Fabulous, Historical Service Issue 1856-8 Two Band Enfield Yataghan Sword Bayonet Used With P1853 Enfield Rifles In The Indian Mutiny, The Opium War in China, The American Civil War, 1861-65 & The Japanese Boshin War & The Satsuma Rebellion

Clearly it has been used in combat with all the commensurate wear, but it is still in superb condition for age. Made in the days when British engineering was the envy of the world, and British army bayonets and guns were designed to have a heavy working life of over 100 years.

All came to us from the collector who bought them in Japan from another collector, so by definition they conclusively were used in all of those campaigns, as the Japanese bought them for the Boshin War, from the American's who purchased them from Britain for the Civil war as army surplus after we had retired them from our war service in India, China, & Burma.

Absolutely bright as a button, hand polished and conserved, for the next 200 years, in our workshop.

This bayonet was part of a stunning collection of probably the most historical, service issue, bayonets ever used in the 19th century, and this one of these very bayonets was used in combat over five different campaigns, covering four continents, by five different combatant armies. One British, two American {North and South} and two Japanese {Imperial and Anti Imperial Samurai} . All from a Japanese source {decades ago} and are to be sold separately, most with scabbards, some without. Many have already been sold

The rifle that this sword bayonet was designed for the P1853- P1856 two band Enfield rifle, and was first used in the late Indian Mutiny at the "Seige and Relief of Lucknow". With a chequered leather grip with rivets, and screw affixed retaining spring. Good, long, Yataghan blade in bright polish. Excellent leather grip.
The regiments that used this bayonet sword also took part in the Second Opium War in China, the Third Anglo-Burmese War, and this bayonet, along with tens of thousands of other service issue rifles and bayonets, were then sold to America in the Civil war, purchased by both the North, and the South. {See photos in the gallery of Union and Confederates with the Enfield rifles and their yataghan bayonets.}
Then after the Civil War thousands of Confederate purchased Enfields were sold to Japan's Tokugawa Shogunate, and used in the Boshin war, and their Satsuma Rebellion by the samurai anti imperialist army.

A quote from a Confederate officer's diary,
"Every short two-band Enfield which came into possession of any of our men was taken away and given to these men sharpshooters ... But there were not enough and some of them had the common long Enfield."
It would appear that by mid-war in the Confederate Service, while the infantry was provided with the longer rifle-muskets where possible, the shorter rifles (US or Enfield) were preferred for use by the Cavalry:

Gen. Basil Duke noted of Morgan's Cavalry, they did not even like the American shorter carbine length muzzle loaders (musketoons):

"Morgan's Cavalry in the west preferred the British arm they called the "medium Enfield" the two band rifle. The short Enfield carbine they found convenient to carry, but deficient in range and accuracy. The long-Enfield (three band) they found inconvenient to carry, and difficult to use (as was sometimes necessary) on horseback. Regardless, in that command one company had the long Enfield, another the short, and another the medium.

We bought the entire small collection from the widow of a 'best of British Empire rifles and bayonets, plus French and German bayonets collector’, who acquired them over the past 40 plus years, and only ever kept the very best he could afford to keep. Act fast they are selling really fast, three rifles and eight bayonets and a cutlass have sold in two days alone. Top quality and condition,19th and 20th century scarce British French and German collectables are always the most desirable of all. These Victorian British made bayonets were all used in the above mentioned conflicts, including this one offered here, that were eventually sold to Japan, via a very circuitous route, by America, who in their turn had purchased them from England for the American Civil War. This one and all of the others were acquired by our English collector, from a former Japanese collector of Boshin War and Satsuma Rebellion militaria some decades ago.

They are perfect historical examples of just how far traveled British made arms and bayonets were, journeying around the world in their combat service lifetime.

The Confederates imported more Enfields during the course of the war than any other small arm, buying from private contractors and gun runners and smuggling them into Southern ports through blockade running. It has been estimated that over 900,000 P53 Enfields were imported into America and saw service in every major engagement from the Battle of Shiloh (April 1862) and the Siege of Vicksburg (May 1863), to the final battles of 1865. The gun was highly sought after in the Confederate ranks. According to a survey taken by British officials during the early stages of war on the arms of the Western Confederate Forces, nearly 70% were armed with smoothbore arms, such as the Model 1842 Springfield. Later in the war the same survey was taken, they found that more than 75% had acquired a rifle, mainly the Pattern 1853 Enfield.

The P53 Enfields capabilities were largely lost by the lack of marksmanship training by both the Union and Confederacy. Most soldiers were not trained to estimate ranges or to properly adjust their sights to account for the "rainbow-like" trajectory of the large calibre conical projectile. Unlike their British counterparts who attended extensive musketry training, new Civil War soldiers seldom fired a single cartridge until their first engagement. After the end of the war, hundreds of formerly Confederate Enfield 1853 muskets were sold from the American arms market to the Tokugawa shogunate, as well as some prominent Japanese domains including Aizu and Satsuma. These units were later used in the Boshin War, and some remaining in Satsuma were also used by rebelling former samurai in the Satsuma Rebellion about a decade later.

The end of the American Civil War in 1865 had made a huge number of obsolete percussion muzzleloading rifles and rifle muskets available on the secondary market from international arms traders like Schuyler, Hartley & Graham. While these guns were being replaced with modern metallic cartridge breechloaders in most of the world, a muzzleloading Enfield pattern rifle or rifle musket was a huge technological advantage against the traditional smoothbore Tanegashima-tsutsu matchlocks in Japan. Other firearms found their way into Japan through western traders as well, ranging from Spencer Carbines to Smith & Wesson Model No 2 revolvers, and everything in between. The traders were only too happy to arm what was looking to be a Japanese civil war. It is also worth noting that there is the possibility that these bayonets, in addition to almost certainly being used by pro-Imperial forces during the Meiji Restoration of 1868-1869, may well have seen use again during the Saga Uprising of 1874 by the anti-Imperial rebels in that province. Photos in the gallery show an 1860’s Japanese anti Imperial samurai rebels armed with an Enfield rifle, with its Yataghan long sword-bayonet upon his belt,


Priced for UK mainland delivery only. For export delivery, please POA  read more

Code: 26290

Uniform Patch of XIII Corps, British 8th Army 'Desert Rats', The Red Leaping Gazelle of The British Trieste Force, F Recce Squadron, Anti-Fascist Italian Paratroopers. From The Relief Of Tobruk and Battle of El Alamein, Advance Through Libya, Tunisia

XIII Corps was formed in the North African Western Desert (natural home of the gazelle) and was the first Corps to operate in this battle theatre. As part of the 8th Army it was involved in the hard fighting of the winter of 1941-1942, including the relief of Tobruk. It participated in the Battle of El Alamein and the advance through Libya and Tunisia. Subsequently XIII Corps landed in Sicily and was involved in the clearance of the island of Catania. In September 1943 it landed in the toe of Italy and remained on the Italian mainland until the end of the war, participating in the final campaign in the Po Valley.

Also worn by those Italians in XIII Corps who had opted to fight on the allies side as F Recce Squadron. Formed in Autumn 1943 by British Intelligence Officer Capt. "Kym" Isolani, F Recce Squadron was a specialist unit of anti-fascist Italian paratroopers (primarily from the Folgore Division). Operating under the British XIII Corps, they conducted behind-the-lines sabotage and intelligence operations.
After the Italian Armistice, Isolani found disaffected Italian paratroopers in Calabria who wanted to fight alongside the Allies. Starting as a dozen men, it grew to over 100 dedicated volunteers.
They operated aggressively behind enemy lines, including operating behind German lines in occupied Florence.
Operation Herring: In April 1945, the unit participated in Operation Herring—the last Allied airborne combat drop in Europe during World War II. Alongside Italian Nembo paratroopers, they jumped into the area between the Apennine Mountains and the Po River, causing chaos for retreating German forces.

Commanded in the field by Italian Captain Carlo Gay, they earned high praise from British Gen. Sir John Harding, who noted they were the first Italian unit to take up arms against their common enemy  read more

Code: 26289

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

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

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

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

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

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

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading, as Britain’s oldest established, and favourite, armoury and gallery  read more

Code: 25650

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading, as Britain’s oldest established, and favourite, armoury and gallery  read more

Code: 20674

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

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

History of the grenade;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Approx 51/2 inches top to bottom.

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading, as Britain’s oldest established, and favourite, armoury and gallery  read more

Code: 25644

A Really Rare Chevasse & Co Confederate Contract Pattern 1856, 1856/8 Two Band Enfield Rifle Sword Bayonet with Yataghan Blade. American Civil War Import From Birmingham England, by Confederate Supply Contractor Horace Chavasse.

A British Victorian Export Enfield Pattern 56, bayonet pattern 1856-58, for the two band Enfield Rifle, a Yataghan blade sword bayonet, the regulation bar-on-barrel, model. The blade is 22 3/4", with Birmingham retailers name CHAVASSE(Horace Chavasse), at the ricasso/forte, with serial number and Confederate regimental numeral stamps. And no British government inspector or ordnance marks, just as it shouldn’t.

Overall in superb condition for age.

You really don't see such rarities available in the UK market today, and precious few in the American market actually, especially one that came from the States 50 odd years ago.

We bought the entire small collection from the widow of a 'Best of British Empire and German' Rifles and Bayonets' collector, who acquired them over the past 40 years, and only ever kept the very best he could afford to keep. Act fast they are selling really fast. All are top quality and condition,19th and 20th century scarce British and German collectables are always the most desirable of all. This bayonet he bought in Louisiana in the USA, in 1970's

Horace Chavasse of Alma Street, Aston, Birmingham (1860-1868) is known for his export contract of these M1856/8 sword bayonets to the Confederate States during The US Civil War,

It has standard chequered leather grip plates, and is production three digit numbered 509, {Confederate bayonets are often recognised as bearing four digit engraved, or, three or four number stamped serial numbers, } and it also bears Confederate regimental stamp number, '10' on the pommel top, with a good working spring catch, and usual wear on the grips, the overall condition is very good,

In 1861 Chavasse & Co, produced the 1853 Enfield socket bayonet, and sword bayonets
under contract with no British government markings or stampings to link with British government indicating that all the bayonets were made for export to America for the American Civil War Confederate States. The company was used because of its manufacturing abilities and its connections and successes in sales in the foreign market, markings on bayonet rear pommel of the hilt and blade ricasso of the sword bayonet. The mark of "CHAVASSE & Co" or 'Chavasse'. Total manufactured 11,173 of the bayonets.

It also details in the records that the 1853 and 1856 Enfield pattern rifle’s socket and sword-bayonet batches, sent to American Confederate States, did not have any British government stamps or markings.
All the above details are from their company records, and the company was based at the Crocodile Works Alma Street, Ashton Newton, Birmingham, England from 1860 to 1869

Chavasse supplied his sword-bayonets and socket bayonets from early on during the Civil War, and it was through this that he became acquainted with William Joshua Grazebrook. Their partnership was formalised in early 1862, and the pair brought a large amount of military weapons to sell to the Confederacy. Their attempt at blockade running was disastrous however, as well as financially ruinous, as the ship, the ill fated Modern Greece was wrecked off of Wilmington, North Carolina in June 1862.

Although some damaged cargo was salvaged by Confederate authorities and sold at auction, Chavasse would not receive any money from the cargo, and his partner, Grazebrook, would soon declare bankruptcy in June of 1863 after the capture of the Dolphin and Nicolai I in March of that year.

Chavasse would continue legal action against Grazebrook to no avail, as the courts determined that Grazebrook was insolvent in 1865. The financial ruin brought on by his support of the Confederacy would cause Chavasse himself to declare bankruptcy in 1868. He died virtually penniless in 1917 at the age of 87.

No scabbard, as is more usual than not for surviving sword-bayonets by Chevasse  read more

Code: 26287

An Extraordinary Original Conversation Piece. A Superb, Original, Late Queen Elizabeth Ist to King James Ist Period Miniature Pistol. Late 1500's, To The Turn of The 17th Century, Functioning Miniature Pistol

A pistol made in bronze, many hundreds of years ago, to fire off for the entertainment of the nobility and their children. Dark blue-black bronze aged patination. No moving parts.

An extraordinary little piece of rarely known history, from the earliest age of the black powder pistol. These intriguing miniature functioning pistols were called petronel, named after the original early name of matchlock and wheellock pistols, and very much of the period, from the Elizabethan to the Carolean age. we show in the gallery an Elizabethen portrait of Captain Thomas Lee by Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, with a full sized pistol of the age, that this miniature represents {clearly in its most simplistic form}

A petronel is a 16th and 17th century black powder muzzle-loading firearm, defined by Robert Barret (Theorike and Practike of Modern Warres, 1598) as a horsemans peece. It was the muzzle-loading firearm which developed on the one hand into the pistol and on the other into the carbine. The name (French petrinel or poitrinal) was given to the weapon either because it was fired with the butt resting against the chest (French poitrine, Latin pectus) or it was carried slung from a belt across the chest. Petronels are found with either matchlock or wheellock mechanisms.

The sclopus was the prototype of the petronel. The petronel is a compromise between the harquebus and the pistol. Early petronels date back to the end of the 14th century, with a crude buttstock. Generally the touch hole is on the right side, and fired by a separate slow match. Sometimes they had small hinged plate covers to protect the priming from moisture. By extension, the term petronel was also used to describe the type of light cavalry who employed the firearm. The petronel (cavalryman) was used to support the heavy cavalry such as demi-lancers and cuirassiers. The petronel was succeeded by a similarly armed cavalryman called the harquebusier.


We acquired a stunning little collection of miniature petronel, effectively toys, and they are the Zenith of original, and historical conversation pieces, especially when one considers they are around 450 year old working pistols. Naturally they were not made with the action mechanism of a full sized petronel, one just ignited them with a smouldering match cord, to create an instantaneous small bang and puff of smoke.
Please note, under no circumstances should one try to use them today.  read more

Code: 26288

A Beautiful Antique Edo Period Wakizashi Samurai Short Sword, With a Fabulous Quality Botanical Shakudo Gold and Silver Takebori Mounts & Tsuba

Circa 1680. A stunning antique shinto wakazashi samurai sword, its blade and fittings saya etc. have been almost completely untouched since its arrival in England around 150 years ago. All original Edo period fittings with one mekugi-ana, midare hamon, fully bound tsuka with shakudo fuchi-kashira decorated with flowers and tendrils in gold, shakudo and gold floral menuki, mokko-shaped iron tsuba decorated with silver and gold takebori foliage, in its beautiful black stippled lacquer saya complete with a super shakudo kodzukatana utility knife decorated with a takebori figure of a sage, possibly Tenaga from Japanese folklore, and a dog on a lead. Fabulous faultless blade showing a superb undulating hamon.

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.

There are many reasons why people enjoy collecting swords. Some people are drawn to the beauty and craftsmanship of swords, while others appreciate their historical and cultural significance. Swords can also be a symbol of power and strength, and some collectors find enjoyment in the challenge of acquiring rare or valuable swords.

One of the greatest joys of sword collecting is the opportunity to learn about the history and culture of different civilisations. Swords have been used by warriors for millennia, and each culture has developed its own unique sword designs and traditions. By studying swords, collectors can gain a deeper understanding of the people who made and used them.

Another joy of sword collecting is the sheer variety of swords that are available. There are swords in our gallery from all over the world and from every period of history. Collectors can choose to specialize in a particular type of sword, such as Japanese katanas or medieval longswords, or they can collect a variety of swords from different cultures and time periods. No matter what your reasons for collecting swords, it is a hobby that can provide many years of enjoyment. Swords are beautiful, fascinating, and historically significant objects

As once told to us by an esteemed regular visitor to us here in our gallery, Victor Harris, in order to study and discuss our extensive collection, and he used the same words that are repeated in his book below;

“In these textures lies an extraordinary and unique feature of the sword - 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

Blade length 15.5 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 our family’s trading, as Britain’s oldest established, and favourite, armoury and gallery  read more

Code: 24184

Suit Of Original Edo Period Samurai Horserider Armour, With a Bajojingasa 馬上陣笠 Kabuto, A Samurai Horse Rider Battle Helmet. With Gold Maruni Tsuta Kamon. The Maruni Tsuta (丸に蔦) Kamon, Meaning "Japanese Ivy in a Ring". Matsunaga Family Crest in Kakuda

In our opinion there is no greater aesthetically attractive suit of antique original armour to compare to the Japanese samurai armour. One can see them displayed in some of the finest locations of interior decor in the world today.

For example, in the Hollywood movies such as the James Bond films many of the main protagonists in those films decorated their lush and extravagant billionaire properties with samurai armours. They can be so dramatic and beautiful and even the simplest example can look spectacular in any correct location with good lighting.

Original early Edo period.
Chain mail over silk Kote arm armour with plate Tekko hand armour. Fully laced and plate Sode shoulder armour Fully laced four panels of Haidate waist armour Fully laced Kasazuri thigh Armour, with Suneate. This armour is absolutely beautiful.

Japanese armour is thought to have evolved from the armour used in ancient China and Korea. Cuirasses and helmets were manufactured in Japan as early as the 4th century.Tanko, worn by foot soldiers and keiko, worn by horsemen were both pre-samurai types of early Japanese cuirass constructed from iron plates connected together by leather thongs.

Black urushi lacquer bajojingasa horseriders helmet 馬上陣笠 with superb mon, red lacquer interior with pad and cords but the cords outer silk has separated. With five leaf ivy in a ring mon of the Matsunaga clan.

Jingasa developed both in shape and decoration during the Edo era (1603-1867) and were a symbol of samurai culture. It was typically made of hardened lacquered leather, but also sometimes with iron. The jingasa would also commonly be marked with the mon of the lord or clan to help identify the warrior's side on a battlefield.
Samurai Bajo Jingasa (Riding Battle Hat) were worn mainly by officers a the end of the Sengoku period (1467-1615) and through the Edo period (1603-1868) and a little after. Traditionally a defensive helmet, they were allegedly first crafted from wood, leather, lacquered rawhide, then iron and later steel. The combination of these elements provided a good head protection against sword blows. The bajo-gasa jingasa are shaped like low round hills, believed to decrease wind resistance while on horseback. The inside is padded with a cushion liner secured by ribbons that would be tied and secured under the chin.

Cherished for its infinite versatility, urushi lacquer 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 varnish used in Japanese lacquer is made from the sap of the urushi tree, also known as the lacquer tree or the Japanese varnish tree (Rhus vernacifera), which mainly grows in Japan and China, as well as Southeast Asia. Japanese lacquer, 漆 urushi, is made from the sap of the lacquer tree. The tree must be tapped carefully, as in its raw form the liquid is poisonous to the touch, and even breathing in the fumes can be dangerous. But people in Japan have been working with this material for many millennia, so there has been time to refine the technique! Overall in very nice condition for age with small lacquer wear marks.

During the Heian period 794 to 1185 the Japanese cuirass evolved into the more familiar style of armour worn by the samurai known as the dou or do. Japanese armour makers started to use leather (nerigawa) and lacquer was used to weather proof the armor parts. By the end of the Heian period the Japanese cuirass had arrived at the shape recognized as being distinctly samurai. Leather and or iron scales were used to construct samurai armours, with leather and eventually silk lace used to connect the individual scales (kozane) which these cuirasses were now being made from.

In the 16th century Japan began trading with Europe during what would become known as the Nanban trade. Samurai acquired European armour including the cuirass and comb morion which they modified and combined with domestic armour as it provided better protection from the newly introduced matchlock muskets known as Tanegashima. The introduction of the tanegashima by the Portuguese in 1543 changed the nature of warfare in Japan causing the Japanese armour makers to change the design of their armours from the centuries old lamellar armours to plate armour constructed from iron and steel plates which was called tosei gusoku (new armours).Bullet resistant armours were developed called tameshi gusoku or (bullet tested) allowing samurai to continue wearing their armour despite the use of firearms.

The era of warfare called the Sengoku period ended around 1600, Japan was united and entered the peaceful Edo period, samurai continued to use both plate and lamellar armour as a symbol of their status but traditional armours were no longer necessary for battles. During the Edo period light weight, portable and secret hidden armours became popular as there was still a need for personal protection. Civil strife, duels, assassinations, peasant revolts required the use of armours such as the kusari katabira (chain armour jacket) and armoured sleeves as well as other types of armour which could be worn under ordinary clothing.Edo period samurai were in charge of internal security and would wear various types of kusari gusoku (chain armour) and shin and arm protection as well as forehead protectors (hachi-gane).

Armour continued to be worn and used in Japan until the end of the samurai era (Meiji period) in the 1860s, with the last use of samurai armour happening in 1877 during the Satsuma Rebellion. The armour has some affixing loops lacking. Stand for photo display only not included. This armour has areas of worn and distressed lacquer and areas of cloth/material that are perished due to it's great age as would be expected, but the condition simply adds to its beauty and aesthetic quality, displaying its position within its combat use in Japanese samurai warfare. We would always recommend, in our subjective opinion, that original antique samurai armour looks its very best left completely as is, with all it wear and age imperfections left intact.  read more

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