Antique Arms & Militaria

A Beautiful Antique African Tribal Art Carved Paddle-Spear Possiblt From The Itsekiri PeopleOr Even Benin

In carved native wood with geometric carving and piercing. This is a dance paddle of the kind used in ceremonies by the Itsekiri people of the Niger delta. The river was at the centre of tribal society and economy – it provided food and transport for the communities who lived in the area. Canoes were an extremely important part of traditional society and so the paddle was an important symbol for prosperity. Local people relied on the river for their quality of life and believed in water spirits. This paddle is decorated with intricate carving and may have been used in ceremonial dances. Alternatively, it may have been made for trading with Europeans as ethnic objects became fashionable possessions. Although African, like Oceanic art it is often infused with ancestral spirits, as well as spirits of water, air and land. These spirits are contacted in ceremonies to ensure fertility, or invoke protection from famine, disease or enemies.

Sometimes these invocations serve extremely practical purposes. There was a ceremony in Papua New Guinea where ancestral spirits were activated in a carved wooden crocodile. Men carrying the crocodile were then led, like people holding a divining rod are led, to the home of a local murderer.
African and Oceanic art is not only made for decoration. It is made to be used as a tool in the culture. In the 20th century, Cubist painters, and especially Surrealists, were moved by the power of Oceanic abstractions, as they were by traditional African art. This wonderful piece would make a stunning additional display of object d’art in any setting, albeit traditional or contemporary  read more

Code: 17934

3 Neolithic Stone Age 'Scraper' Flints around 5000 Years Old

3 Parts of Stone Age Scraper Group. Hand knapped by a Stone Age person in Britain around 5000 years ago, from whole flints to create three scraping tools.
Neolithic, 3rd millennium BC. From the Arthur Halcrow Versage collection, Reigate, Surrey, UK; discovered from Hallard’s Fen, Burwell, Cambridgeshire, in 1969. In the Neolithic period (later stone age) people started to settle down and start farming. At places such as Springfield Lyons, these early settlements have been identified. It was also at this time when stone tools, which up until this point had been purely functional, started to take on a more symbolic meaning. Polished stone axes and other tools that were never used have been found across the county, showing changes in social hierarchy and possibly even the development of religion. The Neolithic also known as the "New Stone Age", the final division of the Stone Age, began about 12,000 years ago when the first development of farming appeared in the Epipalaeolithic Near East, and later in other parts of the world. The division lasted until the transitional period of the Chalcolithic from about 6,500 years ago (4500 BC), marked by the development of metallurgy, leading up to the Bronze Age and Iron Age. In Northern Europe, the Neolithic lasted until about 1700 BC, while in China it extended until 1200 BC. Other parts of the world (the New World) remained in the Neolithic stage of development until European contact.

The Neolithic comprises a progression of behavioral and cultural characteristics and changes, including the use of wild and domestic crops and of domesticated animals.

The term Neolithic derives from the Greek neos and lithos "New Stone Age". The term was coined by Sir John Lubbock in 1865 as a refinement of the three-age system..
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Code: 23773

A Superb Victorian London-Scottish Rifle Volunteer Regt. Doublet

In wonderful condition for age, just a few very tiny moth holes, all the original regimental buttons are present. The tunic and buttons were tailored by Hobson & Sons of London, and it bears a makers label and an original old storage label. In 1859 the London Scottish Rifle Volunteers were raised, sponsored by the Highland Society and the Caledonian Society of London, and commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Elcho. The soldiers were given a uniform of homespun cloth known as Hodden Grey to avoid inter-clan rivalry and kilts today are still made of this distinctive material.
During the Boer War, the Regiment supplied contingents of Volunteers who served with the Gordon Highlanders and those links survive still. In 1908 the Volunteer Force ceased to exist and became the Territorial Force. The 7th Middlesex (London Scottish) Volunteer Rifle Corps changed its name to the 14th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (London Scottish).
The 1st Battalion was mobilised on 5 August 1914 and was the first Territorial battalion to go into action against the Germans at Messines, near Ypres on 31 October. The Battalion continued to serve in France and Flanders throughout the War taking part in all the major offensives. The 2nd Battalion served in France, the Balkans and Palestine, while a 3rd Battalion was a Reserve Battalion and supplied drafts to the other two. Two Victoria Crosses and nineteen Distinguished Service Orders were awarded to members of the Regiment. We have a very fine and pristine antique London Scottish regimental silver buckle and belt for sale seperately [website catalogue number 20999]. We show in the gallery a picture of a London Scottish soldier in profile wearing his same doublet from the Zulu War period, holding his Martini Henry MK 1/11 Rifle  read more

Code: 21066

A Super, Antique Bronze Equestrian ' Horse Racing' Collectable

Ideal for the gentleman or lady with a passion for horse racing, horses or equine collectibles. In fine cast bronze, in the form of chamber stick. With a finely detailed relief design of a horse race, showing two race horses side by side with jockeys. With a mount for a matchbox, and a rear finger loop for holding and carrying.  read more

Code: 12519

An 18th Century Hallmarked Solid Silver Butt Cap For A Gentleman's Musket

Heavy guage, cast, King George IIIrd London silver, dated either 1769 or 1789 [difficult to tell exactly]. This would enhance a musket or fowling piece up to a whole new level, either as a replacement for a plain brass type, or to replace a missing example. 147.5 grams weight, butt 50mm x 124mm, butt tang 105mm  read more

Code: 17249

Every Original Purchase Comes With Our Unique Certificate of Authenticity

It will certify every piece as genuine, and further detail its area and era of use in its history, any conflicts and campaigns within which it may have been used, and all and any of its personal provenance if known.  read more

Code: 18577

A Rare 1696 Austrian States Hungarian Holy Roman Emperor Leopold Ist Silver 1/4 Thaler

Leopold I 1657-1705 1/4 thaler 1696
Description: Ag 1/4 thaler 1696
Obverse: Laureate bust of Leopold I right, all in
rhombus.
Reverse: Crowned double-headed eagle holding
sword and scepter, coat of arms on chest, in rhombus. KB Hogsmouth 1/4 Silver Thaler. Leopold I Hungary mounted in a silver collar brooch. Leopold I (full name: Leopold Ignaz Joseph Balthasar Felician; Hungarian: I. Lipót; 9 June 1640 – 5 May 1705) was Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary, Croatia, and Bohemia. The second son of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor, by his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain, Leopold became heir apparent in 1654 by the death of his elder brother Ferdinand IV. Elected in 1658, Leopold ruled the Holy Roman Empire until his death in 1705, becoming the longest-ruling Habsburg emperor (46 years and 9 months).

Leopold's reign is known for conflicts with the Ottoman Empire in the Great Turkish War (1683-1699) and rivalry with Louis XIV, a contemporary and first cousin, in the west. After more than a decade of warfare, Leopold emerged victorious in the east thanks to the military talents of Prince Eugene of Savoy. By the Treaty of Karlowitz, Leopold recovered almost all of the Kingdom of Hungary, which had fallen under Turkish power in the years after the 1526 Battle of Mohács.

Leopold fought three wars against France: the Franco-Dutch War, the Nine Years' War, and the War of the Spanish Succession. In this last, Leopold sought to give his younger son Charles the entire Spanish inheritance, disregarding the will of the late Charles II. Leopold started a war that soon engulfed much of Europe. The early years of the war went fairly well for Austria, with victories at Schellenberg and Blenheim, but the war would drag on until 1714, nine years after Leopold's death, which barely had an effect on the warring nations. When peace returned with the Treaty of Rastatt, Austria could not be said to have emerged as triumphant as it had from the war against the Turks  read more

Code: 23615

A King George IIIrd Late 18th Century English Fowling Musket By Smith

For the exponent of gentlemanly pursuits. Fine walnut stock, percussion action converted from flintlock in the 1840's, steel furniture with pineapple form trigger guard finial and rear scroll. Hook breech quick release barrel with barrel key attachment. Good condition for age, fine working action. Small very old pitting area on barrel near breech, very slight scuff mark on stock at reverse of lock plate area. Throughout much of its history, hunting in England was an activity of the upper class. Legally, only land owners could hunt in England and the vast majority of the land was in large estates owned by the wealthy. To reduce poaching, the right of a person to own a gun was greatly restricted unless he was a landowner. Thus, ownership of a gun was not even a choice for the average British citizens. Moreover, deer hunting was further restricted to the royalty and generally carried out on horseback with dogs.

The wealthy British sportsmen of the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries were primarily interested in hunting various types of birds. Most of their arms were designed for wing shooting. Rifles were considered an oddity. In the book titled British Field Sports; William Henry Scott (1818) the author described rifle shooting as a ?nice and curious branch of gunnery.? Scott goes on to state that "Rifles ? were little known among us, in the first American War, when people were amused on this side of the water by the story of an American woodsman, who had actually shot an eagle with his rifle, when it was?out of sight, a thing by no means impossible."
Colonel Peter Hawker, one of the most prolific British hunters of the early nineteenth century, maintained detailed diaries relating to his hunting activities. Over the course of many seasons, Hawker shot more than ten thousand birds and other small game. Over the same period of time, Hawker harvested only three deer. Colonel Hawker records that the first time he ever fired a rifle was in June of 1813 (at the age of 27) in anticipation of shooting a deer which had been causing crop damage. (Colonel Hawker's Diary at page 74). As with all our antique guns no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables  read more

Code: 20483

An 18th Long, Boot or Cloak Sword

Cast brass hilt with relief figural decoration, and hawthorn wood grip. Steel rapier blade with engraving and deep fuller. Circa 1750. The knuckle bow and guard have been purposefully removed and the hilt re-attached. We had one quite similar, around 20 years ago, which came with an old article from a Connoisseur journal, It described, what was called, a boot or cloak sword. In the days of the threat by highwaymen, when a gentleman may have the need to consistently travel from town to town on horseback, but not by mail coach, a constant traveler might adapt a sword that could be easily slotted into knee high riding boots, or slipped into an especially constructed sleeve inside a riding cloak. For in wet and inclement weather a gentleman's flintlock pistol could not function, so without a sword for protection he was dangerously defenseless. Naturally a standard rapier short sword would be more normal, but on occasion, a gentleman that traveled constantly, or journeyed on perilous pursuits [such as a revenue man] might require a more concealable sword that would be far more easily manageable on both horseback or on foot. It also has the unique advantage of being eminently useable as a short distance spear type weapon, as it's weight balance is now very effective for that alternate purpose. 29.75 inches long overall  read more

Code: 13663

Beautiful European Topographic Watercolour of A Castle on The Rhine 19th C.

In the British romantic landscape style, beautifully executed with fine skill, not far removed in quality by the greatest exponant of the art of watercolours, Joseph Mallord Willam Turner who is said laid the foundation for Impressionism. This is a beautiful Victorian English School watercolour, superbly executed. It is titled but unsigned, possibly by William Callow 1812-1908
Callow was a landscape, architectural and marine artist. He taught in Paris and was appointed drawing master to the family of Louis Phillippe who was King of France between 1830 and 1848. Callow was elected to the Royal Soc. of Painters in Water Colours in 1848. 7 X 9.5 inches, Frame 18.25 x 15.25 inches  read more

Code: 16919