A Superb & Stunningly Beautiful Ancient Roman, Solid Silver, Serpent Head Armilla. Likely of a Centurion, Equites or Patrician. Around 1900 to 1800 Years Old. Worn From The Period of Emperors Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus, & Commodus

An amazing survivor from the time of some of the most famous and renowned of all the ancient Roman Emperors;
Trajan (98–117 CE)
Hadrian (117–138 CE)
Antoninus Pius (138–161 CE)
Marcus Aurelius (161–180 CE)
Lucius Verus (161–169 CE)
Commodus (177–192 CE)
Publius Helvius Pertinax (January–March 193 CE)
Marcus Didius Severus Julianus (March–June 193 CE)
Septimius Severus (193–211 CE)

Being of silver it was the prerogative and use of only the higher ranking Roman as a sign of status. Silver and gold were limited for the use and adornment of only the superior status grade of ancient Roman, be they military or civilian. Made and used by a mid to high ranking military citizen such as centurion or equites, or of the governing citizen class known as patricians.

Patricians were considered the upper class in early Roman society. They controlled the best land and made up the majority of the Roman senate. It was rare—if not impossible—for a plebeian to be a senator until 444 BC. In appearance, they were chiefly distinguished from the plebs by their dyed and ornamented shoes (calceus patricius). A common type of social relation in ancient Rome was the clientela system that involved a patron and client(s) that performed services for one another and who were engaged in strong business-like relationships. Patricians were most often the patrons, and they would often have multiple plebeian clients. Patrons provided many services to their clients in exchange for a promise of support if the patron went to war. This patronage system was one of the class relations that most tightly bound Roman society together, while also protecting patrician social privileges. Clientela continued into the late Roman society, spanning almost the entirety of the existence of ancient Rome. Patricians also exclusively controlled the office of the censor, which controlled the census, appointed senators, and oversaw other aspects of social and political life. Through the censors, patricians were able to maintain their status over the plebeians.

Through the military ranks centurions were divided into grades. First Spear (primus pilus): The primus pilus was the commanding centurion of the first century of the first cohort and the most senior centurion of a legion. The primus pilus could be promoted to praefectus castrorum. On retirement, he would most likely gain entry into the equestrian class.primi ordines: They were the five centurions of the first cohort and included the primus pilus. They outranked all centurions from other cohorts. pilus prior: A centurion in command of the first century of a cohort, making him the senior centurion of the cohort. During a battle, the pilus prior was in command of his cohort. They would have been veteran centurions, who had been promoted through the cohorts.
Pilus posterior: The second centurion in a cohort.

Princeps prior: The third centurion in a cohort.

Princeps posterior: The fourth centurion in a cohort.

Hastatus prior: The fifth centurion in a cohort.

Hastatus posterior: The sixth centurion in a cohort.

Jewellery in the Roman Republic
The core ideologies of the Roman Republic, centred around moderation and restraint, meant that elaborate jewellery was relatively unpopular until the transformation to imperial rule. The law of the Twelve Tables in the 5th century BC, limited the amount of gold which might have been buried with the dead. The Lex Oppia, 3rd century BC, fixed at half of an ounce the amount of gold which a Roman lady might have worn. During the Roman Empire, however, jewellery became a public display of wealth and power for the elite.
Rings of the higher ranks were often embellished with intaglios, cameos and precious gemstones. Mythology and Roman history were used as a repertoire of decorative themes. Roman rings featuring carved gemstones, such as carnelian, garnet or chalcedony, were often engraved with the depiction of deities, allegories and zoomorphic creatures. Snake-inspired jewels held many amuletic connotations. In particular, snakes were associated with the healing snake of Asclepius, the Roman god of medicine and science.

54mm wide, approx 13 grms

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: 25473

A Very Good & Highly Desirable, 19th Century Pistol Powder Flask For Cased Duellers or Revolver

The most desirable kind of antique powder flask. The large fowling piece flasks can be very inexpensive, but the small 'cased pistol' sized flasks are incredibly sought after, as they can fit into cases were the flask is missing beautifully and complete a cased set perfectly..

A very good flask with crescent and bush embossed design, good spring and nice patination. All good seams. A great find for those that have a cased revolver single or pair or a pair of cased duellers lacking their flask. We show several cased pistols all with similar sized pistol flasks, including a cased pair of Colt pocket revolvers, and a pair of Durs Egg duellers.The flask is 4.75 inches long overall, max width 2 inches.  read more

Code: 21924

A Beautiful Samurai Shinto Kirin Based Tanto Fabulous Signed Blade by Echizen Ju Yasutsugu

With an armour or even helmet piercing blade. The whole tanto is completely remarkable in that it is likely to have been completely untouched since the day it was made, it has all its original fittings from the Edo period including the tsukaito wrap on the hilt and the lacquer on the saya, the Saya is decorated with a stylised Kilin to match the fittings, the blade is stunning and shows fabulous deep choji hamon, this is a truly exceptional tanto,

The blade is extra thick at the base and shows its penetrating qualities and ability to cut through metal armour or even the iron plates of a helmet, this is a beautiful and remarkable tanto. The fuchigashira mounts are pure gold over shakudo of Kirin or Qilin, in deep takebori relief carving. The menuki are also Kirin, of shakedown inlaid with swirls of pure gold. The Kirin in Japanese, qilin (in Chinese: 麒麟; pinyin: qílín) is a mythical hooved chimerical creature known in Chinese and other East Asian cultures, said to appear with the imminent arrival or passing of a sage or illustrious ruler. It is a good omen thought to occasion prosperity or serenity. It is often depicted with what looks like fire all over its body. It is sometimes called the “Chinese unicorn” when compared with the Western unicorn. The Japanese kirin looked more like the Sin-you lion-like beast. Some later Japanese netsuke portray a Kirin that has wings that look like the Central Asian winged horse with horns or the Sphinx. Or they become increasingly dragon-like like Chinese Qilins.
The Kirin / Qilin can sometimes be depicted as having a single horn as in the Western tradition, or as having two horns. In modern Chinese the word for “unicorn” is 独角兽 “du jiao shou”, and a Qilin that is depicted as a unicorn, or 1-horned, is called “Du jiao Qilin” 独角麒麟 meaning “1-horned Qilin” or “Unicorn Qilin”. However, there are several kinds of Chinese mythical creatures which also are unicorns, not just Qilin. Qilin generally have Chinese dragon-like features.
Most notably their heads, eyes with thick eyelashes, manes that always flow upward and beards. The bodies are fully or partially scaled, though often shaped like an ox, deer or horse’s, and always with cloven hooves. In modern times, the depictions of Qilin have often fused with the Western concept of unicorns.
In legend, the Qilin became dragon-like and then tiger-like after their disappearance in East Asia and finally a stylised representation of the giraffe in Ming Dynasty. The identification of the Qilin with giraffes began after Zheng's voyage to East Africa according to recent scholarship. The modern Japanese word for giraffe is also kirin, which bears the same derived ideas. Shakudo is a billon of gold and copper (typically 4-10% gold, 96-90% copper) which can be treated to form an indigo/black patina resembling lacquer. Unpatinated shakudo Visually resembles bronze; the dark color is induced by applying and heating rokusho, a special patination formula.

Shakudo Was historically used in Japan to construct or decorate katana fittings such as tsuba, menuki, and kozuka; as well as other small ornaments. When it was introduced to the West in the mid-19th century, it was thought to be previously unknown outside Asia, but recent studies have suggested close similarities to certain decorative alloys used in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome.  read more

Code: 24942

Original Kai Gunto Japanese WW2 Naval Officer's Sword All The Traditional Fittings, Including The Signed Blade, by 伊奈波 兼吉 Inaba Kaneyoshi, A Kaigun Jumei Tosho Smith 海軍受命刀匠 . All Its Superior Grade Fittings Are In Great Condition A Most Desirable Maker

This is a superb original souvenir bring-back of the WW2 Pacific Theatre and the participating Imperial Japanese Navy. Like so many fine original Japanese swords we are constantly seeking and offering, this WW2 beauty would be near impossible to improve upon in so many respects. Such as condition, superior quality, it’s totally completeness in every way since acquired by the Japanese naval officer {likely of high rank} and hand made by a most collectable fully traditional naval swordsmith of WW2. Plus, it clearly shows the subtle signs of its prepared use for combat, likely during landing party service, during the conquest of so many regions lands and islands in the Pacific theatre. We are incredibly fortunate, that, due to being likely the premier Japanese sword dealers in the world, we can, and do, cherry-pick what we consider to be the very best best available swords from all our private contacts, and descendant families, of the swords original UK owners since acquisition the 1870’s, and up to the families of combat veterans of the Pacific War in WW2,

It has a superb naval stainless blade, and all the original koshirae are matching parts, all the mounts, the tsuba dai seppa, and the blade, that even the blades nakago, is assembly numbered 1576, to match all the other parts stamped numbers. The blade is very nicely signed 伊奈波 兼吉 Inaba Kaneyoshi, and also with his Naval arsenal stamp and Inaba kokuin. Some researchers believe he had a connection, reflected by his separate Inaba location stamp, with either Mount Inaba, or the Inaba Shrine

The tang is stamped with the "伊" of Inaba and the Anchor stamp of Toyokawa Navy Arsenal stamp, and Japanese Kai-Gunto naval officers swords are especially rare to survive, given that they so many usually went down with the ships, with their officers, that suffered badly from the continued {and well deserved} assaults and sinkings from the allied navies, though, to a degree, mostly from the US Navy, during 1942 and 1943, then with the British Pacific Fleet from 1944, with the Australian navy. From the beginning of the British Empire WW2 period, that lasted over two years longer than the combined Allied period when America joined, only the British and Australian navy faced and sank Japanese vessels, with able and heroic assistance from the Royal Netherlands Navy ships. {see below for details of the often forgotten heroic Royal Netherlands Navy WW2 service}

This particular example has the typical WW2 pattern naval fittings and deluxe grade samegawa giant rayskin saya {as opposed to the more standard grade black lacquer saya}.

It has a typical, numbering, to all the mounts and blade and they are all matching, and a traditional three part naval oval tsuba {with two sunburst seppa dai} also numbered and matching, the tsuka (handle) has two menuki (grip decorations), and kabuto-gane (pommel end cap), with the wooden securing peg still present. Good original sea-green tsuka-Ito {hilt binding with a small wear area at one point} wrapped over coarse, black, crinkle finish leather with traditional Showa cherry-blossom decorative design to all the mounts.

The condition of the blade, is in super order, with areas of surface marks left to show its age, and signs wartime of pre-combat, field service, edge honing.
Fortunately, these beautifully crafted swords were used on board ship, so the army version was far more likely to bear considerable wear, through considerable marching and combat through jungle warfare etc

The scabbard is covered in deluxe naval service samegawa {giant rayskin}, and has gilt brass fittings, now with good gilding and all of the fittings are crisp and very good
The two original scabbard hanging mounts are present, and the condition is excellent plus.

Really it is once more a super example of an original, Imperial Japanese Navy Officer’s Kai-Gunto, now in pristine condition with clear signature.

Inaba Kaneyoshi (伊奈波兼吉) was a commissioned swordsmith (Kaigun Jumei Tosho) who forged kai-gunto (Japanese naval officer swords) during World War II. Operating out of Aichi Prefecture (often associated with the Seki tradition), his real name was Matsubara Shozo. His wartime blades are highly distinctive and identifiable through specific markings on the tang (nakago)
Often signed as Inaba (伊奈波) or his full smith name Inaba Kaneyoshi (伊奈波兼吉). Frequently features the stamp of the Toyokawa Naval Arsenal (an anchor inside a circle). Often bears an authenticity stamp (resembling the character 伊 or a specialized authentication mark). He is well known among militaria collectors for producing specialized stainless steel blades used during the war.Today, his blades serve as highly sought-after historical artifacts from the Pacific theatre, giving insight into wartime Japanese metallurgy and naval armament

Kaigun Jumei Tosho (海軍受命刀匠) translates to "Navy-commissioned swordsmith". In World War II Japan, these were certified swordsmiths exclusively contracted by the Imperial Japanese Navy to forge traditional katana (kaigunto) for naval officers.They were the naval equivalent of the better-known Rikugun Jumei Tosho (Army-commissioned swordsmiths). Certification & Quotas: To earn this title, smiths had to pass rigorous tests and quality evaluations. Once accepted, they were provided with regular allocations of tamahagane (traditional steel) or high-quality mill steel by the Navy.

Unlike regular factory blades, the blades they produced were typically gendaito (traditionally handmade swords). Many of these smiths operated out of or near naval arsenals, such as the base at Miho.
To prevent low-quality mass-produced swords from tarnishing the military's reputation, these smiths subjected their pieces to strict inspection and impact testing prior to issue

It has been over one thousand years ago that the art of making swords appeared in Japan. The swordsmiths of the time may not have known it but they were creating a legendary sword. The Samurai sword has seen combat in many tens of thousands battlefields. From the early days of the Samurai warrior to the fierce battles in the South Pacific during WWII.

From the earliest days hand-made traditional the Samurai sword was unique because it was forged using the finest skills known to man. A tremendous amount of work was dedicated to creating these pieces. They were an instrument of war as much as a beautiful artifact to adorn any decor.

The Samurai sword has grown to be one of the most highly desired military antiques of all time.

The 1937 Pattern Japanese Naval Sword, known as the Kai-Guntō (海軍刀, Sea Military Sword), was formally enacted in October 1937 as the official sidearm for Imperial Japanese Navy officers. These mounts were designed to be more practical for combat than previous, more delicate dress swords, yet they retained traditional elements and were often fitted with high-quality stainless steel blades.

Photo of a Japanese naval captain’s sword, identical to this sword, and his Nambu pistol, examined by commonwealth naval officers, after the capture of the Japanese ship. Plus, another photo showing Admiral Nimitz after the war, admiring his war trophy sword, a Japanese Admiral's sword, identical to this sword we offer..

The British Pacific Fleet (BPF) was a Royal Navy formation that saw action against Japan during the Second World War. It was formed from aircraft carriers, other surface warships, submarines and supply vessels of the RN and British Commonwealth navies in November 1944.

After formation in Ceylon, the BPF began with operations against Japanese resources in Sumatra before moving to Australia where it made its headquarters at Sydney with a forward base at Manus Island off Papua New Guinea. The fleet supported the invasion of Okinawa in March 1945 by neutralising the Sakishima Islands. Though subjected to heavy attacks by Japanese aircraft, their well-armoured carriers and modern fighter aircraft gave effective protection. Submarines attached to the fleet sank Japanese shipping, and in July 1945 the fleet joined in the bombardment of the Japanese home islands. By the time Japan surrendered in August 1945, the fleet included four battleships, six fleet carriers, fifteen smaller carriers and over 750 aircraft.

All original matching parts koshirae tsuba and nakago, numbered 1576. Signed 伊奈波 兼吉Inaba Kaneyoshi

The tang is stamped with the "伊" of Inaba and the Anchor stamp of Toyokawa Navy Arsenal stamp.

The Royal Netherlands Navy fought the early phases of WWII in both European waters (1940) and the Pacific against the Japanese advance (1941–1942). The fleet suffered heavy casualties but achieved notable successes, particularly with its submarine and minelayer divisions. Light Cruisers HNLMS De Ruyter: Served as the flagship for the joint Allied fleet (ABDA) and was sunk during the Battle of the Java Sea in February 1942. HNLMS Java & HNLMS Sumatra: Java was lost alongside De Ruyter in the Java Sea. Sumatra was evacuated to the UK and later scuttled as a breakwater off Normandy during the 1944 D-Day landings. HNLMS Tromp: Survived the early Pacific battles, including the Battle of Badung Strait, and continued service throughout the war.
DestroyersAdmiralen-class: Included Van Ghent, Kortenaer, Piet Hein, Evertsen, Witte de With, and Banckert. These ships actively engaged Japanese forces in the Java Sea and Sunda Strait campaigns; several were sunk in early 1942.
SubmarinesHNLMS O 21 & HNLMS Dolfijn: Achieved significant success in the Mediterranean, where Dutch submarines sunk multiple Axis warships.
HNLMS O 16 & HNLMS K XVI: Both successfully engaged and sunk Japanese transport ships in the Pacific before being lost to mines and torpedoes in late 1941.
Minelayers / EscortsHNLMS Abraham Crijnssen: Famous for successfully evading Japanese forces by camouflaging itself as a tropical island and safely escaping to Australia.
HNLMS Willem van der Zaan: Escorted Allied convoys and operated in both the Pacific and the Atlantic.
It must always be remembered, all the above ships were crewed by Netherlanders whose families were in the NAZI occupied Netherlands, or as POWs of the Japanese. It must have clearly been particularly fraught time for those men.  read more

Code: 26232

An Original, Patriotic War Period Infantryman’s, Red Army Russian Service Belt From A WW2 Veteran

Just acquired from it's original owner who served in the USSR's Red army in WW2 and in the early Cold War Era. This was his Red Star service belt that he wore, and another belt we show in the gallery was from his comrade who served in the USSR navy [now sold]. With it's original leather belt. A most scarce original example straight from it's original owner. The Red Workers' and Peasants' Army was the name given to the army and the air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and from 1922 the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. It was established in the immediate period after the 1917 October Revolution (Red October or Bolshevik Revolution), when the Bolsheviks constituted an army during the Russian Civil War opposite the military confederations (especially the combined groups summarized under the preamble White Army) of their adversaries. From February 1939, the Red Army, who together with the Soviet Navy, embodied the main component of the Soviet Armed Forces, took the official name "Soviet Army" until its dissolution in December 1991.  read more

Code: 18089

Solid Silver Hallmarked L.Z.127 Graf Zeppelin Airship Aerospace Medal 1928 Issue

Zeppelin Aerospace medal in solid siver.
Silver medal 1928 (J. Bernhart) Airship LZ 127 "Graf Zeppelin". Half-length portraits of Zeppelin and Eckener side by side to the left / Airship over ocean. Edge stamped hallmark: PREUSS. STATE COIN. SILVER 900 FINE. 36 mm, 24.37 g Fine patina,

L.Z.127 Graf Zeppelin airship medals, one awarded in 1928 the other 1929. Sold separately, acquired with the Ortsgruppenleiter's armband taken as war souvenirs in 1945, sadly the name of the NSDAP Ortsgruppenleiter and his medals was not noted at the time.

LZ127 it was originally owned and run by Deutsche Luftschiffahrts-Aktiengesellschaft German Airship Transportation Corporation Ltd But in 1935 Reich Minister of Aviation, Hermann Göring insisted that a new agency be created to extend Party control over LZ Group. A personal rivalry between Göring and Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels also played a role.Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei was therefore incorporated on 22 March 1935 as a joint venture between Zeppelin Luftschiffbau, the Ministry of Aviation, and Deutsche Luft Hansa.

LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin was a German passenger-carrying, hydrogen-filled rigid airship which flew from 1928 to 1937. It was designed and built to show that intercontinental airship travel was practicable. Its operational history included several long flights, such as a polar exploration mission, a round-the-world trip, trips to the Middle East and the Americas (operating five years of regular passenger and mail flights from Germany to Brazil), and latterly being used as a propaganda vehicle for the ruling Nazi Party. The airship was withdrawn from service following the Hindenburg disaster.

Photo in the gallery of the medals with the armband of the Ortsgruppenleiter, from whom the medals came from all sold seperately

Although to most this piece looks like a coin, in Germany and also in France, medals could come in the table medal variety, not ever meant to be worn but for display in a table cabinet or mounted and framed. Awarded for the same reason as a medal made to be only worn on the person, as all British medals are.  read more

Code: 24904

A Most Rare And Highly Collectable The Chained 1936 SS-Ehrendolch ( "SS Honour Dagger") With Meine Ehre heißt Treue Blade, Only Ever Allowed To Be Awarded, Worn & Owned By The SS Old Guard Officers Of Pre-1935 Service

The 1936 "chained" SS service dagger was officially authorized in August 1936. To be eligible to wear or receive it, SS personnel had to meet strict criteria based on rank and length of service.
All SS Officers who had held their rank since no later than November 9, 1935.
Any SS member (officer or enlisted) who had completed at least three consecutive years of service in the SS.
The dagger, officially known as the Model 1936, was distinguished from the earlier Model 1933 by its distinctive black-painted scabbard and a metal chain hanger featuring alternating SS runes and skulls.

The daggers were given out at an awarding ceremony that took place on 9 November, the official founding date of the SS, which was conducted according to strict rules developed by Heinrich Himmler. The annual November 9th ceremonies involving Heinrich Himmler and the SS were massive state-sanctioned events in Nazi Germany. They centered around two main elements: the commemoration of the failed 1923 Beer Hall Putsch and the dark, neo-pagan rituals designed to bind the SS to Adolf Hitler. The Midnight SS Oath Ceremony The night of November 9 featured a highly symbolic SS ceremony in front of the Feldherrnhalle in Munich.
At midnight, thousands of newly recruited SS troops lined the torch-lit streets to swear personal allegiance to Adolf Hitler.
Designed as an almost religious rite, the ceremony emphasized absolute loyalty and cemented the SS as the fanatical, racial vanguard of the Nazi state. In addition to this dagger presented at the ceremony there may also be the SS Honour Ring (Ehrenring) and SS Honour Sword (Degen).

Here is the typical, superior version and rarest dagger used by SS officers, and awarded in 1936, and it is the most popular of all the National Socialist weapons, enjoying vast admiration and desirability in the WWII collecting field. This is a nice example, with black enamel paint scabbard. This one has a good blade, not maker marked exactly as it should be, as the '1936 chained' was never maker marked. The chains top loop is sometimes referred to as “Wotan’s Knot.” The SS proof stamp is very clear and sharp on the second up link of the chain. This is called the “Kulturzeichen.” The skulls and runes have superb definition. The external metal surface has as usual aging marks overall, as is to be expected on these rarest of German daggers.
If any service member of the elite SS brought the organisation into disrepute he could be imprisoned and his dagger and ring confiscated, despite each SS dagger being purchased by every owner. They were always issued, often during a ceremony on the 9th November, but they always had to be paid for by the recipient.

In a National Socialist Workers Party context, the phrase Meine Ehre heißt Treue refers to a declaration by Adolf Hitler following the Stennes Revolt, an incident between the Berlin Sturmabteilung (SA) and the SS. In early April 1931, elements of the SA under Walter Stennes attempted to overthrow the head of the Berlin section of the NSDAP (Nazi Party). As the section chief, Joseph Goebbels, fled with his staff, a handful of SS under Kurt Daluege were beaten trying to repel the SA. After the incident, Hitler wrote a letter of congratulations to Daluege, stating … SS-Mann, deine Ehre heißt Treue! ("Man of the SS, your honour is loyalty").
Soon afterwards, Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler, made the modified version of this sentence the official motto of the organisation.

The Schutzstaffel translated to Protection Squadron or defence corps, abbreviated SS—was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP). It began in 1923 as a small, permanent guard unit known as the "Saal-Schutz" made up of NSDAP volunteers to provide security for Nazi Party meetings in Munich. Later, in 1925, Heinrich Himmler joined the unit, which had by then been reformed and renamed the "Schutz-Staffel". Under Himmler's leadership (1929–45), it grew from a small paramilitary formation to one of the largest and most powerful organizations in the Third Reich. One link is an old contemporary replacement.

The dagger of a former SS-Hauptsturmführer (Captain) or SS-Obersturmführer (First Lieutenant), the aide of Oberst, formerly SS-Obersturmführer, Johann Gottlieb Hans Freiherr von Wolff. SS Nr 9616. His chained dagger we acquired from his illegitimate child’s family and sold over 10 years ago. The Obersturmführer, a Knights Cross with oak leaf recipient, transferred to a Heer panzer division and died in 1944 on a training exercise on the Eastern Front. His dagger was given to his daughter’s mother (not his wife) by a faithful former aide, His aide’s dagger was given to the mother at the same time but little information is known of him, Apparently the oberst retained his honorary SS rank despite transferring to a combat panzer role. He was awarded the SS honour ring from Himmler on December 1st 1936, but the fate of it is unknown  read more

Code: 26233

An Original Medieval Caltrop 13th-15th Century, Recovered From the Battle Site of Agincourt. Known to The Ancient Romans As A Tribulus. One of The Oldest Forms of Incredibly Effective Combined Offensive & Defensive Strategies of War

Part of an incredible collection of Roman, Viking, and Medieval antiquities we have just acquired, including these amazingly interesting pieces, a few, original, battlefield recovered caltrops from the Anglo French wars of the 14th and early 15th centuries, all acquired from a ‘Grand Tour’ of 1820, either from the regions surrounding the battle site of Agincourt, . Some were listed specifically as from Agincourt, others as from either the Poitiers or Crecy battle sites. However they were all constructed the same by English blacksmith armourers, between 600 to 700 years ago. As well as historically incredibly interesting it is also an amazing, and especially a somewhat gruesome, conversation piece.

In many respects as equally important to the medieval former King’s armies at the time as the long bow and arrow. Yet they have almost disappeared from the history books as to their incredible significance and highly useful service in all of those battles. For example, by just 50 men casting thousands of these caltrops, across, say, a 25 acre field, it would effectively deny an entire French army the ability to out-flank the British across that particular terrain. Thus, with that ingenious ability, a king could manipulate to a great degree, and with relative ease, an entire defensive or offensive position for an oncoming battle, or even hopefully negate a surprise attack from a particular direction. And to caste them behind the ranks of a retreating army would create a huge advantage potentially for survival against an attack from behind. There is no greater advantage to the discouragement of an enemy French foot soldier to know that he, and up to fifty percent of his pursuing force comrades, might well be crippled for life before even engaging with the enemy English in hand to hand combat. Upon being caste on hard and barren flat ground, in daylight, they would be easy to spot and thus, with relative caution, avoid, but upon grassy ground, or woodland, especially when the ground was wet, they would be near impossible to see.

The caltrop is an ancient anti-personnel weapon made up of forged and very heavy grade sharp nails or spines arranged in a pyramidical manner so that one of them always points upward from a triple spine stable base. In the wars with France they could be issued to English foot soldiers to caste behind if they made a rapid withdrawal and were likely to be pursued. Used thus they would incapacitate, often permanently, an infantryman or foot knight, if trodden upon, and create the same result if trodden upon by a harsh man’s mount. They would also be forged in significant numbers in order to remove or deny an area of a battlefield or defences from the enemy’s access. The prominent spike being of such a height and strength, they would easy penetrate the thickest leather shoe sole, and especially a bare foot or hoof, as many medieval soldiers marched and fought barefooted.
Iron caltrops were used as early as 331 BC at Gaugamela according to Quintus Curtius (IV.13.36). They were known to the Romans as tribulus or sometimes as Murex ferreus, the latter meaning 'jagged iron'.

Richard Lassels, an expatriate Roman Catholic priest, first used the phrase “Grand Tour” in his 1670 book Voyage to Italy, published posthumously in Paris in 1670. In its introduction, Lassels listed four areas in which travel furnished "an accomplished, consummate traveler" with opportunities to experience first hand the intellectual, the social, the ethical, and the political life of the Continent.

The English gentry of the 17th century believed that what a person knew came from the physical stimuli to which he or she has been exposed. Thus, being on-site and seeing famous works of art and history was an all important part of the Grand Tour. So most Grand Tourists spent the majority of their time visiting museums and historic sites.

Once young men began embarking on these journeys, additional guidebooks and tour guides began to appear to meet the needs of the 20-something male and female travelers and their tutors traveling a standard European itinerary. They carried letters of reference and introduction with them as they departed from southern England, enabling them to access money and invitations along the way.

With nearly unlimited funds, aristocratic connections and months or years to roam, these wealthy young tourists commissioned paintings, perfected their language skills and mingled with the upper crust of the Continent.

The wealthy believed the primary value of the Grand Tour lay in the exposure both to classical antiquity and the Renaissance, and to the aristocratic and fashionably polite society of the European continent. In addition, it provided the only opportunity to view specific works of art, and possibly the only chance to hear certain music. A Grand Tour could last from several months to several years. The youthful Grand Tourists usually traveled in the company of a Cicerone, a knowledgeable guide or tutor.

The ‘Grand Tour’ era of classical acquisitions from history existed up to around the 1850’s, and extended around the whole of Europe, Egypt, the Ottoman Empire, and the Holy Land.

Caltrops, known as tribulus to Romans, were recorded as used as such in the Battle of Carrhae in 51 BC.
The late Roman writer Vegetius, referring in his work De Re Militari to scythed chariots, wrote:

The armed chariots used in war by Antiochus and Mithridates at first terrified the Romans, but they afterwards made a jest of them. As a chariot of this sort does not always meet with plain and level ground, the least obstruction stops it. And if one of the horses be either killed or wounded, it falls into the enemy's hands. The Roman soldiers rendered them useless chiefly by the following contrivance: at the instant the engagement began, they strewed the field of battle with caltrops, and the horses that drew the chariots, running full speed on them, were infallibly destroyed. A caltrop is a device composed of four spikes or points arranged so that in whatever manner it is thrown on the ground, it rests on three and presents the fourth upright. Undoubtedly the most unusual weapon or military device surviving from seventeenth-century Virginia in America was a caltrop, a single example of which has been found at Jamestown. In fact their importance of use in close combat warfare was so important they were still in use by the British and US special services of the SOE & the OSS, as anti tyred vehicle sabotage devices, caste upon roads and lanes to incapacitate German trucks and staff cars.
Although by then, hand forging was fortunately redundant, as modern manufacturing methods could easily create pointed hollow steel tubed versions to ensure an immediate deflation of tyres.

The Battle of Agincourt;
After several decades of relative peace, the English had renewed their war effort in 1415 amid the failure of negotiations with the French. In the ensuing campaign, many soldiers perished due to disease and the English numbers dwindled, but as they tried to withdraw to English-held Calais they found their path blocked by a considerably larger French army. Despite the disadvantage, the following battle ended in an overwhelming tactical victory for the English.

King Henry V of England led his troops into battle and participated in hand-to-hand fighting. The French king of the time, Charles VI, did not command the French army himself, as he suffered from severe psychotic illnesses with moderate mental incapacitation. Instead, the French were commanded by Constable Charles d'Albret and various prominent French noblemen of the Armagnac party.

This battle is notable for the use of the English longbow in very large numbers, with the English and Welsh archers forming up to 80 percent of Henry's army. The decimation of the French cavalry at their hands is regarded as an indicator of the decline of cavalry and the beginning of the dominance of ranged weapons on the battlefield.

Agincourt is one of England's most celebrated victories. The battle is the centrepiece of the play Henry V by Shakespeare. Juliet Barker in her book Agincourt: The King, the Campaign, the Battle ( published in 2005) argues the English and Welsh were outnumbered "at least four to one and possibly as much as six to one". She suggests figures of about 6,000 for the English and 36,000 for the French, based on the Gesta Henrici's figures of 5,000 archers and 900 men-at-arms for the English, and Jean de Wavrin's statement "that the French were six times more numerous than the English". The 2009 Encyclopædia Britannica uses the figures of about 6,000 for the English and 20,000 to 30,000 for the French.

Generic photos are used here in the photo gallery as they are all taken from of our small collection are extremely similar looking examples of rare, finely handcrafted, original, medieval hammer forged workmanship, recovered from ancient battle sites. Their three dimensional proportions shows they all, approximately, occupy same size {though not shape of course} as an English cricket ball. And they are all now superbly conserved for another millennium, for the enjoyment of future generations for fascinating historic interest.  read more

Code: 23981

Historismus Chinese Bronze Charioteer's Helmet, of Substantial Form and Presence. Ancient C.400 BC, Warring States Archaistic Style. A Stunning Antique & Most Sophisticated Centrepiece For Any Form of Historic Display

A fabulous statement piece, simply perfect as any interior decor centrepiece. Absolutely ideal for every art form display, from contemporary modernist and minimalist, to Georgian elegance, the most lavish oriental chinoiserie, or classic art deco.

This elegant piece could be perfectly at home anywhere, from an all white decor Park Avenue apartment, to a fellow’s rooms at Oxbridge, to a stateroom aboard a superyacht. And especially so, in arguably the most beautiful royal palace interior in Great Britain, just a few hundred yards from our gallery, The Royal Pavilion in Brighton, The artistic possibilities are endless.

A superbly beautiful Archaistic piece, with fine green aged patination, and as ancient tradition dictated, cast in one piece.

In the past 30 years or so we have had only a very few of this style of Archaistic helmet. This is an Historismus, ancient Chinese style example. It is a most beautiful work of art, extremely attractive, and highly decorative, and it would compliment any historical or classical display of arms or antiques. We don't normally acquire or sell Archaistic items but some forms of historismus pieces, especially helmets, have always been desirable and most collectable in their own right.

Historicism or also historism and historismus comprises artistic styles that draw their inspiration from recreating historic styles or imitating the work of historic artisans. This is especially prevalent in architecture, such as revival architecture. Through a combination of different styles or implementation of new elements, historicism can create completely different aesthetics than former styles. Thus it offers a great variety of possible designs.

In the history of art, after Neoclassicism which in the Romantic era could itself be considered a historicist movement, the 19th century saw a new historicist phase marked by an interpretation not only of Greek and Roman classicism, but also of succeeding stylistic eras, which were increasingly considered equivalent. In particular in architecture and in the genre of history painting, in which historical subjects were treated of with great attention to accurate period detail, the global influence of historicism was especially strong from the 1850s onwards. The change is often related to the rise of the bourgeoisie during and after the Industrial Revolution.

The history and evolution of armour in Chinese warfare is difficult to ascertain with certainty, given its often perishable nature, but text descriptions and appearances in art, such as in wall paintings and on pottery figurines, along with surviving metal parts can help reconstruct major developments. Just who wore armour and when is another point of discussion. Military treatises of the Warring States period (c. 481-221 BCE) suggest that all officers of any level wore armour. The same sources contain references to commanders keeping armour in storage bags and distributing it to troops, but at least some of the ordinary conscripted infantry probably had to provide their own. This obviously depended on their means, and being farmers it is unlikely to have been a realistic possibility for most. 31 cm high, weight 3 kilos.

The last three images in the gallery are of our magnificent Regency Oriental Palace, The Royal Pavilion, Brighton.  read more

Code: 22225

An Incredible & Rare To Find In This Condition Souvenir From The Trench Warfare of the Great War. A Very Good German WW1 1915 Discus Grenade, Discushandgranate An Improved 1913 Type

All plungers and heads present, overall in good condition throughout. A great and rare example.

The 1915 discus grenade functioned exactly the same as the first 1913 type but with a pressed instead of cast body.
Its body was made of pressed steel of about 1mm thick.
The fuze assembly was made of an alloy with 4 brass end screws. Throwing the discus in a rotating way, the plungers were driven outwards by the centrifugal force. This was its safety during flight. Striker pins are uncovered as the safety pin falls out during flight. On impact, in theory, one, or possibly two plungers (with primer), would drive itself onto one of the four striker pins.
Unfortunately for the German combatants in practice, when thrown as it was designed, horizontally like a discus, the pins often did not come in contact with anything, and it failed to detonate at the Tommy’s feet. Subsequently, the joyful Tommy would then pick it up; happily return it to sender {the German} by throwing it the wrong way, vertically, whereupon it would explode. Probably, much to the German's annoyance

Inert, empty and safe. Not available for export. UK mainland collectors only  read more

Code: 26230