Antique Arms & Militaria

Another Original Collection of Ancient Weapons of Antiquity Arrives This Week! Once More, All Manner of Singularly Fine & The Rarest of Intriguing Historical Pieces Recently Added, and To Be Added, Every Day

Recently we have acquired and added all manner of interesting artefacts, both ancient and vintage: Including, an ancient Imperial roman Gladiator's ring 1st century AD, an Imperial Roman Equestris Legion Centurion's seal ring engraved with horse mounted combat. A gold and bronze ancient Chinese crossbow mount, an antique Aztec form sacrificial knife, a stunning Baker Rifle, an Ancient Greek or Spartan senior ranked warrior's ‘stooping horse’ seal ring, around 2600 years old, Ancient Roman Kingdom period {500 bc} centurion armilla, from the earliest era just after Romulus and Remus, a 1700 to 1800 year old Roman Gladiators ring, realistically engraved with a lion attacking a horse in the arena, a superb 1798 ‘Baker’ British rifle’s officer’s rifle, several US Civil War revolvers including Colt Army and Remingtons, a Roman Republic Period status rings and seal rings, Viking warriors bronze pieces, one of the most beautiful American frontier Plains Rifle we have seen now sold, a Native American Chiefs rifle, the same as was used by Chief Sitting Bull at the Little Big Horn, a Remington Rifle captured by a Coldstream Guard at Tel el Kabir {also now sold} a Trafalgar period Royal Naval incendiary cannon ball, an incredibly rare Draken head form Viking ‘magic, staff pommel, A Seiðstafr, The Staff of Power, used by a Viking shaman, plus one of the most amazing Viking Berserker warriors neck torc’s we have ever seen, still wearable condition and a great size, several wondrous Japanese katanas, a very rare type of Zulu War period, assegai spear-knopkerrie combination weapon, a type we have only seen twice before in over 50 years, also, lots, lots more.

Also just recently added, a set of ancient Viking prisoner and slave shackles with lock casing, a fabulous US army contract musket used from the Alamo, through the Mexican American War and also the US Civil War, a crossbow bolt recovered from Agincourt, and a light dragoon pistol of Waterloo.. Also, recently added; a Napoleonic Wars era 60th Rifle Regt. Jäger Rifle, Circa 1800, used by the German rifle volunteers of the British Army. Fine antiquities, as we mentioned last week, have arrived on Monday, including a very fine Viking warriors sword from the siege of Paris era, a 15th century iron handgonne, the very earliest form of hand held gun powder gun from the 1400’s. A ‘ballock dagger’ from the period of King Richard IIIrd, and the Wars of the Roses. A pure gold ancient Roman intaglio carved garnet gemstone seal ring, depicting a profile carving, possibly of Emperor Antoninus Pius, the fourth of the five good emperors, or a similar highest ranking Patrician of Rome, plus, a masterpiece of 23 carat hammered sheet gold, a now assembled ‘Wreath of Conquest’, the head adornment worn by the ancient victors of the games, conquerors and their queens of Greece & Macedon, in the later first millennium B.C. and thus emulated by all the ceasers and emperors of Rome, their laurel wreath of victory, the ultimate symbol of Roman republican and imperial victory, rule and power. This was originally acquired for a famous British ‘Barrister at the Temple’ and antiquities collector in the 1960’s. Plus, numerous other wonders of antiquity, including a silver Roman patrician or legates gemstone seal ring of a Roman intaglio of the Roman mythical beast, a Gryllos. The hybrid being is composed of Silenus head, an equine protome, a ram head chewing an ear, rooster legs and tail.. 1st-2nd century A.D. A gryllos, or composite of human and animal parts,
Grylloi, derived from the Italic word grillo ("freak") and the Latin gryllus ("caricature"), were popular subjects for the ancient Romans. Artists reportedly enjoyed creating these fantastic creatures with all combinations of parts, although certain combinations seemed to be more popular than others. While undoubtedly extremely amusing to the Romans, grylloi served a more serious purpose as well; they were thought to be talismans that acted as protection against the evil eye. Their strangeness was said to "attract the evil eye and thus lessens its force against its victims."

For a related example of an ancient Roman Gryllo ring, see accession number 41.160.655 in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection of Greek and Roman Art. Also, Ref: Richter, Gisela M.A., Catalogue of Engraved Gems: Greek, Etruscan, Roman, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art (1956), p. 114.  read more

Code: 24771

A Beautiful Harlequin Pair Chinese Ching Dynasty 18th Cent. 'Shoe' Stirrups

Shaped like chinese shoes and worn as protective armour for the feet when a mandarin or officer travelled around the Ching empire on horseback. The more regular type we are used to seeing today were used, but this most scarce high quality bronze 'shoe-form' type is very rarely seen to survive. Peasants in Qing China were not permitted to travel and certainly never on horseback. The stirrup was invented in China in the first few centuries AD and spread westward through the nomadic peoples of Central Eurasia. The use of paired stirrups is credited to the Chinese Jin Dynasty and came to Europe during the Middle Ages. Some argue that the stirrup was one of the basic tools used to create and spread modern civilization, possibly as important as the wheel or printing press. The stirrup, which gives greater stability to a rider, has been described as one of the most significant inventions in the history of warfare, prior to gunpowder. As a tool allowing expanded use of horses in warfare, the stirrup is often called the third revolutionary step in equipment, after the chariot and the saddle. The basic tactics of mounted warfare were significantly altered by the stirrup. A rider supported by stirrups was less likely to fall off while fighting, and could deliver a blow with a weapon that more fully employed the weight and momentum of horse and rider. Among other advantages, stirrups provided greater balance and support to the rider, which allowed the knight to use a sword more efficiently without falling, especially against infantry adversaries. The Qing [or Ching] dynasty, officially the Great Qing, also called the Qing Empire by itself or the Manchu dynasty by foreigners, was the last imperial dynasty of China, established in 1636 and ruling China from 1644 to 1912 with a brief, abortive restoration in 1917. It was preceded by the Ming dynasty and succeeded by the Republic of China. The Qing multi-cultural empire lasted almost three centuries and formed the territorial base for the modern Chinese state. After conquering "China proper", the Manchus identified their state as "China", and referred to it as Dulimbai Gurun in Manchu (Dulimbai means "central" or "middle," gurun means "nation" or "state"). The emperors equated the lands of the Qing state (including present-day Northeast China, Xinjiang, Mongolia, Tibet and other areas) as "China" in both the Chinese and Manchu languages, defining China as a multi-ethnic state, and rejecting the idea that "China" only meant Han areas. The Qing emperors proclaimed that both Han and non-Han peoples were part of "China". They used both "China" and "Qing" to refer to their state in official documents, international treaties (as the Qing was known internationally as "China" or the "Chinese Empire") and foreign affairs, and "Chinese language" (Dulimbai gurun I bithe) included Chinese, Manchu, and Mongol languages, and "Chinese people" referred to all subjects of the empire. In the Chinese-language versions of its treaties and its maps of the world, the Qing government used "Qing" and "China" interchangeably.  read more

Code: 20698

A Superb & Most Gruesome Collectors & Conversation Piece, A King George IIIrd “Man Trap’ Only The Second Original Example We Have Had in 10 years

Scarce Wrought Iron Man Trap, probably 18th or very early 19th century, comprising 2 large sprung iron ‘jaws’ each lined with a row of interlocking teeth and released by a trip plate.
Here's a nice gory object to attract interest and conversation.
In the 18th and early 19th centuries common land and shared fields were being enclosed in pursuit of more efficient and productive farming, as well as for fashionable parkland. William Cobbett (born in Farnham in 1763) wrote passionately about the resulting loss of livelihood for the rural poor and there were other protests. In 1721 a masked gang, led by 'King John' killed 11 deer at the Bishop's Park at Farnham and then rode through the market place in triumph.
In 1723 the 'Black Act' authorised the death penalty for more than 50 poaching offences. It remained law for nearly a century and when it was repealed poachers were transported instead. Landowners also used man traps, as well as spring guns and dog spears operated by trip wire, to deter poachers. Man traps were made illegal in 1826 but in 1830 a new law was passed enabling landowners to apply for a licence to use them. They were finally banned in 1861, although Gertrude Jekyll, famous ornamental garden designer writing in 1904, observed that "notices of such dangers were posted on the outsides of properties to within a comparatively recent date."
Our man trap probably dates to the late 18th to 19th century. To set it, the metal jaws were forced apart and held down by a finely balanced catch. The slightest movement of the central plate would release the catch, causing the jaws to slam shut. It is hard to imagine that the poacher would not lose his foot. The hooks on the plate were to hold down the leaves and grass used to camouflage the trap.
Gertrude Jekyll includes a photograph of a man trap in Old West Surrey, along with the story of how this "curious relic of cruel old days" was found - "it was discovered in a wood on a beautiful property owned by a lady who had four then unmarried daughters. Luckily no one enjoyed the obvious joke more than these dear ladies themselves." Maximum length 113cms, jaws 37cms diameter. Fair condition, some old damage, now covered with old black preserving paint. Used to deter trespassers and poachers and therefore left outside. Spring 'Trap Spring' not functioning for safety.  read more

Code: 23563

A 19th Century Indian Percussion Howdah Pistol, Double Over and Under Barrelled

With steel barrels and engraved decorative brass frame, and of overall utility quality. Tight mainspring action. Large .6 inch bore

A Formidable and singularly impressive double barrel large bore pistol, for use when seated in the Howdah, when riding on an Elephant, for protection against Tiger attack. The name "Howdah pistol" comes from the sedan chair- known as a Howdah which is mounted on the back of an elephant. Hunters, and officers, especially during the period of the British Raj in India, used howdahs as a platform for hunting wild animals and needed large-calibre side-arms to protect themselves, the elephant, and their passengers from animal attacks at close range. Even though Howdah pistols were designed for use in the “gravest extreme” against dangerous game (such as tigers), they were used in combat by some officers, for both offence and defence, as their effectiveness was simply unrivalled in close quarter action. Demand for these potent weapons outstripped supply, and many seen still surviving today are in fact converted shotguns, with shortened barrels and pistol grip restocking, and in later years gunmakers responded with revolvers, in calibres as large as .500, in order to fill the need. Firearms like these were one source of inspiration for the overtly powerful .44 magnum revolver. A 1996 movie, called 'The Ghost and the Darkness', starring Michael Douglas, featured the Douglas character, Charles Remington, using a near identical "howdah" pistol in several scenes.

Being of utility functional design this is not a fine quality English made equivalent from the same era, however, due to this, it is priced accordingly, and approximately less than a quarter of the price we sold our last two fine English made examples for. One nipple is only partially present

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

Code: 24753

A Superb Napoleonic French 'Prisoner-of-War' Portable Travelling Dressing Case, Shaped in the Form of a Book

In wood covered in straw-work parquetry. crafted by a prisoner of war during the1793 - 1815 War between Napoleon's French Navy and the Naval forces of King George III of England. This piece was hand crafted by a captive, French, master artisan who created this unbelievably detailed box with nothing but coloured pieces of straw, paper and scraps of wood, {often taken from their bunks} for a frame, and boiled glue. This piece would have taken weeks to hand create, and the tiny pieces of straw are somehow cut into thousands of minuscule pieces and assembled in tiny multicoloured geometric patterns. A very similar example to one that is on display in the Burghley House Collection. Made by the captured Napoleonic and French wars French Prisoners-of-War in the early 1800's in order to subsidise their meagre prison rations, and this fine piece is made to give the impression it is a sizeable book when closed. The interior bears two small sections, lidded compartments with interior mirror in Georgian Vauxhall plate, and a geometric parquetry All of the interior straw-work is pristine in colour and unfaded showing wonderful contrasts.

Great Britain was at war with France continuously from 1793 to 1802. Hostilities ceased briefly in 1802, but conflict soon recommenced. The Napoleonic Wars continued until 1815, when Napoleon?s forces were finally defeated at Waterloo.

For example,iIn 1796 the first prison to house French prisoners was built at Norman Cross, some 5 miles north of Peterborough. Conditions must have been both harsh and crowded; disease killed more that 1,700 inmates between 1797 and 1814.

To supplement their rations and to provide small income, some prisoners made ornaments, models and toys, which they were allowed to sell. The materials used included straw, wood, bone and even human hair. Many of the items made were extraordinary in their complexity and design and were always very desirable to collectors. The proximity of Burghley House to the camp meant that members of the Cecil family acquired many fine examples.

Those displayed at Burghley include a number of containers made of wood with applied decoration of coloured straw, a stationery box, a set of bone spillikins in a pocket case, a framed straw-work picture of the house built for Napoleon Bonaparte on St Helena, to where he was exiled, a bone set of dominoes and playing cards and a detailed model of an 80-gun ship-of-the-line with hair rigging..

Two photos in the gallery are of New Cross market for the French POWs to sell their wears and hand made pieces to the locals and nobility who used to travel to such markets to buy these pieces that were incredibly popular with members of the aristocracy and high society. a a painting of a prison hulk in Sheerness, often made from the hulks of a scrapped old British man o'war, or a captured, damaged French or Spanish frigate,  read more

Code: 24739

A Rare 1840 Constabulary Carbine Bayonet with Deep Defensive Sword Cut

With spring recess in the blade no spring. The most amazing feature of this bayonet is that it has parried a sword thrust, which has deeply cut into the blade elbow. A fabulous battle scar that undoubtedly saved the mans life. The socket is numbered 60. Ordnance stamped blade

The British pattern 1840 Constabulary carbine was known in to distinct patterns. the earlier carbine was derived from the Pattern 1839 Musket, and the later carbine followed the lines of the pattern 42 musket. The main differences being the lock, side plate and bayonet catch. The earlier pattern using the P'39 lock, New Land Pattern side plate and the Hanoverian bayonet catch, while the later used the P'42 lock, Lovell cups and the Lovell bayonet catch. The Pattern 1840 Constabulary Carbine has a 26" barrel and the rear sling swivel is placed at the underside of the butt, rather than at the trigger guard.

The Pattern 1840 Constabulary Carbine was issued in NSW, Victoria, Tasmania, and Western Australia  read more

Code: 17601

An Antique 'Claw and Feather' Bronze Paper Knife or a “Unicorn” Page Turner.

Originally classified in the collecting world as a late Victorian page turner, yet in fact it may well not be a mythical collectible, or so-called ‘unicorn piece’, but thus actually a rare form of paper knife.
A most interesting piece for the bibliophile. In colour patinated bronze, possibly Austrian. Circa late 1800’s. 9.5 inches long.
Uncut pages were common to Victorian Era and earlier books, artifacts of the bookbinding practices of the day. As Spellerberg explains in Reading & Writing Accessories, long sheets of paper were folded numerous times to form a “signature” of pages or “leaves,” which would be printed on both sides. Signatures would be printed, collated, and then bound (which usually meant “sewn”) to create a book. “Most of the leaves were cut during the binding process,” he writes. “However, since all books were bound by hand at that time, leaves were sometimes left uncut and could not be opened unless they were cut.” Paper-knives made such books readable.

It wasn’t just books that required paper-knives to be read, which is why the tools came in all sizes. There were long ones for newspapers and magazines, as well as shorter ones for diminutive books made to fit in the palm of the hand. Regardless of their size, some were painted in handsome designs while others were carved and fitted with sterling-silver handles, transforming these prosaic implements of paper destruction into small works of art. And, of course, a great many paper-knives were treated as handheld advertisements, sold at tourist destinations as souvenirs or given away by companies wishing to extend their brands, as we might put it today.

Impossibly so, as it turns out: After researching the topic for several years, Spellerberg concluded that page turners simply did not exist during the Victorian Era. In fact, according to Spellerberg, page turners didn’t exist during any historical period at all, making them the unicorns, if you will, of office collectibles, mythical objects that tell us more about how we imagine people lived rather than how they actually did.
Page turners, then, were actually paper-knives, and paper-knives were the tools readers employed to get at the content inside an “unopened” book.
Matthew Haley of Bonhams, stated. “I was once told, but have never confirmed, that people still occasionally request books that have never been opened at the Bodleian Libraries in Oxford,” Haley says. “They are lent a paper-knife for the purposes of cutting the pages.” In fact, as Rosie Burke of the Bodelian told me via email, “I’m pleased to confirm that it is true that after all these years we still have many books with uncut pages—either completely uncut or only partially cut. Staff will issue paper-knives to readers for certain books, but anything that is particularly old or fragile will only be cut by either reading-room staff or a member of our conservation team.”

This is obviously good news for readers—as a library, the Bodelian is in the business of spreading knowledge rather than keeping it secreted within the uncut pages of the books on its shelves. But the utility of paper-knives raises an interesting dilemma for book collectors. Is a book with uncut pages more valuable than a comparable volume whose leaves have been sundered, however carefully, by a paper-knife?

“Generally speaking,” Haley says, “there is a slight premium placed by collectors on uncut or ‘unopened’ copies, as they are closer to how the book would have been originally supplied by the bookseller. It’s one of the fascinating ironies of book collecting,” he adds, “that an unreadable book could be worth more than one that’s ready to read.”
Some years ago we had an early edition of Darwin’s ‘On the Origin of Species’ from Winston Churchill’s personal library, and many pages were still uncut, which demonstrates that despite being an early edition from the mid 19th century it had neither been read or even cut by Spencer Churchill or Winston Churchill during their ownership  read more

Code: 18896

Edward VIIth 20th Hussars Cap Badge, Used in WW1

The regiment was not deployed to South Africa until December 1901 for service in the Second Boer War and therefore only took part in the final drives against the Boer commandos in spring 1902. The regiment was based in Ireland again from 1908 to 1911.

The regiment, which was based in Colchester at the start of the First World War, landed in France as part of the 5th Cavalry Brigade in the 2nd Cavalry Division in August 1914 for service on the First World War. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Mons in August 1914 and both the First Battle of the Marne and the First Battle of the Aisne in September 1914. It went on fight at the First Battle of Ypres in October 1914, the Battle of Arras in April 1917 and the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917. It later took part in the German Spring Offensive in 1918, the Battle of Amiens in August 1918 and the final push as the war drew to a close  read more

Code: 21116

Antique Persian Carved Bone Hilted Kindjal Short Sword

18th to Early 19th Century. The blade has traces of a complex etched design, possibly including some Islamic script. Carved bone hilt with single silver leaf d?cor and a nail mounting stud. Old cracking to hilt and overall russetting to the old blade. Overall 201/4 inches long  read more

Code: 23135

A Fine Bladed Indonesian Keris, Nickel Iron Meteoric Blade

19th Century Keris Dagger/Sword, but the blade may be far older. This Indonesian ceremonial dagger or Keris is believed to date from the 1800's based on the style, materials and condition of the steel. The handle made of wood indigenous to Java, appears to be from the 19th century. As the keris is handed down from generation to generation (sometimes over centuries), the wooden handle and scabbard are often replaced with the blade remaining original. Used in cultural ceremonies and traditionally worn as a symbol of status, the Keris is an important cultural item in Indonesian and Malaysian cultures. This particular example is done in the dapur bener (straight blade) style, and was hand forged with alternating laminations of so-called iron and meteoric nickel-rich iron. As a historic item that the blade can bu up to 300 years old or more, there is some rust and pitting in parts on the blade. However, the unique patterns of nickel in the steel are very visible on the blade and the edges are still quite sharp.

Painting in the Royal Collection by Frans Francken the Younger in the gallery, photo 10, painted in 1617, titled 'Cabinet of a Collector', clearly shows, top left, a 16th century Kris dagger, Even as early as the 16th century, awareness and collectability of the Indonesian kris had reached far into Europe.

The kris or keris is a distinctive, asymmetrical dagger from Indonesia. Both weapon and spiritual object, the kris is considered to possess magical powers. The earliest known kris go back to the tenth century and most probably spread from the island of Java throughout South-East Asia.

Kris blades are usually narrow with a wide, asymmetrical base. The sheath is often made from wood, though examples from ivory, even gold, abound. A kris’ aesthetic value covers the dhapur (the form and design of the blade, with some 40 variants), the pamor (the pattern of metal alloy decoration on the blade, with approximately 120 variants), and tangguh referring to the age and origin of a kris. A bladesmith, or empu, makes the blade in layers of different iron ores and meteorite nickel. In high quality kris blades, the metal is folded dozens or hundreds of times and handled with the utmost precision. Empus are highly respected craftsmen with additional knowledge in literature, history and occult sciences.

Kris were worn everyday and at special ceremonies, and heirloom blades are handed down through successive generations. Both men and women wear them. A rich spirituality and mythology developed around this dagger. Kris are used for display, as talismans with magical powers, weapons, sanctified heirlooms, auxiliary equipment for court soldiers, accessories for ceremonial dress, an indicator of social status, a symbol of heroism, etc

No scabbard  read more

Code: 24678