Japanese

Some Fantastic & Superb Pieces Just Arrived & Shall Be Added Soon. Including A Stunning Kunitake Early Shinto Katana With Kagonami Tsuba , & A Fine Kugyō Daisho, A Daito & Shoto, Some Of The Most Beautiful Samurai Swords We Have Seen

Just one of the beautiful aspects of the Kunitake 国武 katana is its beautiful blade with a captivating hamon, in beautiful polish. All its stunning fittings are original early Edo including the original urushi lacquer saya with an irridescent green ground of crushed abilone shell decor. Kabuto gane kashira, and its Kiyou-Tojin Nanban Tsuba, a large rectangular sword guard.
It is tettsu {iron} with gold wire inlay. The manner of execution of the tsuba represents a high degree of artistic hybridity, suggesting that the tsuba was made along maritime trade-routes, where artisans had access to decorative arts from around the globe. The indented corners, pointed Shitogi-gata seppa-dai, smooth-skinned dragons and almost caricature drawing- style points to Indochina, perhaps Tonkin. There is a similar piece in the 1973 W.M. Hawley book Tsubas (sic) in Southern California. One can see a number of similar pieces with NBTHK attribution to "Nagasaki". Although some believe it more likely is that these were imported to Japan through the VOC factory in Deshima.

Cultural exchanges between China and Nagasaki became quite frequent after the Kangxi emperor reopened Qing seaports to foreign trade in 1684, and issued trading licenses to private concerns.In the 1640s a number of refugees from the collapse of the Ming Dynasty emigrated to Nagasaki. One of them—Shoyu Itsunen became the abbot of Kofukuji temple in Nagasaki. Itsunen is also known to have taught painting to Kawamura Fukuyoshi, a samurai and customs official who is better known as Jakushi I. Another Chinese priest, Yinyuan Lonqi, was the abbot of Wanfu temple on Mount Huangbo in Fujian. He came to Nagasaki at the invitation of Itsunen. Lonqi, known in Japan as Ingen Ryuki, became the founder of Obaku Zen Buddhism. The Nagasaki school of painting was deeply influenced by the Chinese painter Shen Nanpin, who lived and taught painting in Nagasaki for several years. Nanpin’s work was heavily influenced by European scientific and botanical painting, which resonated with the intellectual community at Nagasaki, which in Japan was the centre of Chinese medical studies, and Rangaku (the study of European science).

Swordsmith; KUNITAKE (国武), Kan ́ei (寛永, 1624-1644), Yamashiro – “Heianjō-jū Fujiwara Kunitake” (平安城住藤原国武), “Kunitake” (国武), “Sanjō Kunitake” (三条国武), student of Horikawa Kunihiro (堀川国広), later smith from the line of Sanjō Yoshinori (三条吉則), a tradition says that he was the father of Izumo no Daijō Yoshitake (出雲大掾吉武), itame-nagare with ji-nie, suguha, notare mixed with gunome-ashi in ko-nie-deki, sugu-bōshi with a ko-maru-kaeri, wazamono, Rated as jō-saku {superior smith}
Nanban-style tsubas (Japanese sword guards) often feature intricate designs incorporating dragons and phoenixes. These designs, commonly found in Hizen ware during the Edo period, represent the harmonious union of opposites – the masculine dragon and the feminine phoenix. This symbolic representation reflects the balance between power and grace, often associated with the Emperor and Empress in Japanese culture.
Key aspects of Nanban tsubas with dragon and phoenix:
Symbolism:
The dragon represents strength and power, while the phoenix embodies grace and beauty. Together, they symbolize the harmonious union of opposites.
Design:
Nanban tsubas often feature intricate designs with dragons, phoenixes, and other floral motifs, sometimes incorporating techniques like pierced work, inlays, and gilding.
Influence:
Nanban style was influenced by foreign art and culture, particularly Chinese designs, which contributed to the prevalence of dragons and phoenixes in these tsubas.
Examples:
The Ashmolean Museum has examples of Nanban tsubas with these designs.
Nanban tsubas are typically made of iron and often feature intricate details in gold or silver.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, improved tools led to more delicate and rapid production of Nanban tsubas.

The daisho, that require at present professional conservation that shall be attended to, have finest original Edo saya, of urushi lacquer decorated with kamon of multiple clans, this suggests affiliations and allegiance to such clans, they are multiples of mon applied, on a ground of gold-nashiji, of gold-ikakeji. This form of highest superior work was restricted, in feudal times, to san mi 三位, samurai owners, of the third court-rank, or possibly even higher, such as 一位, Ichii, First rank, or, 二位, Nii, second rank. These samurai nobles of the third to higher ranks were called kugyō when these two swords was made and carried in the early Edo period of the Tokugawa shogunate.

First Rank (一位, Ichii): The highest court rank, reserved for individuals of exceptional merit and influence.
Second Rank (二位, Nii): A higher rank, often associated with those in positions of authority.
Third Rank (三位, Sanmi) and Fourth Rank (四位, Shii): These ranks denoted important positions in the court system

In feudal Japan, court ranks, known as mibun, were a hierarchical system defining the status and duties of individuals, particularly within the samurai class. These ranks influenced everything from a samurai's attire and position to their ability to request audiences with the Shogun. The system was a complex tapestry of colors, symbols, and titles, signifying one's place in the social order.

In the Tokugawa shogunate each of the First to Third Ranks is divided into Senior (正, shō) and Junior (従, ju). The Senior First Rank (正一位, shō ichi-i) is the highest in the rank system. It is conferred mainly on a very limited number of persons recognized by the Imperial Court as most loyal to the nation during that era.

The Junior First Rank (従一位, ju ichi-i) is the second highest rank, conferred in many cases on the highest ministers, premier feudal lords, and their wives.

Nobles with the Third Rank or upper were called kugyō.

Successive Tokugawa shoguns held the highest or near-highest court ranks, higher than most court nobles. They were made Shō ni-i (正二位, Senior Second Rank) of court rank upon assuming office, then Ju ichi-i (従一位, Junior First Rank), and the highest rank of Shō ichi-i (正一位, Senior First Rank) was conferred upon them upon their death. The Tokugawa shogunate established that the court ranks granted to daimyo by the imperial court were based on the recommendation of the Tokugawa shogunate, and the court ranks were used to control the daimyo.

Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi were Shō ni-i (正二位, Senior Second Rank) and Ju ichi-i (従一位, Junior First Rank) respectively, but both were elevated to Shō ichi-i (正一位, Senior First Rank) in the Taisho era, about 300 years after their deaths.

The daisho, prior to a ‘no expense spared’ conservation, cleaning and polishing, are shown in the gallery ‘as is’ now.  read more

Code: 25784

A, Fabulous Samurai Sword, A Most Fine Shinto Wakizashi By Omni Daijo Fujiwara Tadahiro Circa 1660.

This stunning samurai short sword. The fittings are beautifully matching depicting comorants in pure gold on bronze or iron, and the kozuka a figure riding a giant carp in gold over copper. The great Tadahiro II of Hizen. 2nd generation Tadahiro was born in Keicho 19 (1614) as the first son by a mistress of 1st generation Hizen-koku Tadayoshi. His initial name was Hashimoto Heisakuro, later had succeeded to his father's name of Shinzaemon. He excelled in as a superior sword maker since teenage to play a ghost-maker on behalf of his father in his later years. He had succeeded major Tadahiro 2nd generation in Kanei 9, (1632) when he was as young as 19 years old. He intended not to succeed his father's smith name Tadayoshi for the sake of preserving appearances that he was not a legitimate child of Tadayoshi. Passed away in Genroku 6, (1693), was 80 years old.
His legitimate child 3rd generation succeeded to the initial name of Tadayoshiu when he enjoyed the Mutsu daijo title in Manji 3 (1660), was 24 years old.
The subject artisan Tadahiro 2nd generation established and developed the superior high standard quality of sword making for the major Hizen Tadayoshi school and had laid the foundations for the later generations until 9th by the end of Edo period.
This beautiful wakizashi we believe as his work in his early thirties of 1644-47. Most superior forging method using top quality fine steel known as "Tamahagane" generates precisely fine Ko-Itame with sparkling Ji-nie glittering that generates superior Chikei darkish Nie lines activity. The forging scene looks like "Nashi-ji". We would appraise it as "Above Superior Made" and "Above Supreme Sharp". 26.5 inches long overall in saya,, blade tsuba to tip 18.65 inches.  read more

Code: 22873

A Big, Beautiful, and Impressive Katana Bearing A Very Desirable Name & Signature of the ‘Gassan School’

Very long blade measuring a huge 31 inches from Tsuba to Tip. Signed Osaka-ju Gassan Unryûshi Minamoto Sadakazu. With wave design fuchi kashira highlighted with gilt, gilded menuki of gourds. Original Edo lacquer saya. A very nice Koto sukashi tsuba, probably a Choshu school tsuba, of butterflies and leaves, with a russetted surface.
It is a very beautiful sword, that is bearing the name of one of the great 19th century sword smith school's of ‘Gassan’, yet we price it for it's own merits and beauty alone, as if it was not actually signed personally, but, it has most intriguing possibilities. A few swords, also bearing his signature name, have appeared in the past fifteen years and sold in the best London auction rooms, but similarly without any guarantee at all as to the authenticity of the smith's personal signature, yet they have still sold for very respectable five figure sums. Thus this is a superbly executed sword, and therefore very possibly a Gassan school homage to a piece bearing his personal name.
It has a stunning hamon that looks tremendously vibrant and impressive, with yakideshi. It has a few small pitting marks at the upper end of the blade, but nothing at all to effect it's use in any way.
This beautiful katana has lain externally untouched as a sleeper for nigh on 100 years or more.
Gassan Sadakazu was born in 1836 in Sugoshi Village in Omi Province. He was the son of Tsukamoto Shichirobei. When he was a young boy, he was adopted into the family of the famous sword maker Gassan Sadayoshi who's only living heir died prematurely.
Gassan Sadayoshi was the founder of the Osaka ‘Gassan school’ of sword making. He studied under Suishinshi Masahide until Masahide's death in 1825. At that time he moved to Osaka and started the revived ‘Gassan school’ of sword making which had died out in the early Edo period.

Sadakazu started studying the art of sword making at about age 11. He made his first sword at age 14 and by age 20 was recognized as a top quality swordsmith and horimono carver.
In the early 1860's when his teacher passed the age of 60, he assumed the role of Daisaku and made swords in his father's name. About this time he produced a number of swords in the Bizen or Yamato style in addition to the main Ayasugi tradition. His blade structure featured a modest curvature and a pronounced large boshi with only a slightly rounded edge (fukura-kareru), which were also characteristic of Sadayoshi's work.
Work stopped for Sadakazu from 1876 when the wearing of swords was abolished until around 1887 when Japan went to war with China and the demand for swords resumed.
He died in 1918 after a long and very distinguished career as one of the premier sword makers of the 19th and 20th centuries.

With reference to part of an article {above} by Fred Weissberg on the ‘Gassan School’.  read more

Code: 23309

A Good Shinto Aikuchi Tanto Samurai Dagger With a Fine & Beautiful Polish Blade. Around 400 years Old. All Original Edo Period Koshirae

The blade has a fine Hamon with a full, back edge temper, and a running itami grain hada. With giant rayskin bound hilt grip and black speckled dark red lacquer saya. Flying geese kozuka, carved buffalo black horn fittings. Shinto period, circa 1620.

Tanto first began to appear in the Heian period, however these blades lacked artistic qualities and were purely weapons. In the Early Kamakura period high quality tanto with artistic qualities began to appear, and the famous Yoshimitsu (the greatest tanto maker in Japanese history) began his forging. Tanto production increased greatly around the Muromachi period and then dropped off in the Shinto period. Shinto period tanto are quite rare. Tanto were mostly carried by Samurai; commoners did not generally carry them. Women sometimes carried a small tanto called a kaiken in their obi for self defence.It was sometimes worn as the shoto in place of a wakizashi in a daisho, especially on the battlefield. Before the 16th century it was common for a Samurai to carry a tachi and a tanto as opposed to a katana and a wakizashi. all the fittings and lacquer are original Edo period, the old saya lacquer has some usual wear marks, and the kozuka small utility knife handle has a small area of age denting.

As once told to us by an esteemed regular visitor, Victor Harris, to us here in our gallery, and the same words that are repeated in his book;

“In these textures lies an extraordinary and unique feature of the sword {all samurai edge weapons are called swords, despite however small} - the steel itself possesses an intrinsic beauty. The Japanese sword has been appreciated as an art object since its perfection some time during the tenth century AD. Fine swords have been more highly prized than lands or riches, those of superior quality being handed down from generation to generation. In fact, many well-documented swords, whose blades are signed by their makers, survive from nearly a thousand years ago. Recognizable features of the blades of hundreds of schools of sword-making have been punctiliously recorded, and the study of the sword is a guide to the flow of Japanese history.”
Victor Harris
Curator, Assistant Keeper and then Keeper (1998-2003) of the Department of Japanese Antiquities at the British Museum. He studied from 1968-71 under Sato Kenzan, Tokyo National Museum and Society for the Preservation of Japanese Swords
Overall length in saya approx 16 inches, blade 11 inches.  read more

Code: 20925

A Most Attractive & Handsome Antique Shinto Wakazashi Around 1600. With Silver Koshirae & Late Edo Sukashi Hawk & Chidori Tsuba. Fine Blade With Beautiful Suguha Hamon, Itame Hada. In Full and Beautiful Polish .

All original Edo period saya with fine stone finish ishime urushi lacquer in black, with carved buffalo kurigata and fittings throughout. Kozuka pocket with copper gilt kozuka, decorated with takebori mounted samurai attacking a tower castle fortification and a bright late polished steel kogatana blade. Fully bound tsuka with original Edo silk ito over samegawa. 'Hawk and Chidori' silvered sukashi tsuba of a raptor within a pine tree espying sparrows. Silvered fuchigashira decorated with village scenes including a cedar tree, a village house with thatched roof, bushels of wheat, a half water barrel, a double gourd drinking vessel, and a waterfall.

Wakizashi have been in use as far back as the 15th or 16th century. The wakizashi was used as a backup or auxiliary sword; it was also used for close quarters fighting, and also to behead a defeated opponent and sometimes to commit ritual suicide. The wakizashi was one of several short swords available for use by samurai including the yoroi toshi, the chisa-katana and the tanto. The term wakizashi did not originally specify swords of any official blade length and was an abbreviation of "wakizashi no katana" ("sword thrust at one's side"); the term was applied to companion swords of all sizes. It was not until the Edo period in 1638 when the rulers of Japan tried to regulate the types of swords and the social groups which were allowed to wear them that the lengths of katana and wakizashi were officially set.

Kanzan Sato, in his book titled "The Japanese Sword", notes that the wakizashi may have become more popular than the tanto due to the wakizashi being more suited for indoor fighting. He mentions the custom of leaving the katana at the door of a castle or palace when entering while continuing to wear the wakizashi inside. Wakizashi were worn on the left side, secured to the obi waist sash. The Sengoku period Sengoku Jidai, "Warring States period") is a period in Japanese history of near-constant civil war, social upheaval, and intrigue from 1467 to 1615, straddling the end of the Koto era and into the early Shinto.
20.3 inches overall in saya, 13.5 inch blade tsuba to tip blade Overall in very nice condition, natural aging wear to the tsukaito, usual age wear to fuchigashira. Saya and blade excellent.

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: 25759

A Good, Antique, Edo Period Iron Plate 17th Century Saotome Tembo Katana Tsuba, From The Tembo School of Tsubako.

A well hammered rough surface forged iron plate Saotome Tembo tsuba.

The first master of the Saotome school was Nobuyasu of Shimotsuke. Nobuyasu moved to Odawara in Sagami were the Saotome school itself was founded. Some of the early Saotome makers were Nobuyasu, Iyenori, Iyetsugu, Iyetada and Iyesada although there is some disagreement on the lineage of the school. There were many other generations working well into the late Edo period. The Saotome School gave rise to the Tembo School of tsubako.

Tempo {Tembo} school and the yakite finish (heat treatment) is typical, as is the excellent iron. Typical wildness of the hot-stamping, and it is very finely constructed. The patina is amazingly soft and velvety, kozuka and kogai ana, on each side, numerous deep stamps, kozuka and kogai hitsu ana (suhama) copper ume infills. 74 mm  read more

Code: 22454

A Very Good & Beautiful Shinto Long Katana Signed Chikanobu. Very Good, Unique Matsushiro Sinano Sinchu & Silver Line Koshirae. Gold and Shakudo Dragon Clutching The Pearl Of Wisdom Menuki. Circa 1680.

All original Edo period mounts and lacquer saya. Fine iron tsuba. With a very beautiful choji hamon to the blade is an absolute beauty, and fully polished.
Long kissaki. Dark blue silk tsukaito over traditional giant rayskin with gold and bronze menuki of dragons. Fully matching suite of sinchu and contrasting silver line mounts to the tsuka and saya, of the Matsushiro Sinano school. A well hammered rough surface...smooth rim though, Saotome Tembo tsuba with kakine kokuin stamps, udenuki-ana, lead ume, uchikaeshi mimi rim, boars eye piercing.
The first master of the Saotome school was Nobuyasu of Shimotsuke. Nobuyasu moved to Odawara in Sagami were the Saotome school itself was founded. Some of the early Saotome makers were Nobuyasu, Iyenori, Iyetsugu, Iyetada and Iyesada although there is some disagreement on the lineage of the school. There were many other generations working well into the late Edo period. The Saotome School gave rise to the Tembo School of tsubako.

The Tembo School (also spelled Tempo, Tenpo or Tenbo) also worked well into the Edo Period. They are most noted for the use of kokuin (hot stamps) on their plates,

This unique original mounting is called “Matsushiro” koshirae which was specially made in Matsuro-han in Shinano (Nagano) province in the edo period.

The samurai were roughly the equivalent of feudal knights. Employed by the shogun or daimyo, they were members of hereditary warrior class that followed a strict "code" that defined their clothes, armour and behavior on the battlefield. But unlike most medieval knights, samurai warriors could read and they were well versed in Japanese art, literature and poetry.
Samurai endured for almost 700 years, from 1185 to 1867. Samurai families were considered the elite. They made up only about six percent of the population and included daimyo and the loyal soldiers who fought under them. Samurai means ?one who serves."

Samurai were expected to be both fierce warriors and lovers of art, a dichotomy summed up by the Japanese concepts of to stop the spear exanding into bushido (the way of life of the warrior) and bun (the artistic, intellectual and spiritual side of the samurai}. Originally conceived as away of dignifying raw military power, the two concepts were synthesized in feudal Japan and later became a key feature of Japanese culture and morality.The quintessential samurai was Miyamoto Musashi, a legendary early Edo-period swordsman who reportedly killed 60 men before his 30th birthday and was also a painting master. Members of a hierarchal class or caste, samurai were the sons of samurai and they were taught from an early age to unquestionably obey their mother, father and daimyo. When they grew older they were trained by Zen Buddhist masters in meditation and the Zen concepts of impermanence and harmony with nature. The were also taught about painting, calligraphy, nature poetry, mythological literature, flower arranging, and the tea ceremony.

As part of their military training, samurai were taught to sleep with their right arm underneath them so if they were attacked in the middle of the night and their the left arm was cut off the could still fight with their right arm. Samurai that tossed and turned at night were cured of the habit by having two knives placed on either side of their pillow.

Samurai have been describes as "the most strictly trained human instruments of war to have existed." They were expected to be proficient in the martial arts of aikido and kendo as well as swordsmanship and archery---the traditional methods of samurai warfare---which were viewed not so much as skills but as art forms that flowed from natural forces that harmonized with nature.
An individual didn't become a full-fledged samurai until he wandered around the countryside as begging pilgrim for a couple of years to learn humility. When this was completed they achieved samurai status and receives a salary from his daimyo paid from taxes (usually rice) raised from the local populace. Swords in Japan have long been symbols of power and honour and seen as works of art. Often times swordsmiths were more famous than the people who used them.
likely details on the Chikanori nobu. Slight name change here, he was then actually signing Chikanobu as he did on this blade, appears in kanji reference notes as nori, nobu is next to nori, and thus often confused . He also used to be known as Shigechika

Chikanobu, previously known as Shigechika, studied under 1st generation Aizu Kanetomo, circa 1660.

Chikanobu received the name nobu from Kanetomo as an honour to therefore thus change his name.

Kanetomo also used to be known as another name once, Kanenobu and thus passed the nobu name to Shigechika as an honour, who thus changed his name to Chikanobu  read more

Code: 23063

A Wonderful Late Koto to Early Shinto Period Samurai Katana In Superb Condition Circa 450 Years Old. Superb Original Full Suite of Original Edo Koshirae, Including Gold and Shakudo Goto School Mounts & Signed Tsuba

The blade is absolutely stunning in very fine polish, and showing a beautiful billowing, very deep hamon of extraordinary fine quality. Goto gold and shakudo fuchi kashira of deep takebori chrysanthemums and tendrils. Gold menuki of hawks, and a complimentary signed mokko form iron plate tsuba with a hawk in flight with gold highlights. Original Edo tsuka-ito and blade polish, and original Edo saya with fabulous original ishime pattern urushi lacquer of top quality, with minor age bruising and a saya jiri mount of pierced openwork.

Cherished for its infinite versatility, urushi is a distinctive art form that has spread across all facets of Japanese culture from the tea ceremony to the saya scabbards of samurai swords

Japanese artists created their own style and perfected the art of decorated lacquerware during the 8th century. Japanese lacquer skills reached its peak as early as the twelfth century, at the end of the Heian period (794-1185). This skill was passed on from father to son and from master to apprentice.

The samurai were roughly the equivalent of feudal knights. Employed by the shogun or daimyo, they were members of hereditary warrior class that followed a strict "code" that defined their clothes, armour and behaviour on the battlefield. But unlike most medieval knights, samurai warriors could read and they were well versed in Japanese art, literature and poetry.
Samurai endured for almost 700 years, from 1185 to 1867. Samurai families were considered the elite. They made up only about six percent of the population and included daimyo and the loyal soldiers who fought under them. Samurai means one who serves."

Samurai were expected to be both fierce warriors and lovers of art, a dichotomy summed up by the Japanese concepts of to stop the spear expanding into bushido (the way of life of the warrior) and bun (the artistic, intellectual and spiritual side of the samurai). Originally conceived as away of dignifying raw military power, the two concepts were synthesised in feudal Japan and later became a key feature of Japanese culture and morality.The quintessential samurai was Miyamoto Musashi, a legendary early Edo-period swordsman who reportedly killed 60 men before his 30th birthday and was also a painting master. Members of a hierarchal class or caste, samurai were the sons of samurai and they were taught from an early age to unquestionably obey their mother, father and daimyo. When they grew older they may be trained by Zen Buddhist masters in meditation and the Zen concepts of impermanence and harmony with nature. The were also taught about painting, calligraphy, nature poetry, mythological literature, flower arranging, and the tea ceremony.

It has been said that part of their military training, samurai were taught to sleep with their right arm underneath them so if they were attacked in the middle of the night and their the left arm was cut off the could still fight with their right arm. Samurai, it has been said, that if they tossed and turned at night were cured of the habit by having two knives placed on either side of their pillow.

Samurai have been describes as "the most strictly trained human instruments of war to have existed." They were expected to be proficient in the martial arts of aikido and kendo as well as swordsmanship and archery---the traditional methods of samurai warfare---which were viewed not so much as skills but as art forms that flowed from natural forces that harmonized with nature.

Long 29 inch blade, overall in saya 40.3 inches 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 trading  read more

Code: 24998

A Wonderful Samurai Sword Wakazashi Circa 1600 Mounted with a Fully Matching Original Edo Suite of Kiri 桐, The Japanese Empress Tree Design Mounts of Very High Quality, In Exceptional Overall Condition

In superb untouched condition. A fabulous museum quality original samurai sword around 400 years old, with a wonderful blade with a very fine midare hamon, itame hada, original urushi lacquer saya with matching koi-guchi, uragawara and kurikata. The koshirae are patinated copper decorated with crosshatched design of a rattan screen overlaid in pawlonia flowers and leaves known as the Kiri, the empress tree. Paulownia is a symbol of good fortune, royalty, and the imperial family in Japan. It's depicted in the seal of the Prime Minister and used in various government emblems.

Samurai have been describes as "the most strictly trained human instruments of war to have existed." They were expected to be proficient in the martial arts of aikido and kendo as well as swordsmanship and archery---the traditional methods of samurai warfare---which were viewed not so much as skills but as art forms that flowed from natural forces that harmonized with nature.
An individual, in certain circumstances, apparently didn't become a full-fledged samurai until, some say, he wandered around the countryside as begging pilgrim for a couple of years to learn humility. Again this may be part of the myth. However, when all his training was completed a samurai trainee that achieved samurai status and received a salary from his daimyo, paid from taxes (usually rice) raised from the local populace, he truly became the very best at his art in the world of sword combat

Swords in Japan have long been symbols of power and honour and seen as works of art, which is exactly what they are.

In Japan the term samurai evolved over several centuries

In Japanese, they are usually referred to as bushi (武士,) or buke (武家). According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning 'to wait upon', 'accompany persons' in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau. In both countries the terms were nominalized to mean 'those who serve in close attendance to the nobility', the Japanese term saburai being the nominal form of the verb." According to Wilson, an early reference to the word samurai appears in the Kokin Wakashū (905–914), the first imperial anthology of poems, completed in the first part of the 10th century.

Originally, the word samurai referred to anyone who served the emperor, the imperial family, or the imperial court nobility, even in a non-military capacity.It was not until the 17th century that the term gradually became a title for military servants of warrior families, so that, according to Michael Wert, "a warrior of elite stature in pre-seventeenth-century Japan would have been insulted to be called a 'samurai'".

In modern usage, bushi is often used as a synonym for samurai

Every item is accompanied with our unique, Certificate of Authenticity. Of course any certificate of authenticity, given by even the very best and highly esteemed specialist dealers, in any field, all around the world, is simply a piece of paper,…however, ours is backed up with the fact we are the largest dealers of our kind in the world, with over 100 years and four generation’s of professional trading behind us. The current two partners alone, combined together, have over 99 years of professional experience within the trade.  read more

Code: 25749

The Lanes Armoury Probably The Largest Online Militaria Website in the World, After Over 100 Years of Brighton Trading, &, The 24th Anniversary of Our Best Antique & Collectables Shop in Britain Award

In this very special anniversary year of 80 years since VE Day in 1945.

Presented by MILLER'S Antiques Guide, THE BBC, HOMES & ANTIQUES MAGAZINE in 2001.

Five years ago we were approached by a most historically enthusiastic young person studying at Sussex University who asked if they could research through our archive to complete a 'paper' based on us as one of the oldest remaining Sussex family business's.
It resulted in some remarkable statistics, that we thought we would share with our regulars, for those that have interest. The research only included the types of items that we regularly buy, sell and export today, with general antiques, furniture, porcelain, clocks, silver and works of art excluded, as we haven't been devoted to that side of the trade since selling our antique export shipping companies in 1992.

In over 100 years of shop keeping in Brighton, at the time of his research, 80 of them pre-internet, apparently, we have likely sold over 200,000 books, {vintage and antique books were, and are, our largest selling single item}, 135,000 medals & badges, over 95,000 worldwide swords, knives and bayonets, over 32,000 Japanese samurai swords {for example, around 28 years ago we bought over 150 Japanese WW2 NCO swords in one vast lot, from the grandson of a WW2 British military surplus dealer, who acquired them for scrap in 1946 from the War Dept}. We have sold and exported,, apparently over 28,500 helmets of all origins and types, 27,000 pistols and muskets of all countries, at least 2450 suits of armour, European, British or Japanese, and over 1,500 cannon, both signal and full sized. Believe it or not, apparently, according to their research and calculations, these are potentially conservative figures, and the actual figure could indeed be much higher.
So, please enjoy our historical website, and remember, every thing you see is available and for sale, we try to never keep our webstore filled with past 'sold' items.

Being part of the centre of the historic Brighton Lanes, anything up 2,000 to 3,000 people, will visit us here most days {especially on Saturdays} winter and summer, rain or shine.

We issue our unique, certificate of authenticity, with every single item purchased, and in regards to our Japanese items, both weapons and fittings etc. our ability to do this is based on well over a century of experience, as probably the largest military antiques dealers in Europe. We detail within our certificates, their beauty, approximate age, style, and the feature of their fittings and mounts, and their potential position and status in Japanese samurai history. We will detail the translations, if known, of the kanji (names) chisselled upon the nakago of swords, under their hilt bindings, but purely for information only, although the myth persists that all Japanese master smiths signed their swords, historically, and factually, it is likely less than 30% of samurai blades were in fact ever signed. This fact is certainly found, and confirmed by us to be the case, due to our family’s 100 plus years experience. For example, it is said one of the greatest master smiths who ever lived, Masamune, was, apparently, most reluctant to ever sign his swords. Although this must be relative speculation, as so very few of his swords have been recognised to still exist

Our Certificates of Authenticity are our own unique version of a lifetime guarantee, based on our expertise honed over 100 years, containing a detailed description of any item purchased from our stock. In relation to our samurai weapons, the description with be a combination of our opinion of its style, approximate age and beauty, and for our Japanese samurai swords in particular, that it is an ‘original’, samurai sword, made and used by samurai, both ancient and vintage, within Japan, over the past 700 years, up to the last samurai period in the Meiji era of 1868, as well as up to 1945, if it is a military mounted shingunto sword.

Photos 4 and 5 are part of an editorial in Art and Antiques Weekly Magazine, featuring the story so far { in 1975} of the partner’s former family antiques export company, one of the largest in the world at that time. In 1992 Mark and David retired from the mass wholesale export market and morphed their business into the becoming one of the largest dedicated ‘military antiques’ businesses instead, both of their true passions.  read more

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