appear to meet the needs of the 20-something male and female travelers and their tutors traveling a standard European itinerary. They carried letters of reference and introduction with them as they departed from southern England, enabling them to access money and invitations along the way.

With nearly unlimited funds, aristocratic connections and months or years to roam, these wealthy young tourists commissioned paintings, perfected their language skills and mingled with the upper crust of the Continent.

The wealthy believed the primary value of the Grand Tour lay in the exposure both to classical antiquity and the Renaissance, and to the aristocratic and fashionably polite society of the European continent. In addition, it provided the only opportunity to view specific works of art, and possibly the only chance to hear certain music. A Grand Tour could last from several months to several years. The youthful Grand Tourists usually traveled in the company of a Cicerone, a knowledgeable guide or tutor.

The ‘Grand Tour’ era of classical acquisitions from history existed up to around the 1850’s, and extended around the whole of Europe, Egypt, the Ottoman Empire, and the Holy Land.
As with all our items, they come complete with our certificate of authenticity  read more

Code: 23801

One of The Rarest We Have Ever Seen, An Early Crusades Period 10th Century, Byzantine, Ceramic Greek Fire 'Grenade' Superbly Decorated With Incised Individual Flames & A Moulded 'Ball of Fire' Decor Spout Surround. Around 1,100 Years Old

Of semi ovoid tear-drop form. A rare most collectable ancient artefact and a wonderful conversation piece. Circa 10th century ad. A grey ceramic globular vessel of tear-drop form,. With an incised pattern throughout of individual flames. The filling spout is decorated with a moulded embossed relief flaming ball design {around the combination filling and fuse spout} to symbolise what it is, an incendiary grenade that is effectively a ball of fire. Although such surviving original pieces are most rare, this is the first in fifty years we have had that is decorated by incisions in the ceramic that demonstrate its actual purpose. All our previous examples, that we have found in the past 50 years, are either plain or simply decorated with ribbing or angular incisions.

History of the grenade;

Although grenades rose to prominence as weapons during the 20th century, grenades have much longer history that goes back over 1000 years.

They are first thought to have been used by the Byzantine Empire from around the seventh century AD. Clay vessels were filled with flammable liquid known as Greek fire and flung at the enemy.
They were often piled into catapults to increase the range and devastation they caused.

They were popular weapons in naval battles as the fire could easily spread on ships and cause devastation. In its earliest form, Greek fire was hurled onto enemy forces by firing a burning cloth-wrapped ball, perhaps containing a flask, using a form of light catapult, most probably a seaborne variant of the Roman light catapult or onager {a torsion powered catapult}. These were capable of hurling light loads, around 6 to 9 kg (13 to 20 lb), a distance of 350-450 m (380-490 yd). Greek fire, was invented in ca. 672, and is ascribed by the chronicler Theophanes to Kallinikos, an architect from Heliopolis in the former province of Phoenice, by then overrun by the Muslim conquests. The historicity and exact chronology of this account is open to question: Theophanes reports the use of fire-carrying and siphon-equipped ships by the Byzantines a couple of years before the supposed arrival of Kallinikos at Constantinople. If this is not due to chronological confusion of the events of the siege, it may suggest that Kallinikos merely introduced an improved version of an established weapon. The historian James Partington further thinks it likely that Greek fire was not in fact the discovery of any single person, but "invented by chemists in Constantinople who had inherited the discoveries of the Alexandrian chemical school".Indeed, the 11th-century chronicler George Kedrenos records that Kallinikos came from Heliopolis in Egypt, but most scholars reject this as an error. Kedrenos also records the story, considered rather implausible, that Kallinikos' descendants, a family called "Lampros" ("Brilliant"), kept the secret of the fire's manufacture, and continued doing so to his day.

The invention of Greek fire came at a critical moment in the Byzantine Empire's history: weakened by its long wars with Sassanid Persia, the Byzantines had been unable to effectively resist the onslaught of the Muslim conquests. Within a generation, Syria, Palestine and Egypt had fallen to the Arabs, who in ca. 672 set out to conquer the imperial capital of Constantinople. The Greek fire was utilized to great effect against the Muslim fleets, helping to repel the Muslims at the first and second Arab sieges of the city. Records of its use in later naval battles against the Saracens are more sporadic, but it did secure a number of victories, especially in the phase of Byzantine expansion in the late 9th and early 10th centuries. Utilisation of the substance was prominent in Byzantine civil wars, chiefly the revolt of the thematic fleets in 727 and the large-scale rebellion led by Thomas the Slav in 821-823. In both cases, the rebel fleets were defeated by the Constantinopolitan Imperial Fleet through the use of Greek fire .

The Byzantines also used the weapon to devastating effect against the various Rus' raids to the Bosporus, especially those of 941 and 1043, as well as during the Bulgarian war of 970-971, when the fire-carrying Byzantine ships blockaded the Danube.

The importance placed on Greek fire during the Empire's struggle against the Arabs would lead to its discovery being ascribed to divine intervention. The Emperor Constantine Porphyrogennetos (r. 945-959), in his book De Administrando Imperio, admonishes his son and heir, Romanos II (r. 959-963), to never reveal the secrets of its construction, as it was "shown and revealed by an angel to the great and holy first Christian emperor Constantine" and that the angel bound him "not to prepare this fire but for Christians, and only in the imperial city". As a warning, he adds that one official, who was bribed into handing some of it over to the Empire's enemies, was struck down by a "flame from heaven" as he was about to enter a church. As the latter incident demonstrates, the Byzantines could not avoid capture of their precious secret weapon: the Arabs captured at least one fire-ship intact in 827, and the Bulgars captured several siphons and much of the substance itself in 812-814 ad. This, however, was apparently not enough to allow their enemies to copy it . The Arabs for instance employed a variety of incendiary substances similar to the Byzantine weapon, but they were never able to copy the Byzantine method of deployment by siphon, and used catapults and grenades instead. In its earliest form, Greek fire was hurled onto enemy forces by firing a burning cloth-wrapped ball, perhaps containing a flask, using a form of light catapult, most probably a seaborne variant of the Roman light catapult or onager. These were capable of hurling light loads around 6 to 9 kg (13 to 20 lb) a distance of 350-450 m (383-492 yd). Later technological improvements in machining technology enabled the devising of a pump mechanism discharging a stream of burning fluid (flame thrower) at close ranges, devastating wooden ships in naval warfare. Such weapons were also very effective on land when used against besieging forces.

Greek fire continued to be mentioned during the 12th century, and Anna Komnene gives a vivid description of its use in a possibly fictional naval battle against the Pisans in 1099. However, although the use of hastily improvised fire-ships is mentioned during the 1203 siege of Constantinople by the Fourth Crusade, no report confirms the use of the actual Greek fire, which had apparently fallen out of use by then, either because its secrets were forgotten, or because the Byzantines had lost access to the areas in the Caucasus and the eastern coast of the Black Sea where the primary ingredients were to be found.

Approx 51/2 inches top to bottom.

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: 25644