A Wonderful Ordnance Contract, Napoleonic Wars 'Brown Bess' Officer's Musket, Made by One Of The Most Famous and Greatest English Gunsmiths, Harvey Walklate Mortimer. A Fabulous Quality Example, In Superb Condition. Circa 1790

It would be very hard indeed to see a better example, of an officer's issue 'Brown Bess' {Third Pattern} anywhere. Another one, also by H W Mortimer, likely from the very same order, that is now in the British Royal Collection, is not anywhere in as good condition as this beauty.

Harvey Walklate Mortimer (1753-1819) was a British gunsmith known for his exquisite craftsmanship and innovative designs. His pistols, and muskets, often adorned with intricate engravings, were highly sought after by both military officers and civilians. Mortimer's work is characterized by its precision, balance, and meticulous attention to detail, showcasing a mastery of both form and function. His legacy continues to inspire gunsmiths and collectors today, cementing his place as a significant figure in the history of firearms.
The Royal Collection has an identical British infantry officer's example, made for the Napoleonic Wars, Object number:
XII.103, but their Brown Bess by Mortimer has been converted to a percussion action.

The 'Brown Bess' infantry musket was the standard weapon of the British infantry for more than a century.

From the Seven Years war, the American revolution, The Anglo French Wars and The Napoleonic Wars. Also soldiers on both sides of the Anglo American War of 1812 employed it in battle, staring down its barrel at opponents across distances of less than a hundred yards.

British foot soldiers marched into battle with this musket—nicknamed “Brown Bess”—for more than 100 years. British redcoats used the 'Brown Bess' to fight the War of Independence in the colonies, and many of their opponents in the Americans’ Continental army used it as well. British soldiers fighting in the Napoleonic wars carried it into battle, and it was the principal firearm used by the infantrymen who fought the War of 1812.

The Brown Bess had several distinctive features. It was a large-calibre weapon: the bullet it fired was a lead ball up to three-quarters of an inch in diameter, three times the diameter of a modern .22-caliber rifle round. The inside of its barrel was smooth: unlike more accurate “rifled” muskets used by the famous rifle regiments, the Brown Bess had a smooth bore with no grooves to make its fire more accurate. Soldiers loaded the musket through the muzzle, which meant that each bullet had to be forced down a longer than three foot barrel before firing. Even trained soldiers could only launch two or three shots per minute.

Because the weapon was slow to load and relatively inaccurate (experienced soldiers generally estimated its range between 50 and 100 yards), armies developed tactics that helped compensate for its shortcomings. The limitations of smoothbore muskets like the Brown Bess forced units employ “linear tactics,” in which a hundreds of soldiers stood in neat lines, shoulder-to-shoulder and out in the open. While such tactics appear decidedly unstealthy to twenty-first century eyes, they proved essential on the battlefields of all the conflicts which Britain was involved.
There, stealth was a low priority. Packing the men into blocks allowed officers to coordinate their troops’ fire into synchronized volleys. Firing a hundred guns in the same direction at once helped ensure that at least some, often most of the inaccurate musket balls found their targets. And grouping the men into neat lines out in the open helped commanders ensure that few of their troops gave in to the natural instinct to flee.

Of course, packing troops into blocks and fighting in the open required tremendous discipline from the individual soldiers. Infantrymen had to stand exposed to enemy fire as they loaded and fired their own muskets. And in some situations, soldiers learned the grisly dangers of fighting in lines—as at the Battle of New Orleans in the 1812 war, where American artillery attacked the exposed British formations with devastating effect.

The world changed in 1793, a mere 10 years after the loss of the American colonies. Britain found itself once again at war, this time with Revolutionary France. An army now reduced in size to an authorized strength of only 44,432 men had to be expanded rapidly, along with the local militia and volunteer forces. The call for muskets was huge. Indeed, in 1793 the total stock of muskets in all the armouries around Britain, including the central arsenal at the Tower of London, was around a mere 60,000. The stocks held in French arsenals amounted to over a very sensible 700,000. Although it is clear that we are currently abysmally unprepared for the defence of these islands today, 250 years ago, it was exactly the same, as it was in 1939 before WW2. Around 110 years ago former army general Baden Powell created the Boy Scouts with the motto 'Be Prepared', hopefully, to instill in those young minds, a sound and sensible life principle to counter the constant unpreparedness, for all manner of emergencies, of the British Government. A situation that the General Staff consistently find so tragic, yet it is never able to change the policy of the politicians, and this appalling deadly situation, continues, even unto today.

The Board of Ordnance had to fill the gap. They did this by ordering 10,000 muskets from the Birmingham and London gun trade

The lock is stamped by the primary, senior ordnance inspector, for arms provided by ordnance contractors for the armaments required for the Napoleonic Wars
Richard Duce {his mark of Crown 2}. He was also the controller of tempering & hardening of locks, after their arrival from the stores for fitting to the musket.
Stamped with London Gunmaker's Company proof marks. It has a hook breech and is secured by three slides. Lock engraved with the name of the maker Mortimer.

He also inspected all the EIC Brown Bess that were handed over to the British Ordnance for the Napoleonic Wars. An account that was confirmed to us by our friend and historic colleague, Howard Blackmore of the Tower of London armoury.  read more

Code: 26253

Absolutely Beautiful & Captivating Pair Of American Revolution Period 18th Century 'Queen Anne' Cannon Barrel Pistols with Silver Inlays & Solid Silver Grotesque Mask Butt Caps. Near Identical To Another Recovered From a Shipwreck off The Florida Coast

A wondrous pair of breech loading pistols of exquisite quality and extravagance, around 250 years old. In fabulous condition for age.

Superb silver grotesque mask butt caps and elaborate fine line silver inlays, stunningly depicting scrolls and shells. With steel cannon barrels, boxlock actions, sides, finely engraved with elaborate rococco scrolls, with a safety mechanisms enabled by sliding the trigger guards forward once the pistol is cocked. Excellent tight and crisp actions.

Maker marked by master gunsmith Mr Thomas Archer of Birmingham, circa 1776. Known as a 'Queen Anne' flintlocks these are both stunning examples in wonderful condition. Very unusual form of demon face grotesque butt masks in silver. Examples of his pistols are in the British Museum.

The ‘Queen Anne’ style pistol is distinctive in that it doesn't require a ramrod, as they are the earliest form of breech loading pistols. The barrel of the pistol unscrews and allows it to be loaded from the rear, and near the touch hole, at the breech of the barrel. These pistols were originally made in flintlock.

The Queen Annestyle pistols were very popular for the elite and highest status of society, and were made in a variety of calibres, usually about 38 to 50 bore. Boot pistols, Holster pistols, pocket pistols and Sea Service pistols may be made in the 'Queen Anne' style. This type is known as a Queen Anne pistol because it was during her reign that it became popular {although produced for some decades after the reign of Queen Anne}.

The finest examples were made with silver fittings and or inlays such as this.
These pistols are extremely similar, if not identical to a single pistol found in 2010, within a shipwreck off St Augustine USA.
Our pistols must have been made at the same time as the flintlock found in the Revolutionary War ship wreck. A ship that was lost in a storm on New Year's Eve 1782 off the coast of St Augustine, Florida. That extremely similar pistol was by T.Ketland, and now resides on display in the St Augustine Lighthouse and Maritime Museum.

The story of an American Revolutionary War shipwreck, excavated by Museum archaeologists and students from 2009-2014, and the recovered artefacts from the 1782 British Loyalist wreck found just off St. Augustine’s coast. It was determined that the wreck carried loyalists or Tories evacuating Charles Town, South Carolina and fleeing to British, East Florida which was still loyal to the crown. As many as 16 ships from Charleston (the name of Charles Town today) wrecked on the St. Augustine sandbar on New Year's Eve, December 1782.

As British loyalists ran in fear of the victorious Americans, many lost everything they had to the sea.
Among the rare artefacts discovered, covered in concretions, was an identical to our silver scroll inlaid gentleman's pistol, made by Thomas Ketland in London, England.
In addition, an archaeologist found the ship's bell, which was devoid of any markings. The lack of the Royal Navy motifs, such as the broad arrow, provides a clue that this ship may have been privately owned. Also, archaeologists recovered a very early carronade ( small, deck-mounted cannon) made in 1780 in the Carron Ironworks in Scotland.
We include in the gallery photos of the recovered identical pistol, covered in concretions, and another picture of an X Ray, clearly showing that the recovered pistol is so much the same as ours, even down to the silver scroll engraving that was revealed in the x ray on the pistols

Each pistol is approx 8.5 inches long

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

Code: 26248

A Remarkable, Beautiful Fine Condition and Rare Six Barrel Revolver Pistols, Circa 1835, by Fine English Maker Egg of London. One Of The Most Beautiful Examples We Have Seen In Many Years

An absolutely stunning 19th century circa 1830 to 1840 pepper box revolver with six revolving cylinders. Although a rarely seen earliest form of revolver, most all steel construction, and very few pepperbox were made with brass frames, which creates a stunning contrast.

Traditional hammer in the bar form, maker engraved by egg of London one of the great names of British gunmaking.

Excellent brass frame with superb scroll engraving fine action beautifully crisp and an absolute joy to behold a combination of walnut brass and steel to result in an iconic pistol of the pre-and early Victorian period

Jean Joseph Egg (1775-1837) was the brother of Durs Egg and worked for Henry Tatham from 1801. The two men later co-founded the company Tatham & Egg. In 1814 Joseph opened his own shop at Piccadilly Circus.

In 1800 he took out a patent for a “method of bending steel without the assistance of heat, which may be applied to the manufacturing of surgical instruments.” In 1814 he advertised a self-adjusting truss, invented by him, protected by a German patent, used in many hospitals, and made at his shop at the corner of Piccadilly and the Haymarket. While these were both financially advantageous endeavors, his true fortune and claim to fame came from his guns.

Joseph was probably the most creative of the entire Egg gunsmith dynasty. His specialty at first was a new type of miniature pistols (pocket pistols) of the highest quality, whose precision is reminiscent of the work of watchmakers. They have one or two barrels and fittings made of engraved silver, in some cases even gold. This was followed by a whole series of inventions and patents. Joseph Egg’s weapons can be found in Windsor Castle, the Leningrad Hermitage and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

The 'pepperbox' 6 shot revolver was an amazing progression from the single shot percussion pistol, that worked on the rotating multi barrelled principle before the concept of a revolving cylinder and a single barrel system was invented. the style of the pistol created its nickname of the pepperbox as it looked somewhat like a peppermill, but they most often were large belt or holster pistol sized, whereas the pocket Derringer sized type, being the scarcest of all, is most rarely seen to survive today.

The pepperbox revolver was still being used in the American Civil War, especially by Southern soldiers due to the lack of arms, a photo in the gallery shows a Confederate corporal holding his belt size pepperbox revolver, and he looks barely 13 years of age.

In the 1850s, the extreme popularity of antique derringer pistols swept the nation like wildfire. Henry Derringer, the man who made the first Philadelphia Derringer, created a small and concealable pistol for people to carry for protection. When searching for an antique derringer pistol for sale, one will notice that derringers are made by a number of different brands and manufacturers. Many people wanted to make their design number one and stick out among the rigorous competition. One man that took the idea into his own hands and became a favorite in the Old West for pocket sized guns was Christian Sharps

Sharp had been in the business of rifle making before he endeavored into pocket pistol designs. He started his career in Harpers Ferry, Virginia with John Halls Rifle Works. He patented his own Sharps rifle in 1848 and, interestingly enough, a year later in December 1849, he patented his first design for the antique derringer pistol he desired to create. Unfortunately, it was a poorly constructed and fragile design in need of some work before it could be sold commercially.

The antique derringer plus sized pistols became known as the ‘hideout pistol’ to westerners. The prominence of these small multi shot pocket pistols as a gambler’s gun arose in the the Old Wild West. The gun was very commonly used by gamblers and tavern frequenters since they could slide it up their sleeve or in their pocket without the people around the being any the wiser. Western outlaws loved the conceal ability and carried the gun as an extra side arm. The gun is sometimes referred to as the perfect concealable pistol.

Tight and crisp spring, action rotates nicely

No licence is required to own and collect this antique pistol


Condition excellent plus  read more

Code: 26250

A Superb, Original, Antique 'Wild West' Period Winchester Cavalry Carbine. The Favourite Repeating Rifle of President Theodore 'Teddy' Roosevelt and Cowboy Movie Star John Wayne. Probably The Most Iconic Rifle In the World

This is an absolute beauty one of the best we have seen in a long time. A fabulous and iconic piece of original Wild West history.

Good walnut stock and fine still with good natural age patination. Round barrel 20 in., half stocked with short tube magazine, ladder back sight, & saddle ring,

The world famous Winchester Lever Action Repeating Rifle was The weapon of choice of US President Theodore 'Teddy' Roosevelt. Who was quoted as once saying,

"I don't know how to shoot well, but I know how to shoot often.”

Roosevelt’s deeds with his Winchesters are certainly the stuff of legend. You could hardly be expected to find a more colourful figure so strongly linked to something that is now, and in no small measure due to his patronage, considered a household word and so instantly recognizable. Once, while on a hunting trip, he led in the capture of three riverboat thieves with his Winchester at the ready. Another time while riding the perimeter of his ranch, he was set upon by a band of restless Sioux. One clear view of his Winchester across the saddle and they soon scattered. He would have been photographed holding a Winchester carbine atop San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War had he not given it to another trooper in his unit who was without a rifle at the time.
He was a human dynamo. He was the 26th and youngest President of the United States. He was a Medal of Honour winner, an avid hunter, a Nobel Prize winner, a wildlife conservationist, a war hero, a Life member of the National Rifle Association, the author of 39 books, a father of six and the most gun-savvy man to ever occupy The White House. When it came to gun knowledge or shooting skill, no chief executive, now or then, was his peer.

He special ordered his first Winchesters in the late summer of 1881, possibly to celebrate the publication of his second book, The Naval War of 1812. He ordered a pair of consecutively numbered Model 1876s, and these guns would be similar in composition to nearly every one of the next 20 Winchesters that he ordered.

There was one specific rifle John Wayne chose to use again and again in his cowboy appearances: The Winchester 1892 Rifle.
John Wayne was as prolific as he was iconic. He appeared in more than 170 movies, starred in more than 140 and often had several movies in theaters simultaneously. He could make almost any movie he wanted, with anyone he wanted, for any salary he wanted. Yet with all that flexibility, there was one specific rifle John Wayne chose to use again and again in his cowboy appearances.

It was the same rifle that had help make him a star. Director John Ford took the then-struggling actor and featured him in Stagecoach as Henry “the Ringo Kid,” the rifle-slinging criminal bound for revenge and redemption at the end of a dusty wagon trail. Wayne’s character was given a signature firearm: a big-looped Winchester Model 92 Trapper with the barrel chopped short.

Ford had the gun shortened so Wayne could swing it under his arm in a sweeping, theatrical motion when reloading. The move and movie were hits with audiences and forever changed Wayne’s career. The world had fallen for Wayne’s performance, and Wayne had fallen for the Winchester’s light, lithe design.

The Winchester was the byproduct of John Browning’s Winchester. The 1886 was a popular lever action among sportsmen, but it was chambered in .45/70 and required a substantial—i.e. heavy—gun. At 9 1/2 pounds, the 1886 was just that. Shooters who didn’t need bear-stopping power wanted a lighter rifle that came chambered for the pistol/rifle cartridge .44-40 and similar rounds of the day. The slimmer and sleeker 1892 was the result.

The 92 came in both a rifle and carbine configuration, each lighter than the 1886. Consumers wanted an even lighter version. Winchester responded by chopping the carbine down again to produce the special-order Trapper, available with 12- to 18-inch barrels.

Though lighter than the 1886, the 92 was still a solid machine that could handle strong cartridges. Winchester and Remington made special high-velocity, smokeless powder .44-40 offerings with the 92 in mind. Lesser guns that were accidentally fed the ammo buckled and caused the makers to take the loads off the shelf. The 92 had no problems.

Ranchers and riders like the ones Wayne would later portray fell in love with the 92 and gave it their cowboy seal of approval.
President Theodore Roosevelt, a former US Army 'Rough Rider', was a fan of the gun;
Rear Admiral Robert Peary took one on his successful North Pole expedition. Other movie icons used the gun as well:
Steve McQueen used a 92 in Wanted Dead or Alive, and
Chuck Connors carried one in The Rifleman.

In an era and industry that glamorized 1,000-yard revolver shots with guns that never needed reloading, Wayne was a firearms realist. Real cowboys would have used rifles whenever possible, and Wayne brought that level of authenticity to his films. He even used his own guns in his later career, preferring them to replicas that didn’t do the firearms world justice. The 92 was the kind of rifle cowboys used, so that’s the kind of rifle Wayne wanted.

Rooster Cogburn carried a 92 in one hand and a single-action revolver in the other, his horse’s reins in his teeth, in True Grit. The movie, in part thanks to that memorable scene, won Wayne the first Oscar of his long career in 1970. He later said that, if he had known the movie would have won him the award, “I’d have put that patch on 35 years earlier.” The Winchester would have been there too, ready to fire.

Fans clearly loved the man and the rifle. Numerous Wayne commemoratives and reproductions have been made over the years as a result. Winchester made several, including an appropriately chosen 92 on his centennial birthday in 2007, and, curiously, a Model 94 with his movie titles engraved on the decorated receiver.

Like Barbara Mandrell and country, Wayne had a big-loop lever action long before it was cool. Now function is following form: Shooters who wear gloves in cold weather or cowboy action shooting benefit from a larger loop like the Duke’s. Factory guns are being offered with the loop option and larger loops are being installed as an aftermarket feature on older guns.

Stagecoach (1939): Wayne's breakout role where he first debuted the famous lever-twirl.

El Dorado (1966): Used in the film's climax, famously employed one-handed because his character suffered from nerve damage.

True Grit (1969): Used heavily by his character Rooster Cogburn.

Rooster Cogburn (1975): The direct sequel to True Grit, in which he used the exact same rifle.

Original Hollywood prop rifles used by Wayne are highly sought-after collector's items; for example, a Model 1892 used in True Grit and Rooster Cogburn sold at auction for $88,500.

The US Army "Rough Riders" was the famous 1st United States Volunteer Cavalry Regiment that fought in the Spanish-American War. Formed in 1898, it was commanded by Colonel Leonard Wood and Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Roosevelt. The diverse, highly publicized unit gained legendary status for several key reasons: Diverse Ranks: The regiment was a colorful mix of cowboys, gold prospectors, miners, hunters, Native Americans, and Eastern Ivy League athletes.Action in Cuba: Deployed to Cuba, the regiment fought notably in the Battle of Las Guasimas and famously charged up Kettle and San Juan Hills near Santiago, securing a pivotal victory.Fought on Foot: Although organized as cavalry, the Rough Riders had to fight as foot soldiers because logistical issues left most of their horses behind in Florida.

"The Winchester stocked and sighted to suit myself is by all odds the best weapon I ever had, and I now use it almost exclusively ... .”

—Theodore Roosevelt, Hunting Trips of a Ranchman.

The British War Dept. purchased a few thousand of this Winchester pattern and we show in the gallery a super photograph of a RN gunboat crew displaying their Winchester rifles.

As it functioned with a calibre round still available today, like almost all Winchester rifles today, it had to be deactivated {with EU certificate} but the lever action still works just as it did, and all the work is achieved internally.

For sale within the UK mainland only  read more

Code: 26249

A Delightful & Beautiful Early to Mid Edo Period 1598-1863 Samurai War Arrow. A Tsubaki-ne, With A Haft of Yadake Bamboo & With Sea Eagle Flights. With A Beautifully Rare Stunningly Polished Tamahagane Steel Head

It is most rare to find original, antique samurai war arrows {ya} that still have beautifully polished tamagahane steel blades, that they would all have had originally, that often show the traditional hamon, the same as a sword would have. Acquired by us by personally being permitted to select from the private collection one of the world's greatest, highly respected and renown archery, bow and arrow experts. Who had spent his life travelling the world to lecture on archery and to accumulate the finest arrows and bows he could find. .

With original traditional eagle feathers, probably the large edge-wing feathers of a Japanese sea eagle. The armour piercing arrow tip, that is swollen at the tip to have the extra piercing power to penetrate armour and helmets {kabuto}, is a brightly polished, traditional tamagahane steel hand made, by a sword smith, long arrow head, originally hand made with folding and tempering exactly as would be a samurai sword blade, possibly signed on the tang under the binding but we would never remove it to see. The Edo period early eagle feathers are now slightly worn. It is entirely indicative of the Japanese principle that as much time skill and effort be used to create a single 'fire and forget' arrow, as would be used to make a tanto or katana. A British or European blacksmith might once have made ten or twenty arrows a day, a Japanese craftsman might take a week to make a single arrow, that has a useable combat life of maybe two minutes, the same as a simplest British long bow arrow.

The Togari-Ya or Tsubaki-ne, were pointed arrowheads look like a miniature version of a long Yari (spear) and were used only for war and are armour piercing arrows . Despite being somewhat of a weapon that was 'fire and forget' it was created regardless of cost and time, like no other arrow ever was outside of Japan. For example, to create the arrow head alone, in the very same traditional way today, using tamahagane steel, folding and forging, water quench tempering, then followed by polishing, it would likely cost way in excess of a thousand pounds, that is if you could find a Japanese master sword smith today who would make one for you. Then would would need hafting, binding, and feathering, by a completely separate artisan, and finally, using eagle feathers as flights, would be very likely impossible. This is a simple example of how incredible value finest samurai weaponry can be, items that can be acquired from us that would cost many times the price of our original antiques in order to recreate today. Kyu Jutsu is the art of Japanese archery.The beginning of archery in Japan is pre-historical. The first images picturing the distinct Japanese asymmetrical longbow are from the Yayoi period (c. 500 BC – 300 AD).
The changing of society and the military class (samurai) taking power at the end of the first millennium created a requirement for education in archery. This led to the birth of the first kyujutsu ryūha (style), the Henmi-ryū, founded by Henmi Kiyomitsu in the 12th century. The Takeda-ryū and the mounted archery school Ogasawara-ryū were later founded by his descendants. The need for archers grew dramatically during the Genpei War (1180–1185) and as a result the founder of the Ogasawara-ryū (Ogasawara Nagakiyo), began teaching yabusame (mounted archery) In the twelfth and thirteenth century a bow was the primary weapon of a warrior on the battlefield. Bow on the battlefield stopped dominating only after the appearance of firearm.The beginning of archery in Japan is pre-historical. The first images picturing the distinct Japanese asymmetrical longbow are from the Yayoi period (c. 500 BC – 300 AD).
The changing of society and the military class (samurai) taking power at the end of the first millennium created a requirement for education in archery. This led to the birth of the first kyujutsu ryūha (style), the Henmi-ryū, founded by Henmi Kiyomitsu in the 12th century. The Takeda-ryū and the mounted archery school Ogasawara-ryū were later founded by his descendants. The need for archers grew dramatically during the Genpei War (1180–1185) and as a result the founder of the Ogasawara-ryū (Ogasawara Nagakiyo), began teaching yabusame (mounted archery) Warriors practiced several types of archery, according to changes in weaponry and the role of the military in different periods. Mounted archery, also known as military archery, was the most prized of warrior skills and was practiced consistently by professional soldiers from the outset in Japan. Different procedures were followed that distinguished archery intended as warrior training from contests or religious practices in which form and formality were of primary importance. Civil archery entailed shooting from a standing position, and emphasis was placed upon form rather than meeting a target accurately. By far the most common type of archery in Japan, civil or civilian archery contests did not provide sufficient preparation for battle, and remained largely ceremonial. By contrast, military training entailed mounted maneuvers in which infantry troops with bow and arrow supported equestrian archers.

Mock battles were staged, sometimes as a show of force to dissuade enemy forces from attacking. While early medieval warfare often began with a formalized archery contest between commanders, deployment of firearms and the constant warfare of the 15th and 16th centuries ultimately led to the decline of archery in battle. In the Edo period archery was considered an art, and members of the warrior classes participated in archery contests that venerated this technique as the most favoured weapon of the samurai. In the gallery is from an Edo exhibition of archery that shows a tagari ya arrow pierced completely through, back and front, an armoured steel multi plate kabuto helmet. Another photo shows an unmounted arrow head with the considerable length of the tang that is concealed by the haft.

Every item is accompanied with our unique, Certificate of Authenticity. Of course any certificate of authenticity, given by even the best 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 experience behind us  read more

Code: 25590

A Simply Stunning Ancient & Historical Era Greek Leaf Shaped Bronze Sword With a Distinctive Blood Channel. From the Most Iconic Period Of Ancient Greek Classical History. Around 3200 Years Old

A wonderful original artefact of classical history, made and used by a Greek warrior from circa 1200 b.c. A Superb ancient Greek bronze age sword blade with fabulous areas of crystallised malachite blue/green patina. From the era of the legendary Mycenaean Greek Trojan Wars.

The story of the Trojan War the Bronze Age conflict between the kingdoms of Troy and Mycenaean Greece straddles the history and mythology of ancient Greece and inspired the greatest writers of antiquity, from Homer, Herodotus and Sophocles to Virgil. Since the 19th-century rediscovery of the site of Troy in what is now western Turkey, archaeologists have uncovered increasing evidence of a kingdom that peaked and may have been destroyed around 1,180 B.C. perhaps forming the basis for the tales recounted by Homer some 400 years later in the Iliad and the Odyssey. According to classical sources, the war began after the abduction (or elopement) of Queen Helen of Sparta by the Trojan prince Paris. Helen’s jilted husband Menelaus convinced his brother Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, to lead an expedition to retrieve her. Agamemnon was joined by the Greek heroes Achilles, Odysseus, Nestor and Ajax, and accompanied by a fleet of more than a thousand ships from throughout the Hellenic world. They crossed the Aegean Sea to Asia Minor to lay siege to Troy and demand Helen’s return by Priam, the Trojan king. The siege, punctuated by battles and skirmishes including the storied deaths of the Trojan prince Hector and the nearly-invincible Achilles, lasted more than 10 years until the morning the Greek armies retreated from their camp, leaving a large wooden horse outside the gates of Troy. After much debate (and unheeded warnings by Priam’s daughter Cassandra), the Trojans pulled the mysterious gift into the city. When night fell, the horse opened up and a group of Greek warriors, led by Odysseus, climbed out and sacked the Troy from within. After the Trojan defeat, the Greeks heroes slowly made their way home. Odysseus took 10 years to make the arduous and often-interrupted journey home to Ithaca recounted in the Odyssey. Helen, whose two successive Trojan husbands were killed during the war, returned to Sparta to reign with Menelaus. After his death, some sources say she was exiled to the island of Rhodes, where a vengeful war widow had her hanged.
Photo in the gallery of an Attic black figure vase that shows Theseus killing the Minotaur of the Cretan labyrinth with an identical pattern of Greek sword. A feminine figure looks on from the right, possibly Ariadne. Late 6th, early 5th century BCE. (Archaeological Museum, Milan). See discussion in Branigan, K. Aegean Metalwork of the Early and Middle Bronze Age, Oxford, 1974, p.8-21. 15.5 inches long overall

Every item is accompanied with our unique, Certificate of Authenticity. Of course any certificate of authenticity, given by even the best 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 experience behind us  read more

Code: 22069

A Superb Original Imperial Roman Legionary's "Whistling" Sling Bullet Circa 1st to 2nd century AD.

Identical to the few found at an archaeological dig at a Roman Fort site in southwestern Scotland a few years ago, and one of a very small collection of fine original sling bullets of antiquity we acquired.
Over 1,800 years ago, Roman troops used "whistling" sling bullets as a "terror weapon" against their barbarian foes, such as were in Scotland and the Celts in England, according to archaeologists who found the cast lead bullets at a site in Scotland.

Weighing about 1 ounce (30 grams), each of the bullets had been drilled with a 0.2-inch (5 millimeters) hole that the researchers think was designed to give the soaring bullets a sharp buzzing or whistling noise in flight.

The bullets were found recently at Burnswark Hill in southwestern Scotland, where a massive Roman attack against native defenders in a hilltop fort took place in the second century A.D. These holes converted the bullets into a "terror weapon," said archaeologist John Reid of the Trimontium Trust, a Scottish historical society directing the first major archaeological investigation in 50 years of the Burnswark Hill site.

"You don't just have these silent but deadly bullets flying over; you've got a sound effect coming off them that would keep the defenders' heads down," Reid told Live Science. "Every army likes an edge over its opponents, so this was an ingenious edge on the permutation of sling bullets."

The whistling bullets were also smaller than typical sling bullets, and the researchers think the soldiers may have used several of them in their slings — made from two long cords held in the throwing hand, attached to a pouch that holds the ammunition — so they could hurl multiple bullets at a target with one throw.

"You can easily shoot them in groups of three of four, so you get a scattergun effect," Reid said. "We think they're for close-quarter skirmishing, for getting quite close to the enemy." Onasandrius wrote the 1st C. BC, in his book "Strategy". "The Sling is the deadly weapon used by light infantry because lead is of the same colour as the air and therefore not visible, thus the impact is unexpected and not only smites hard, but the bullet penetrates deeply into the victims flesh". Used by Roman auxiliary troops like Greeks, Sicilians, North Africans, but after the Roman conquest of the Balearic Islands elite slingers were always the Balearic that fought in the legions of Julius Caesar.

Together with arrows and catapults, sling-shots formed a key part of the long-range fire of the Roman army.
Lead bullets were cast in the shape of lemons or 'acorns', which would weigh around 1.7 ounces (50g).
Weighing around 0.7 ounces (20g), the holes were around a fifth of an inch (5mm) wide and the same deep.
While the size of these bullets would have made them not terribly dangerous, experiments using replicas of these small bullets showed that they produced a whistling noise while in flight.
It is thought the sound is produced by the air moving over the small opening, much like when blowing over the top of a milk bottle.
This has led some theories that these smaller bullets were used to invoke terror in the enemy.
It is a tactic that has been used by military forces around the world.About 20 per cent of the lead sling bullets found at Burnswark Hill had been drilled with holes.
This was a significant amount of effort to prepare enough ammunition for an assault, Dr Reid said. 'It's a tremendous amount of work to do, to just chuck them away.'

'Even more intriguingly, the mysterious holes proved to confer an aerophonic quality,' Dr Reid said in Current Archaeology.

'In flight, these lead shot whistled, or more accurately gave off a mechanical buzzing sound eerily reminiscent of an agitated wasp.' In Livy’s History of Rome, which was completed in 9 A.D., he states,

A hundred slingers were recruited from Aegium and Patrae and Dymae. These peoples were trained from boyhood … Having been trained to shoot through rings of moderate circumference from long distances, they would wound not merely the heads of their enemies but any part of the face at which they might have aimed. Photos of one of the three we acquired from a collector, we only have one remaining sling bullet, all near identical, see photos 8 and 9 in the gallery

Every item is accompanied with our unique, Certificate of Authenticity. Of course any certificate of authenticity, given by even the best 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 experience behind us  read more

Code: 24505

A Stunning Ancient Roman Ist Century AD, Galloping Cavalry Soldier on Horseback, Stylized Intaglio Engraved Bronze 'Status' Seal Ring.

In Roman Britain, at any given time, there were at least 9000 auxiliary cavalry in the province, divided between alae (military formations composed of conscripts from the socii, Rome's Italian military allies), elite cavalry units, and the slightly lower-status mixed cohorts, which contained both infantry and cavalry.

Classified by the seminal classification of ancient ring forms, by Dr. Martin Henig, as Ancient Roman, Henig type Xb. Roman ring around 1900 years old. In copper bronze with great, natural age patination. Beautifully carved intaglio seal detail of wide oval bezel affixed to flattened shoulders engraved copper alloy, with a fair amount of aged surface russetting. Almost identical to one found in the UK, near Hadrian's Wall. The ring was important for displaying the Roman's status. For example Tiberius, who was after all left-handed according to Suetonius, thus displays a ring in his bronze portrait as the Pontifex Maximus:

From a small collection of British recovered original Roman rings, all in excavated condition, found in the 19th century from the same location. Examples of this type can be found in Henig, M. (1974) A corpus of engraved gemstones from British Sites, British Archaeological Reports 8 (II): 90.

The engraved intaglio seal ring was important for displaying the Roman's status. For example Tiberius, who was after all left-handed according to Suetonius, thus displays a ring in his bronze portrait as the Pontifex Maximus: The complete Roman Empire had around a 60 million population and a census more perfect than many parts of the world (to collect taxes, of course) but identification was still quite difficult and aggravated even more because there were a maximum of 17 men names and the women received the name of the family in feminine and a number (Prima for First, Secunda for Second…). A lot of people had the same exact name.
So the Roman proved the citizenship by inscribing themselves (or the slaves when they freed them) in the census, usually accompanied with two witnesses. Roman inscribed in the census were citizens and used an iron or bronze ring to prove it. With Augustus, those that could prove a wealth of more than 400,000 sesterces were part of a privileged class called Equites (knights) that came from the original nobles that could afford a horse. The Equites were middle-high class and wore a bronze or gold ring to prove it, with the famous Angusticlavia (a tunic with an expensive red-purple twin line). Senators (those with a wealth of more than 1,000,000 sesterces) also used the gold ring and the Laticlave, a broad band of purple in the tunic.

So the rings were very important to tell from a glimpse of eye if a traveller was a citizen, an equites or a senator, or legionary. People sealed and signed letters with the rings and its falsification could bring death.
The fugitive slaves didn’t have rings but iron collars with texts like “If found, return me to X” which also helped to recognise them. The domesticus slaves (the ones that lived in houses) didn’t wore the collar but sometimes were marked. A ring discovered 50 years ago is now believed to possibly be the ring of Pontius Pilate himself, and it was the same copper-bronze form ring as is this one, with identical stylized engraving.

Limestone architectural fragment; a door jamb, part of a doorway. From the temple of Set (which was built by Thutmosis III) at Ombos, Egypt. 18th Dynasty. The Petrie Museum

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  read more

Code: 25586

A Pair of Original & Extraordinarily Beautiful, First Nation, Antique American Wild West Frontier Riding Gauntlets. Made for Settlers and Trade Market of The American Frontiersmen, Such As Army Scouts, Pony Express Riders & Buffalo Hunters. Likely, 1840’s

A stunning pair of simply captivating gauntlets, of the 19th century, made by First Nation native Americans, of the Huron, Lakota Sioux or Metis tribes, from the early 'Wild West Frontier' period.

Likely traditional North American Indian brain tanned and smoked leather to enable the surface to be more waterproof. To ensure a long-lasting resilience of the leather, it was traditionally stored in a special tent over wood smoke, which gave the skin a darker brown tone and also made it waterproof, thus achieving better protection. Without this process, the leather turns out to be whitish and water-sensitive

All the embroidery is incredibly technical micro stitching of amazing beauty and intricacy. These stunning and fringed gauntlets are beautifully embroidered with flowers, florid patterns and a western monogram. They were possibly traded in the 1840's from the Cree, or the Lakota Sioux tribes of North and South Dakota, but theirs is often decorated with beadwork as opposed to this very fine stitched embroidery, which may better indicate Huron or Metis craftsmanship, according to a most kind lady from the region, who visited our gallery, and who fortunately knows this form of First Nation tribal art very well.

The most famous members of the Lakota Sioux were Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. In yellow hide likely deer buckskin with typical long fringing. Excellent condition, with a small split in base of one finger. The style of Gauntlets worn by 'Kit Carson' and his contemporaries. Superbly beautiful, charming and highly collectable pieces from the old, American, Wild West Frontier.

Gauntlets are protective gloves that distinctively have a flared protective cuff. For centuries, these cuffs protected European and Asian bow hunters and military archers from being snapped on the wrist by their bowstrings. Medieval soldiers and knights began wearing chain-mail gauntlets during the 1300s, and armoured gauntlets appeared in Europe during the 1400s. Four hundred years later and halfway around the world, leather gauntlets appeared in the American West as military uniform accessories. They were soon appropriated by Indian artists, embellished with diverse ornaments, and incorporated into the civilian wardrobe. Here they became intrinsically linked with Western people, history, and landscape, and a symbol of the frontier. The original European form was reworked with a wild American veneer. Former mountain men -- Jim Bridger and Kit Carson among them -- occasionally worked guiding emigrant trains and military units through little-known country. They also helped track renegades of diverse stripes. These scouts were colourful characters, highly skilled, and not required to maintain a military dress code. Their attire was subsequently functional, comfortable, and drawn from a variety of media and cultural sources. By the 1870s, long and abundant fringe was in style and pinked edges provided decorative flair to leather clothing that was by nature quite showy. A similar pair of gauntlets though later of the Lakota Sioux can be seen in the Eugene and Clare Thaw Collection of American Indian Art in the Fenimore Art Museum NY.

The inner lining of our gauntlets is some kind of fine quilted cloth.

These stunning gauntlets would superbly compliment any Wild West collection of original American revolvers, and would look amazing case framed. We offer a highly recommended bespoke case framing service accomplished by one of our local expert artisans.

Such original and rare items of Native American art and artefacts are new very rare in Europe, and thus most valuable to collectors, as they are almost always not permitted to be exported from North America any longer. However, strangely it is also not possible to import First Nation artefacts back into the USA either

The last photo in the gallery is of the Teton Sioux Lakota gauntlets in the Fenimore Museum, however, the embroidery on our gauntlets is very much like earlier Huron work.

Every item is accompanied with our unique, Certificate of Authenticity. Of course any certificate of authenticity, given by even the best 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 experience behind us  read more

Code: 20890

Beautiful Shinto Samurai Folklore Tanto, 1600, With A Wonderful Suite Of Copper Koshirae Engraved With Japanese Legendary Noh Tales. Figures of Folklore Including, Sanbaso, Samurai, Kappa & Yokai The Turtle & Human Face Octopus, Lamp, Fans & Cricket

Made for a samurai devoted to the Japanese historical traditions of storytelling through Noh and Kabuki. Such as the great Miyamoto Musashi, the revered "sword saint" himself, who was not a performer, but he adored kabuki and its culture. And Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu revered Noh theatre and often performed it himself as shigegaku, an official military performance.

A stunning tanto with delightful patinated suite of original Edo period copper mounts, all finely engraved with an entirely cosmopolitan selection of subjects from bushido, the way of the warrior, and ancient Japanese folklore, based on tales from Noh and Kabuki theatre including legendary figures, trickster deities, shapeshifters and spirits. Although they appear disconnected, they are all together combining the great legends of Noh and Kabuki with Bushido. A most clever convergence of the mystical, with the practical life of the samurai.

Accompanied fine finely engraved patinated copper kozuka utility knife with signed blade, and fine, original Edo striped urushi black lacquer saya, bound with original Edo silk sageo. The menuki are the tiger with a Ōtsuchi, a six foot war hammer, and a dog with a kaiku war drum. Tigers appear heavily in Japanese folklore, often as symbols of courage and ferocity. They are intrinsically tied to Kabuki through legendary plays. And, the Kai Ken is an incredibly rare, indigenous breed of Japanese dog often nicknamed the "Japanese tiger dog.

On the habaki is the fine engraving of a samurai on one side and of a cricket on a war fan on the other. Placing a cricket on a war fan was a visual reminder of Bushido (the way of the warrior), which demanded that a samurai cultivate a deep appreciation for art, poetry, and nature, alongside martial discipline. The Duality of Life, Together, they represent the philosophical balance of the warrior's life: the need for both brute strength on the battlefield and a refined, gentle spirit in times of peace. Of course the war fan resembles the Peony Fan, Oni Ōgi of Noh theatre, yet another subtle convergence.

The kashira is engraved with the two distinct elements in Japanese folklore, the Peony Lantern (Botan Dōrō), which is one of Japan's most famous ghost stories, and the Peony Fan (Oni Ōgi), a traditional prop used in Noh theatre

Created for a samurai who had a desire for the sword’s decor to be the embodiment of ancient Japanese folklore tales from Kabuki theatre and Noh, of mystical creatures and oni, each piece, engraved, from the fuchigashira, the tsuba, and the habaki, all of this delightful work was beautifully executed with immense skill.

The carving on the tsuba is Sanbaso (三番叟), a sacred, celebratory character from traditional Japanese performing arts like Kabuki and Noh.
The combination of the tall court cap, prominent lolling tongue, pole, and carp corresponds to specific props and rituals performed in the traditional Okina and Sanbaso dances
The Tall Cap (eboshi): Sanbaso wears a rigid black court cap called an eboshi (烏帽子) to signify his high ritual status as a deity who prays for a bountiful harvest and peace: In certain energetic interpretations of the dance, Sanbaso’s face contorts, often displaying a lolling tongue to channel the vibrant, earthly spirit of the gods.The Pole & Carp: He is universally depicted as a jovial, smiling man carrying a traditional fishing rod in one hand, and a large red sea bream (tai) or a giant carp (koi) in the other.
He wears a traditional court cap called a kazaori eboshi (a folded, pointed black cap worn by nobles in ancient Japan)..

The kashira depicts the a lantern is of a romantic but tragic ghost story, it is likely the classic Japanese folktale Botan Dōrō (The Peony Lantern).
A handsome samurai named Hagiwara falls in love with a beautiful woman named Otsuyu. She visits him every night carrying a distinctive paper lantern that glows with a pale, ghostly light.
It is eventually revealed that Otsuyu is a ghost and her companion is an equally dead spirit. The samurai is warned to stop seeing them, but he succumbs to his love and is eventually found cold and dead in his room, his servant blowing out the weird, yellow flame of the peony lantern.

The fuchi is In Japanese folklore, the specific combination of a human-faced octopus and a turtle usually points to the infamous Tako Nyūdō, a human-faced octopus yōkai, and a Kappa, the legendary turtle-like water monster. Together, they represent the eerie and highly revered shapeshifters of the deep water.The Turtle: The KappaThe Kappa is one of Japan's most celebrated yōkai. Known as "river-children," they live in the lakes and streams of Japan. They resemble a mix of a human child and a turtle, with scaly or slimy skin, webbed hands and feet, and a hard turtle-like shell (carapace) on their back. On their head, they have a shallow depression or "dish" (sara) filled with water. This water is their source of power and life; if it spills or dries out, the Kappa becomes severely weakened.
Kappas are known as mischievous trickster water deities who enjoy sumo wrestling and eating cucumbers. However, they can also be deadly, occasionally dragging unsuspecting humans or animals into the water to drown them.

Countless samurai revered the performing arts, and several even left the warrior class to become professional kabuki actors, or established theatres of their own. Famous warriors with direct ties to kabuki include, Sakata Tōjūrō I a former samurai who founded the sophisticated wagoto (soft style) romantic acting in 17th-century Kyoto.
Ichikawa Danjūrō, an actor and son of a low-ranking samurai who created the dynamic, bombastic aragoto acting style.

The great Miyamoto Musashi, the revered "sword saint" himself was not a performer, but he loved kabuki and its culture. He became a popular subject for plays during his own lifetime.Many other historical figures became the very subjects of kabuki, which often served as a subversive way for the public and actors to praise legendary samurai. Notable legends adapted for the kabuki stage include:
Minamoto no Yoshitsune, a tragic, iconic general and the subject of several classic plays.The 47 Ronin, a legendary tale of masterless samurai avenging their fallen lord.Sakura Sōgorō: A historical farmer-hero whose rebellion inspired Japan's first modern political kabuki play

Three legendary figures of the Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods—Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu—are the most famous samurai who revered and patronized Noh theatre. These warlords studied the art, performed it themselves, and established Noh as the official ceremonial performance of the military government.The profound connection between these samurai commanders and Noh is detailed below:Oda Nobunaga (1534–1582), he frequently recited and danced the famous excerpt "Atsumori," which centers on the tragedy of a young fallen warrior from the Gempei War. Nobunaga viewed his own military ambitions in the dramatic and fatalistic light of these Noh epics.Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–1598): He took his passion a step further by studying under the Konparu School and performing on stage. He even commissioned new plays that cast himself as the victorious protagonist.
Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616), made Noh the official ceremonial performance (shikigaku) for all state events, which solidified its status among the samurai elite

Overall in very good condition, small saya split under the sageo at the base of the kozuka slot.  read more

Code: 26247