Antique Arms & Militaria
A Long Bronze Age Tanged Spear From the Pre-History Era Of Achilles and Hector & The Legendary Tojan War
Another stunning spear from our ancient weapon collection acquired. Circa 1400 B.C. around 3,500 years old, with a fabulous natural aged patination and in a very sound and excellent condition for age indeed. This is a most handsome and beautiful ancient bronze tanged spear, Blade is double edged, with a flat central rib, and long tang. From one of the most fascinating eras in ancient world pre-history, the era of the so called Trojan Wars.
The ancient Greeks believed the Trojan War was a historical event that had taken place in the 13th or 12th century BC, and it is reasonably believed today that Troy was located in modern day Turkey near the Dardanelles, and the Granicus river where Alexander engaged in his first battle against the Persians around 1000 years later in 334bc.
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, the king of Sparta. The war is among the most important events in Greek mythology and was narrated in many works of Greek literature, including Homer's Iliad and the Odyssey . "The Iliad" relates a part of the last year of the siege of Troy, while the Odyssey describes the journey home of Odysseus, one of the Achaean leaders. Other parts of the war were told in a cycle of epic poems, which has only survived in fragments. Episodes from the war provided material for Greek tragedy and other works of Greek literature, and for Roman poets such as Virgil and Ovid.
The war originated from a quarrel between the goddesses Athena, Hera, 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, 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, fall in love with Paris, who took her to Troy. Agamemnon, king of Mycenae and the brother of Helen's husband Menelaus, led an expedition of Achaean troops to Troy and besieged the city for ten years due to 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, one of the Trojans, who was said to have led the surviving Trojans to modern day Italy.
This spear comes from that that great historical period, from the time of the birth of known recorded history, and the formation of great empires, the cradle of civilization, known as The Mycenaean Age, of 1600 BC to 1100 BC. Known as the Bronze Age, it started even centuries before the time of Herodotus, who was known throught the world as the father of history. Mycenae is an archaeological site in Greece from which the name Mycenaean Age is derived. The Mycenae site is located in the Peloponnese of Southern Greece. The remains of a Mycenaean palace were found at this site, accounting for its importance. Other notable sites during the Mycenaean Age include Athens, Thebes, Pylos and Tiryns.
According to Homer, the Mycenaean civilization is dedicated to King Agamemnon who led the Greeks in the Trojan War. The palace found at Mycenae matches Homer's description of Agamemnon's residence. The amount and quality of possessions found at the graves at the site provide an insight to the affluence and prosperity of the Mycenaean civilization. Prior to the Mycenaean's ascendancy in Greece, the Minoan culture was dominant. However, the Mycenaeans defeated the Minoans, acquiring the city of Troy in the process. In the greatest collections of the bronze age there are swords exactly. In the Metropolitan Museum of Art is the bronze sword of King Adad-nirari I, a unique example from the palace of one of the early kings of the period (14th-13th century BC) during which Assyria first began to play a prominent part in Mesopotamian history. Swords daggers and weapons from this era were made within the Persian bronze industry, which was also influenced by Mesopotamia. Luristan, near the western border of Persia, was the source of many bronzes, such as this piece, that have been dated from around 1500 BC and later, and include chariot or harness fittings, rein rings, elaborate horse bits, and various decorative rings, as well as regular weapons, personal ornaments, different types of cult objects, and a number of household vessels. It was a great trading centre for bronze age weaponry, and all manner of bronze trade goods, that were shipped and sold due to their popularity throughout the entire region from Persia to the Mediterranean and possibly beyond.
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 13.75 inches long. As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity. read more
1150.00 GBP
A Superb Ancient Chinese Warring States Period 480-222bc Gold & Bronze Chariot Crossbow Mount in Gold with Tiger Head Finial
Being bronze overlaid with gold, with a stunning tiger head finial, this is not the crossbow fitting of a mere officer, but likely of a young Chinese prince, or certainly a very high ranking noble in the chariot ranks of an army.
The history of the chariot and the development of the crossbow in ancient China are interrelated. The chariot is considered the world’s first war machine. As early as the Warring States period, the Chinese attempted to mount the crossbow on the chariot like a machine gun on a modern scout car. Excavation of ancient Chinese chariots has confirmed the descriptions of them in the earliest historical texts.
For the ancient Chinese philosopher, the chariot was the supreme symbol of success. It’s light weight and speed remained the wonder of ancient China. The effective commander was compared to the crossbow. Sun Tsu, in The Art of War, argued that the momentum of one really skilled in war is irresistible, because his overwhelming attack is precisely determined. His ability to strike exactly when required resembles a drawn crossbow, for he is quick as the release of the trigger.
The most significant advantage of the crossbow over the composite bow was the longer range. To be a cross bowman was an important military position in the Han period. However, it was not unusual for captive crossbowmen to be executed upon capture by the opposing army, such was the dread of the weapon and its power.
This exceptional example contains the decorative elements of a status symbol as well as the strength to be used as a deadly tool of war. The sensuous curves of the gilded handle taper into stylized dragon finials that were used to hold the taut bowstring in place. In our opinion, the style, craftsmanship and subject matter of this of gilded bronze crossbow handle indicate a Warring States dynastic date.
Fittings of this type have been excavated in pairs in association with chariots, and their function has long been a research topic of scholars. A pair of silver-inlaid bronze crossbow fittings were discovered from a Warring States tomb in Luoyang, Henan province, published in Luoyang Museum, 'The Chariot Pit Found at Chung-chou-lu', Kaogu , no . 3, 1974, p. 174, fig. 1. According to the archeological report, this pair of fittings were unearthed in front of the wooden shaft of a crossbow, near the left side of a chariot. Based on this finding, the report theorized that they were fitted to the front of a crossbow shaft to support the bow, and the upcurved terminals were meant to be the aiming mechanism. See a reconstruction drawing illustrated in Luoyang Museum, ibid., p. 177, fig. 7.
Other scholars have developed a different theory and propose that these fittings in fact functioned as crossbow supports on a chariot. Both fittings were attached horizontally to the front left panel of a chariot, adjacent to the occupants. The crossbow was placed facing down, with its bow resting on the curved shafts and its handle positioned obliquely upward, ready at hand for a quick draw.
The present fitting is notable for its bird-head terminal, which appears to be rare among extant examples. Related examples include: a silver-inlaid crossbow fitting, also with a bird-head terminal, in the Avery Brundage Collection, published in René-Yvon Lefebvre d'Argencé, Ancient Chinese Bronzes in the Avery Brundage Collection , Berkeley, 1966, pl. XLIX, fig. B. Compare also a pair of gold and silver-inlaid crossbow fittings, with a serpent-head terminal, included in the exhibition Chinese Art of the Warring States Period. Change and Continuity, 480-222 BC , Freer Gallery of Art, Washington, DC, 1982, cat. no. 26; another pair published in Chinese Gold und Silver. Die Sammling Pierre Uldry, Rietberg Museum, Zürich, 1994, cat. no. 28a; a single fitting from the Ernest Erickson Foundation, read more
895.00 GBP
A Most Rare Bronze Age 'Celtic' Ring Dagger Knife Around 2500 Years Old. In Superb Excavated Condition.
A mid-European cast bronze knife. The blade is formed as a curved casting, thickening towards the outside of the curve, and with an edge to the inside. The handle has a depression on each side with a ring pommel typical of the ancient celts. It is particularly rare in that most Celtic ring knives found in the past 250 years have been Iron Age examples, certainly the ones we have had in the past 30 years have been so, thus this being bronze, although made in the Iron Age, makes it a most scarce knife.
From a collection of antiquities, swords daggers, and rings, that arrived , many pieces sold for the part benefit of the Westminster Abbey fund, and the Metropolitan Museum fund
the ancient Celtic tribes are far too often overlooked in favour of Romans and Vikings and Anglo-Saxons, their stories stripped away to Boudicca, the Iceni and failed revolt.
Yet the reality was rather more complex, with the ultimately victorious Romans deliberately misrepresenting the Celts as noble savages in order to provide a contrast with “the idea of Rome as a disciplined, ordered, civilising presence”. History might well be written by the victors
The Romans seem to have used the term “Celt” very similarly to how the Greeks used it. They applied the term to a large collection of tribes covering huge portions of western Europe. All the Gallic tribes — the tribes of Gaul — were called Celts by the Romans. We clearly see this in Julius Caesar’s De Bello Gallico (1.1):
“All Gaul is divided into three parts, one of which the Belgae inhabit, the Aquitani another, those who in their own language are called Celts, in ours Gauls, the third.”
But beyond just using the term “Celts” to refer to the Gallic tribes, other Roman writings show that they also used the term to refer to some of the inhabitants of Iberia. For example, Strabo (3.4.5) refers to Celts in that region who became the Celtiberians and the Berones. Many other tribes in Iberia were also considered to be Celtic. In other words, we see that the Romans considered the Celts to cover several large portions of Western Europe. This is consistent with Greek description of the Celts being the single most notable people to the west.
It is important to note that the material culture of the Celtiberians was very different from the material culture of the Gallic Celts. This being so, it is evident that archaeology cannot determine which nation was or was not Celtic. It is evidently not the style of artwork or design of houses or type of pottery that determines whether one is or is not a Celt. Regarding genetics, there does not appear to be any evidence of large-scale migration from Gaul to Iberia. Yet, that does not stop the Celts of Iberia from being considered Celts, either in ancient or modern sources.
On the other hand, the genetics of the population of England is known to be primarily made up of genes from the pre-Saxon inhabitants. Yet despite that, no one would call the English a “Brythonic” nation. So it does not seem very useful to use genetics as the main criterion for determining whether a nation was or was not Celtic.
Therefore, using language as the main basis for determining that ancient populations of Europe does seem to be the most useful method, even if it is not perfect. On this basis, it is very reasonable indeed to refer to the Britons as “Celts”.
Part of the proceeds of this piece were to benefit the Acquisition Fund of the Arms and Armor department, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Overall 11 inches long, blade 6 3/4 inches read more
875.00 GBP
A Beautiful Greco-Persian Wars Bronze Age Long Dagger Around 2500 Years Old. Such as From The Battles of Marathon, Thermopylae and Plataea
Approximately 2500 years old, Achaemenid Empire era, 550 bc to 330 bc From the the Greco-Persian War, such as includes the iconic battles of Marathon, Thermopylae and Plataea, up to the time of Alexander the Great. This wonderful antiquity, from one of the most eventful and ground breaking periods of classical history, is in amazing condition and beautifully decorated 6th-4th century BC. A bronze long dagger with narrow lentoid-section blade, collared grip with crescentic ears to the pommel. By the 7th century BC, the Persians had settled in the south-western portion of the Iranian Plateau in the region of Persis, which came to be their heartland. From this region, Cyrus the Great advanced to defeat the Medes, Lydia, and the Neo-Babylonian Empire, establishing the Achaemenid Empire. The Ionian Greek Revolt in 499 BC, and associated revolts in Aeolis, Doris, Cyprus and Caria, were military rebellions by several regions of Asia Minor against Persian rule, lasting from 499 to 493 BC. At the heart of the rebellion was the dissatisfaction of the Greek cities of Asia Minor with the tyrants appointed by Persia to rule them, along with the individual actions of two Milesian tyrants, Histiaeus and Aristagoras. In 499 BC, the then tyrant of Miletus, Aristagoras, launched a joint expedition with the Persian satrap Artaphernes to conquer Naxos, in an attempt to bolster his position in Miletus (both financially and in terms of prestige). The mission was a debacle, and sensing his imminent removal as tyrant, Aristagoras chose to incite the whole of Ionia into rebellion against the Persian king Darius the Great. In 490 BC the Persian forces were defeated by the Athenians at the Battle of Marathon and Darius would die before having the chance to launch an invasion of Greece. The Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BC, during the first Persian invasion of Greece. It was fought between the citizens of Athens, aided by Plataea, and a Persian force commanded by Datis and Artaphernes. The battle was the culmination of the first attempt by Persia, under King Darius I, to subjugate Greece. The Greek army decisively defeated the more numerous Persians, marking a turning point in the Greco-Persian Wars. Xerxes I (485–465 BC, "Hero Among Kings"), son of Darius I, vowed to complete the job. He organized a massive invasion aiming to conquer Greece. His army entered Greece from the north, meeting little or no resistance through Macedonia and Thessaly, but was delayed by a small Greek force for three days at Thermopylae. A simultaneous naval battle at Artemisium was tactically indecisive as large storms destroyed ships from both sides. The battle was stopped prematurely when the Greeks received news of the defeat at Thermopylae and retreated. The battle was a strategic victory for the Persians, giving them uncontested control of Artemisium and the Aegean Sea.
Following his victory at the Battle of Thermopylae, Xerxes sacked the evacuated city of Athens and prepared to meet the Greeks at the strategic Isthmus of Corinth and the Saronic Gulf. In 480 BC the Greeks won a decisive victory over the Persian fleet at the Battle of Salamis and forced Xerxes to retire to Sardis. The land army which he left in Greece under Mardonius retook Athens but was eventually destroyed in 479 BC at the Battle of Plataea. The final defeat of the Persians at Mycale encouraged the Greek cities of Asia to revolt, and the Persians lost all of their territories in Europe; Macedonia once again became independent. Alexander the Great, an avid admirer of Cyrus the Great, conquered most of the empire by 330 BC. Upon Alexander's death, most of the empire's former territory came under the rule of the Ptolemaic Kingdom and Seleucid Empire, in addition to other minor territories which gained independence at that time. The Iranian elites of the central plateau reclaimed power by the second century BC under the Parthian Empire. Ancient Greece. 191 grams, 35cm (13 3/4"). From a Japanese collection, 1990s. read more
1595.00 GBP
Great Britain's Favourite Armoury Antiques & Collector's Shop . A Most Scarce Original Late 14th Century Crossbow Bolt Quarrel. From the Reign of King Henry Vth and the Battle of Agincourt in 1415
Part of our wondrous, new, historical, and original Ancient Roman, Ancient Greek, Viking, Crusaders, and Medeavil battlefield antiquities and artefacts, another fabulous museum grade collection that has arrived with us .
Heavy diamond form steel bolt head, and its almost complete socket
Much of it acquired by a family in the 1820's while on a Grand Tour of Anglo French battle sites within Northern & Western France from Azincourt, in the Pas-de-Calais, to Poitiers in Aquitaine.
Although the English and Welsh Longbowmen that fought at Agincourt are incredibly famous, the crossbow was used predominantly by the French army, yet some English, plus, some mounted knights used crossbows as well, as longbows were incredibly impractical if not impossible for use on horseback
Much of it acquired by a family in the 1820's while on a Grand Tour of Anglo French battle sites within Northern & Western France from Azincourt, in the Pas-de-Calais, to Poitiers in Aquitaine.
After several decades of relative peace, the English had renewed their war effort in 1415 amid the failure of negotiations with the French. In the ensuing campaign, many soldiers perished due to disease and the English numbers dwindled, but as they tried to withdraw to English-held Calais they found their path blocked by a considerably larger French army. Despite the disadvantage, the following battle ended in an overwhelming tactical victory for the English.
King Henry V of England led his troops into battle and participated in hand-to-hand fighting. The French king of the time, Charles VI, did not command the French army himself, as he suffered from severe psychotic illnesses with moderate mental incapacitation. Instead, the French were commanded by Constable Charles d'Albret and various prominent French noblemen of the Armagnac party.
This battle is notable for the use of the English longbow in very large numbers, with the English and Welsh archers forming up to 80 percent of Henry's army. The decimation of the French cavalry at their hands is regarded as an indicator of the decline of cavalry and the beginning of the dominance of ranged weapons on the battlefield.
Agincourt is one of England's most celebrated victories. The battle is the centrepiece of the play Henry V by Shakespeare. Juliet Barker in her book Agincourt: The King, the Campaign, the Battle ( published in 2005) argues the English and Welsh were outnumbered "at least four to one and possibly as much as six to one". She suggests figures of about 6,000 for the English and 36,000 for the French, based on the Gesta Henrici's figures of 5,000 archers and 900 men-at-arms for the English, and Jean de Wavrin's statement "that the French were six times more numerous than the English". The 2009 Encyclopædia Britannica uses the figures of about 6,000 for the English and 20,000 to 30,000 for the French. Part of an original medieval collection we have just acquired, of Roman, Greek, Assyrian, Celtic, Viking and early British relics of warfare from ancient battle sites, much of it recovered up to 220 years ago.
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
As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity read more
295.00 GBP
A Superb, Original, 1879 Zulu War Small Cow-Hide Zulu Shield. Likely A Zulu Iwahu Shield. From the Time Of Islandwana, Rorke's Drift and Ulundi. Souvenir of the Zulu War
The ideal size for a historical display today, of a private collector or museum, such as combined with original Zulu War pieces, such as spears & knopkerrie {war clubs}.
Small cow-hide shields such as this were developed into larger versions, known as Isihlangu, in the early 19th century by Shaka kaSenzangakhona, a great warrior king and innovator who transformed Zulu warriors into a potent military machine. Shaka also introduced a new short, stabbing spear and a new style of fighting whereby the Zulu could barge his enemy off balance with the shield, or use it to hook around hid enemy's shield, pull it across his body and stab him under the left arm. These new weapons and methods, combined with tactical brilliance on the battlefield allowed the Zulu to conquer their neighbours, consolidate economic and military power, and resist European invasion for a long period.
The Zulu military system was based on the close bonding of unmarried men grouped by age. Brought together in a barracks at about 18-20 years old, a group of 350-400 men developed a strong identity as a 'regiment' or impi thanks to insignia such as the patterning on their shields. Each impi had its own kraal of cattle, and King Shaka assigned each a specific hide patterning. Impi kept their shields turned face-inwards under their arms while charging the enemy, until the last moment when the entire regiment turned their shields to face the enemy - who would only realise which of Shaka's regiments they faced with seconds to spare. This idea that the shield represented one's military identity is enshrined in the Zulu expression, "to be under somebody's shield", meaning to be under their protection.
Yet the different colours and markings on shields did more than just identify a specific impi. Great warriors had white shields with one or two spots, the young and inexperienced had black shields whilst the middle warriors had red shields. This demarcation formed the basis of the Zulu's famous battle formation imitating the horns, chest and loins of a cow, which is thought to have originated in hunting as a means of encircling game. During combat, the youngest and swiftest warriors, carrying dark shields, made up the 'horns', attempting to surround the enemy and draw him into the 'chest', whereupon the elite white shields would destroy him.
After a year of basic training, young warriors were sent home to tend their family cattle herds, mobilising for active service for four months of each year thereafter. Impi were disbanded when the men reached their late thirties and, under Shaka, it was only then they could marry. However, by the time of Zulu War of 1879, in the reign of Cetewayo, the marriage age was much younger and married warriors were no longer regarded as inferior and could bear a white shield in battle. Whether a Zulu warrior was active or retired, his shield remained an important symbol of his status upon entering marriage.
The Zulus, 22,000 strong, attacked the camp at Isandlwana and their sheer numbers overwhelmed the British. As the officers paced their men far too far apart to face the coming onslaught. During the battle Lieutenant-Colonel Pulleine ordered Lieutenants Coghill and Melvill to save the Queen's Colour—the Regimental Colour was located at Helpmakaar with G Company. The two Lieutenants attempted to escape by crossing the Buffalo River where the Colour fell and was lost downstream, later being recovered. Both officers were killed. At this time the Victoria Cross (VC) was not awarded posthumously. This changed in the early 1900s when both Lieutenants were awarded posthumous Victoria Crosses for their bravery. The 2nd Battalion lost both its Colours at Isandhlwana though parts of the Colours—the crown, the pike and a colour case—were retrieved and trooped when the battalion was presented with new Colours in 1880.
The 24th had performed with distinction during the battle. The last survivors made their way to the foot of a mountain where they fought until they expended all their ammunition and were killed. The 24th Foot suffered 540 dead, including the 1st Battalion's commanding officer.
After the battle, some 4,000 to 5,000 Zulus headed for Rorke's Drift, a small missionary post garrisoned by a company of the 2/24th Foot, native levies and others under the command of Lieutenant Chard, Royal Engineers, the most senior officer of the 24th present being Lieutenant Gonville Bromhead. Two Boer cavalry officers, Lieutenants Adendorff and Vane, arrived to inform the garrison of the defeat at Isandhlwana. The Acting Assistant Commissary James Langley Dalton persuaded Bromhead and Chard to stay and the small garrison frantically prepared rudimentary fortifications.
The Zulus first attacked at 4:30 pm. Throughout the day the garrison was attacked from all sides, including rifle fire from the heights above the garrison, and bitter hand-to-hand fighting often ensued. At one point the Zulus entered the hospital, which was stoutly defended by the wounded inside until it was set alight and eventually burnt down. The battle raged on into the early hours of 23 January but by dawn the Zulu Army had withdrawn. Lord Chelmsford and a column of British troops arrived soon afterwards. The garrison had suffered 15 killed during the battle (two died later) and 11 defenders were awarded the Victoria Cross for their distinguished defense of the post, 7 going to soldiers of the 24th Foot.
54cm long inc haft read more
Another Fabulous Christmas Gift Idea. A Superb Pair of Regency Silhouette Portraits of a Scottish Lady and Gentleman, Possibly by George Atkins
Circa 1815 to 1830 British School. The gentleman is holding his fouling piece, and wearing a kilt. The lady is holding what appears to be her prayer book. Both silhouettes are hand cut black paper aplied to an off-white card backing, emphasized with gold shadow highlights. Original Regency rosewood frames. A silhouette is the image of a person, animal, object or scene represented as a solid shape of a single colour, usually black, with its edges matching the outline of the subject. The interior of a silhouette is featureless, and the silhouette is usually presented on a light background, usually white, or none at all. The more expensive versions could have a gold highlight such as these have. The silhouette differs from an outline, which depicts the edge of an object in a linear form, while a silhouette appears as a solid shape. Silhouette images may be created in any visual artistic media, but were first used to describe pieces of cut paper, which were then stuck to a backing in a contrasting colour, and often framed.
Cutting portraits, generally in profile, from black card became popular in the mid-18th century, though the term silhouette was seldom used until the early decades of the 19th century, and the tradition has continued under this name into the 21st century. They represented an effective alternative to the portrait miniature, and skilled specialist artists could cut a high-quality bust portrait, by far the most common style, in a matter of minutes, working purely by eye. Other artists, especially from about 1790, drew an outline on paper, then painted it in, which could be equally quick.
From its original graphic meaning, the term silhouette has been extended to describe the sight or representation of a person, object or scene that is backlit, and appears dark against a lighter background. Anything that appears this way, for example, a figure standing backlit in a doorway, may be described as "in silhouette". Because a silhouette emphasises the outline, the word has also been used in the fields of fashion and fitness to describe the shape of a person's body or the shape created by wearing clothing of a particular style or period. 10.5 x 12.5 inches framed. Picture in the gallery of a drawing a Silhouette by Johann Rudolph Schellenberg (1740?1806). Light staining to the gentlemans white backing paper. read more
595.00 GBP
What a Superb Antique Christmas Gift Idea. A Pair of Simply Delightful Original Victorian Royal Mail Coaching Prints in Fine Rosewood Veneer Frames
With their original and super old retailer's labels of the most distinguished Arthur Ackerman Gallery of Fine Arts, 191 Regent St. London, W. A charming pair of original Victorian coloured prints in fine quality frames. 6.75 inches x 8.75 inches framed In the 18th century travel was hazardous to all. Highwaymen stalked the roads and those leading into London were said to be ‘infested’ with robbers. Romantic tales of masked, gallant gentleman were far from the truth: highwaymen were ruthless and deadly.
On 4 December 1775, a Norwich stagecoach was attacked by a gang of seven highwaymen. The guard shot three robbers before being killed and the coach robbed. Richard ‘Dick’ Turpin, a famous highwayman of the time, was known to torture his victims and would even kill one of his companions to aid his own escape.
‘… recommending the Guarding of all the Horse Mails, as a measure of national importance to which the Public in some degree conceived themselves entitled…’
Francis Freeling, Resident Surveyor, 14th March 1796
A plan was written to guard all horse mails, which included the arming of all guards. In doing so the Post Office would not only secure the vast property conveyed by horse, but also save the expenses incurred in prosecuting a robber. Furthermore, it would maintain regularity of service and eliminate what was seen as a disgrace to both the Office and to the nation.
Surveyors observed that the revenue lost to robbery was twice the sum it would cost to guard the mail: it was the obvious choice. In 1784, John Palmer introduced the first mail coach from Bristol to London. This faster and well-armed postal service proved to be a great deterrent to robbers, as they risked being shot or, if caught, tried and hanged. The first recorded robbery of a mail coach did not occur until 25 July 1786.
A letter to joint Postmaster Generals asking for the establishment of a regional mail coach was signed by over 100 people, whose businesses had been damaged due to the frequency of robberies. Mail coaches were a better way of securing the post’s safe passage, though there are a few recorded instances of attempted robberies even of them.
In January 1816, an Enniskillen coach was attacked and robbed by a gang of 14 men who had barricaded the road. The guards fired off all of their ammunition but the mail bags and weapons were all stolen. the Mail Guard was issued with a a pair of flintlock pistols read more
375.00 GBP
A Very Good Victorian 19th Century Royal Artillery Officer's Pouch
Patent leather with gilt badge of an artillery cannon. A cross belt is two connected straps worn across the body to distribute the weight of loads, carried at the hip, across the shoulders and trunk. It is similar to two shoulder belts joined with a single buckle at the center of the chest. The cross belt was predominantly used from the 1700s (American Revolutionary War) to the 1840s they were not part of a soldier's equipment in the American Civil War and Anglo-Zulu War/First Boer War.
For most line infantry, skirmishers, light infantry, grenadiers and guard regiments during much of Europe's Age of Gunpowder, either a cross belt or two shoulder belts were worn.citation needed One configuration for the belts would be the cartridge box on the right hip and sword scabbard on the left. Such equipment would be attached to the belt at its lowest point, where it rests on the hip. Officers almost never carried muskets or rifles, so they typically wore only one shoulder belt, such as for the pistol cartridge box or for a sabre scabbard. As officers were often aristocratic and used many independent symbols for their family, rank, and command, their uniforms and gear organisation could be highly variable.
For British infantry, the cross belt had a metal belt plate with the regiment of the soldier inscribed on it read more
245.00 GBP