A Beautiful Full Suit of 16th Century Tudor Style Knight’s Historismus Plate Hall Armour with Halbeard Polearm. Fully Leather Strapped & Buckled So Likely, and Potentially, Wearable

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.

Plate armour is a historical type of personal body armour made from bronze, iron, or steel plates, culminating in the iconic suit of armour entirely encasing the wearer. Full plate steel armour developed in Europe during the Late Middle Ages, especially in the context of the Hundred Years' War, from the coat of plates worn over mail suits during the 14th century.

In Europe, plate armour reached its peak in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. The full suit of armour, also referred to as a panoply, is thus a feature of the very end of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance period. Its popular association with the "medieval knight” is due to the specialised jousting armour which developed in the 16th century.

Full suits of Gothic plate armour were worn on the battlefields of the Burgundian and Italian Wars. The most heavily armoured troops of the period were heavy cavalry, such as the gendarmes and early cuirassiers, but the infantry troops of the Swiss mercenaries and the Landsknechts also took to wearing lighter suits of "three quarters" munition armour, leaving the lower legs unprotected.

The use of plate armour began to decline in the early 17th century, but it remained common both among the nobility and for the cuirassiers throughout the European wars of religion. After the mid-17th century, plate armour was mostly reduced to the simple breastplate or (cuirass), worn by cuirassiers. This was due to the development of the musket, which could penetrate armour at a considerable distance. For infantry, the breastplate gained renewed importance with the development of shrapnel in the late Napoleonic wars.

Plate armour gave the wearer very good protection against sword cuts, as well against spear thrusts, and provided decent defense against blunt weapons.

The evolution of plate armour also triggered developments in the design of offensive weapons. While this armour was effective against cuts or strikes, their weak points could be exploited by thrusting weapons, such as estocs, poleaxes, and halberds. The effect of arrows and bolts is still a point of contention with regard to plate armour. The evolution of the 14th-century plate armour also triggered the development of various polearms. They were designed to deliver a strong impact and concentrate energy on a small area and cause damage through the plate. Maces, war hammers, and pollaxes (poleaxes) were used to inflict blunt force trauma through armour. Strong blows to the head could result in concussion, even if the armour is not penetrated.

Fluted plate was not only decorative, but also reinforced the plate against bending under striking or blunt impact. This offsets against the tendency for flutes to catch piercing blows. In armoured techniques taught in the German school of swordsmanship, the attacker concentrates on these "weak spots", resulting in a fighting style very different from unarmoured sword-fighting. Because of this weakness, most warriors wore a mail shirt (haubergeon or hauberk) beneath their plate armour (or coat-of-plates). Later, full mail shirts were replaced with mail patches, called gussets, which were sewn onto a gambeson or arming jacket. Further protection for plate armour was the use of small round plates called besagews, that covered the armpit area and the addition of couters and poleyns with "wings" to protect the inside of the joint.

Over the past century many visitors will have seen the numerous full suits of plate armour we have had the pleasure of displaying. 15th, 16th and 17th century originals, plus, historismus hall armours. Our most impressive, if some of you may remember, in the 1960’s, was a full suite of equestrian mounted ‘knight on horseback’ armour. And we displayed it in our shop just round the corner, in Prince Albert St, as it had 20 foot high ceilings. It looked just like the example we show as the last photo in the gallery of one such similar in a museum in America. This fabulous set was passed on to our friend and neighbour, the late arms dealer Paul Grafton, who owned the former ‘House of Correction’ for many years, and it occupied his whole shop!, but exceptionally memorable it was.
It was eventually passed on to Holland and Holland, we believe for their bespoke gun shop in London, and thence later, we understand, to an American billionaire who kept it next to his swimming pool, whereupon it became very wet and thus rusty. After that it travelled to New Jersey or Park Avenue, New York possibly, but we sadly lost track of it then

This beautiful full suit of Tudor hall plate armour is very likely circa to post 1900. We don't normally acquire or sell non original items but historismus pieces have always been desireable and most collectable in their own right.
It is offered complete with its bespoke fully fitted display stand as can be seen in the photographs. We can also facilitate bespoke hand delivery within the UK mainland by our own transport  read more

Code: 24964

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

A Superb Edo Period Samurai Jingasa War Hat Helmet

A Jingasa Ichimonji Gasa, circa 1800. The clan mon [family crest] is very distinctive indeed.
A lacquer over cloth and paper constructed helmet, as is traditional of the era. The most used and famous are the various round jingasa that are basically flat with just a small raised central part. Akemi Masaharu calls this type ichimonji gasa (straight-line hats), hira gasa (flat hats) or nuri gasa (lacquered hats). The vast majority of these are made in what Akemi Masaharu calls the dry lacquer technique. This would involve gluing layers of cloth and / or paper together into a wooden mould, perhaps with some thin wood or bamboo strips as reinforcement, until a sufficient thickness was obtained, then lacquering. An alternative was to make them from coiled twisted paper strings, with each turn sewn to the next with another string. When lacquered, the whole structure was stiffened sufficiently to hold its shape. In both cases the result is a lightweight basic shape that could be individualised with decorations in lacquer. Not all of these are made in this way.

Most ichimonji jingasa are black lacquered on top with the owner’s, or his lord’s, kamon in gold on the front. No liner. Areas of lacquer surface cracking as usual for antique lacquer helmets of this type  read more

Code: 21744

A Fabulous Wakizashi by Master Sadahide Student of Masahide Dated 1830

A simply wonderful wide and sizeable blade with fine hamon and incredible tight grain hada. Copper patinated fushi kashira of the ‘tiger in the bamboo grove’. A very good signed copper tsuba with samurai. Original black lacquer saya with fine kozuka utility knife. As Sukehiro and Shinkai were highly praised by Kamada Natae in his book he wrote in this period swordsmiths begun to imitate their works making strong shape and Hamon in Toran-Ha. Swords in this period imitated the Osaka style. Then Masahide ( one of most famous sword smiths in Shinshinto time ) advocated in his book that "we should make swords by the method of the Koto era." With this final aim swordsmiths begun to create their own steels trying to reach the quality of the ancient one. Combining materials which have different quantity of carbon, a good Jihada will appear. Therefore, swordsmiths used a lot of materials like old nails and the like to adjust the quantity of carbon to be suitable for swordmaking.Even today this steel is called Oroshi-gane. As already said an easy way to produce Tamahagane was available in Shinto time and swordsmith could get good quality Tamahagane. Therefore, it seems that most of them didn't make their own Oroshi-gane. But some swordsmiths like Kotetsu or Hankei followed Masahide suggestions and reached a top-quality level combining ancient iron/steel with modern one. In effect Ko-Tetsu means "ancient steel". Exceptionally powerful 16inch blade  read more

Code: 20552

A Superb Antique, Shinto Era, Unokubi (鵜首) Zukuri Blade Tantō, Late 16th To Early 17th Century, from the Battle of Sekigahara, Shinjitai: 関ヶ原の戦い; Kyūjitai: 關ヶ原の戰い With, Signed Kaboku, 'Nakago Form' Kozuka Side Knife With Imperial Chrysanthemum Mon

The kozuka {side knife} is signed, Koboku, who was a master swordsmith and surgeon to the lord of Mito. He was a famous swordsmith of legend mysteriously assassinated in 1703 during his retirement, yet not before he killed his unknown assassin using his dismembered arm.

A really nice and rare form of samurai tanto fitted with all its original Edo period koshirae Including a superb stunning urushi lacquer 'pine needle' decor saya with buffalo horn fittings, {kurigata, sayajiri}. Iron tetsu tsuba, signed, and decorated with a dragon in the foreground with mountains under clouds at the rear. Patinated copper fuchi of flowers, and a pair of iron rectagular menuki inlaid with flowers, underneath the rich brown coloured silk tsukaito {binding}. The silver inlay in the menuki is now blacked with age and very difficult to see. Made from around the era of the Battle of Sekigahara, Shinjitai: 関ヶ原の戦い; Kyūjitai: 關ヶ原の戰い

Unokubi (鵜首): Is an uncommon tantō blade style akin to the kanmuri-otoshi, with a back that grows abruptly thinner around the middle of the blade; however, the unokubi zukuri regains its thickness just before the point. There is normally a short, wide groove {hi} extending to the midway point on the blade, this is a most unusual form of unokubi zukuri blade tanto without a hi. It has a beautiful habaki, set in its original Edo period pine needle uriushi lacquered saya.The blade is absolutely beautiful.

A Very Nice Edo Period Shinto Era 'Nakago Form' Kodzuka Iron body inlaid with copper , with the signature kanji of Kaboku, and the Imperial chrysanthemum mon. Kodzuka have been collectable items for many centuries, simply as works of art, even though they were functional knife handles, for the utility blades that fitted into wakizashi, tanto and katana saya. They can vary in quality, and this is a most fine example, inlaid with pure copper. What is particularly scarce is that it is shaped like the tang of the sword, complete with simulated mekugi ana, and signed in much the same way. This type is rare and very collectable. a long thin blade that slotted into it's opening, and the blade was often considered to be almost of a disposable nature, with the handle itself being the prized part.

The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: 関ヶ原の戦い; Kyūjitai: 關ヶ原の戰い,Sekigahara no Tatakai) was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu Prefecture, Japan, at the end of the Sengoku period. This battle was fought by the forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu against a coalition of Toyotomi loyalist clans under Ishida Mitsunari, several of which defected before or during the battle, leading to a Tokugawa victory. The Battle of Sekigahara was the largest battle of Japanese feudal history and is often regarded as the most important. Mitsunari's defeat led to the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate.

Tokugawa Ieyasu took three more years to consolidate his position of power over the Toyotomi clan and the various daimyō, but the Battle of Sekigahara is widely considered to be the unofficial beginning of the Tokugawa shogunate, which ruled Japan for another two and a half centuries

A tanto would most often be worn by Samurai, and it was very uncommon to come across a non samurai with a tanto. It was not only men who carried these daggers, women would on occasions carry a small tanto called a kaiken in their obi which would be used for self-defence. In feudal Japan a tanto would occasionally be worn by Samurai in place of the wakizashi in a combination called the daisho, which roughly translates as big-little, in reference to the big Samurai Sword (Katana) and the small dagger (tanto). Before the rise of the katana it was more common for a Samurai to carry a tachi and tanto combination as opposed to a katana and wakizashi.
The lacquer saya has 'pine needle' decor, a highly complex design of pine needles laid upon black lacquer, in a seemingly random pattern, but in reality each pine needle was strategically placed upon them, one at a time, to give the impression they fell naturally upon the ground, from above, from a pine tree. The surface was then lacquered in clear transparent urushi lacquer to create a uniform smooth surface. in the Edo period it would take anything around a year or more to create a samurai sword saya, as the lacquer coating would be anything up to 12 coats deep, and each would take a month to dry as they were made using on natural materials, not modern quick drying synthetic cellulose lacquers as used today.

Japanese lacquer, or urushi, is a transformative and highly prized material that has been refined for well over 7000 years. The use of natural lacquer, known as urushi, has a 9,000-year history in Japan. Lacquered artifacts dating back to the prehistoric Jomon period (10,000–300 BCE) have been found at various archeological sites throughout Japan.
Cherished for its infinite versatility, urushi is a distinctive art form that has spread across all facets of Japanese culture from the tea ceremony to the saya scabbards of samurai swords
Japanese artists created their own style and perfected the art of decorated lacquerware during the 8th century. Japanese lacquer skills reached its peak as early as the twelfth century, at the end of the Heian period (794-1185). This skill was passed on from father to son and from master to apprentice.

Some provinces of Japan were famous for their contribution to this art: the province of Edo (later Tokyo), for example, produced the most beautiful lacquered pieces from the 17th to the 18th centuries. Lords and shoguns privately employed lacquerers to produce ceremonial and decorative objects for their homes and palaces.
The varnish used in Japanese lacquer is made from the sap of the urushi tree, also known as the lacquer tree or the Japanese varnish tree (Rhus vernacifera), which mainly grows in Japan and China, as well as Southeast Asia. Japanese lacquer, 漆 urushi, is made from the sap of the lacquer tree. The tree must be tapped carefully, as in its raw form the liquid is poisonous to the touch, and even breathing in the fumes can be dangerous. But people in Japan have been working with this material for many millennia, so there has been time to refine the technique!

The kozuka is signed Koboku, he was a master swordsmith and surgeon to his lord of Mito, and an extraordinarily eccentric character. He studied medicine under Tsunoda Kyuho, and he seems to have started forging swords at an early age. According to legend because he had taken up the study of western medicine and he was not satisfied with the scalpels that were available, so endeavoured to make his own. He left the employ of the Mito family in January of 1699, Genroku 12. Some say because he did not get along with his immediate superior the Karo, Nakayama Bizen no Kami, others that his peculiar behavior and egotistical manner was offending too many people and this reached the ears of the lord. House records from 1698, record that his health was failing and it was decided that he be “retired” to Mito. Perhaps he did not wish to leave Edo and be confined to Mito. Whatever the reason the house record notes that he officially asked to resign and left to devote himself to his religious studies on that date.
Five years later found him in the far north living in Oshu Nihonmatsu where one night he stood naked in his garden where he was confronted by an assassin. To this day no one knows who the man was nor why he might have been sent to kill Kaboku but his intent was clear enough. Without hesitation Kaboku, who held a mokuroku in Shibukawa-ryu Jujutsu, charged as his attacker charged him. He grabbed his left wrist with his right hand and used his own left arm to block the cut that was descending toward his head. Still clutching his severed left hand in his right he closed with his attacker and thrust the jagged bone into the mans mouth, here he fell upon him and smothered him with the bloody relic.
Kaboku then went back into his home, perhaps something the assassin had said struck him, perhaps he understood from his own wounds that he would not survive, it is not clear why but using only the right hand he drew out a tanto and took his own life. A strange end for one of the sword worlds strangest characters.

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

Code: 25707

A Rare, and Most Attractive Early Model Antique Smith & Wesson Mahoghany Cased .38 Cal. Double Action 5 Shot Revolver. Rare Three Figure Serial Number Circa 1880

Blued finish, original S & W hardened rubber grips, square back trigger guard, with 31/4 inch barrel. Tip up barrel with T section release lever catch and automatic cartridge ejector. Green baize lined case interior, polished mahogany wood case with single lidded tool receptacle. Fully functioning action and deactivated to UK spec. with certificate

Smith & Wesson was well positioned at the start of the American Civil War to provide additional revolvers (generally bought by individuals as additional firepower) to both sides of the conflict, with orders outpacing production. After the end of the American Civil War, Smith & Wesson turned from smaller pocket revolvers favored during the war years to larger framed models designed for open use with the expansion into the American West. In 1870, the Smith & Wesson Model 3 was released becoming the Schofield revolver as it was adopted by the U.S. Army chambered in .44 S&W (later in .45 S&W). The Model 3 became the first cartridge-firing handgun adopted by the U.S. Army.

The same revolver was also adopted by the Russian Empire in .44 Russian. This popular top-break single-action revolver remained in production into the early 20th century. 1880 saw the release of the first double-action revolver by Smith and Wesson (the 38 DA). With the popularity of double-action revolvers,

1st Model. Manufactured in 1880, with serial numbers from 1 to about 4,000. (The ending serial number is approximate; the exact transition number from 1st to 2nd model is unknown.) Features a straight-sided sideplate, a rocker-type cylinder stop, short cylinder flutes with double stop notches and free cuts on the cylinder, a reverse-curved trigger-guard bow, and a front sight pinned in place. It came in both 3-1/4- and 4-inch barrel lengths.

2nd Model. Manufactured from 1880 to 1884, with serial numbers from about 4,001 to approximately 119,000. (Again, the exact transition number to the 3rd Model is unknown.) Features an irregularly shaped sideplate, a rocker-type cylinder stop, short cylinder flutes with double stop notches and free cuts on the cylinder, a reverse-curved trigger-guard bow, and a front sight pinned in place. It was produced in 3-1/4-, 4-, 5-, and 6-inch barrel lengths.

This revolver is serial numbered within the first 200 manufactured in 1880.

Photo 9 in the gallery shows the interior with small tool section covered lid removed, revealing a turnscrew and barrel cleaning brush, and six dummy rounds set within the spare bullet retainer.

Deactivated with UK certificate, not suitable to export.  read more

Code: 25696

Very Rare French 6 inch Howitzer Iron Cannon Ball. Recovered From Waterloo Battle Site and Weighing Around 24 Pounds. This Is One From An Amazing Collection of Waterloo Finds, The Other French 6 inch Howitzer Round Shot We Sold Immediately Two Weeks Ago

Very rare piece indeed, in that the Howitzer were sparsely used at Waterloo, due to their size, with 6 regular cannon, used in support, by the French artillery, for every two Howitzers used, and each Howitzer was operated with a 13 man crew. And of course, more than half of all the Howitzer six inch rounds were explosive, and thus detonated, leaving no residual cannonball to recover. This is the round shot non-explosive version

What an amazing, large and impressive historical centrepiece for any collector or collection. Imagine the family gatherings or dinner parties that would be enlivened by such an incredible historical artefact and conversanaturally failed to detonate.tion piece! To speculate the incredible hours of battle, with hand to hand combat and the frantic melee that this cannonball was involved within, fired by a French Howitzer crew at the heroic British infantry, or our valiant Prussian volunteer allies of the Kings German Legion, during the glorious defence of La Haye Saint, or the British Guards regiments defenders of Hougemont

The artillery of the French army was almost completely redesigned by Jean Baptiste Grimbeauval from 1765 onwards, standardising gun calibres and making gun carriages lighter and easier to transport, allowing for more flexible and efficient manoeuvring. A typical French artillery battery during the Napoleonic Wars was made up of four to six cannons with the support of two 6-inch howitzers. The shell we discovered would have had a maximum range of around 1100m and would have been most deadly at a range of 640m

Our shell would have been shot from a 6-inch howitzer, that fired, either hollow cast or solid round shot cannonballs. Around 24lb in iron weight for a hollow cast exploding mortar, and around 30lb in weight for round shot. It was the largest of the 3 sizes of howitzer used by the French during the Battle of Waterloo, which would have required 4 horses to draw it and 13 crewmen to fire it – an efficient team would have been able to fire one round ever minute.

A cannonball is a solid ball of metal, known as round shot, which could smash through the ranks of soldiers, causing massive devastation. In contrast, an explosive mortar howitzer shell is a hollow iron sphere filled with gunpowder, with a slow burning fuse fitted to the case. Once lit, it was intended to explode above the heads or at the feet of the Allied soldiers, causing enormous amounts of damage to their formations. A howitzer throws it shells high into the air with a sharp trajectory, and is designed to bring ‘indirect fire’ down on enemy formations either in buildings as at Hougoumont, or, as here, behind a ridge and out of direct sight. While the shell discovered at Mont Jean is known as a 6-inch howitzer shell, an Old French inch is actually equivalent to 1.066 modern inches, so the dug up shell was in fact 6.4 inches in diameter but with size losses due to surface erosion.

We show in the gallery the 6 inch French Howitzer cannon ball recently recovered at Mont St Jean at Waterloo, that when fired, impacted deep underground, and was latterly recovered from the dig. The engraving photographed in our gallery shows the farm house of Mont St. Jean. This house being close to the rear of the action, it was much dilapidated by random shot (1815). Engraver James Rouse. Note the round shot impacts through its walls.  read more

Code: 25699

A Spectaular Looking, Rare & Super Example of a 17th -18th Century Matchlock Musket

A rare, antique 17th century Turkish Ottoman Empire matchlock musket. The musket has an octagonal Damascus steel barrel struck with the makers mark, and a figured Circassian walnut stock extensively banded in brass. Only a few Ottoman matchlock muskets of this type survive in Turkey, most can be seen outside of Turkey at museums in Poland and Ukraine as the muskets were taken from the Turks as booty by the Poles and the Cossacks during the 17th century wars with the Ottoman Empire.

Similar guns are published in the Turkish catalogue of Ottoman Firearms at the Askeri Military Museum Harbiye Istanbul. " Askeri Muze Osmanli Ve Cumhuriyet Donemi ATESLI SILAHLAR katalogu"by Aysel Cotelioglu.

These types of Turkish guns were very popular and widely used by Zaporozhian and Don Cossacks during the 17th century. The Zaporozhian Cossacks, Zaporozhian Cossack Army, Zaporozhian Host were Cossacks who lived beyond the rapids of the Dnieper River, the land also known under the historical term Wild Fields in today's Central Ukraine. Today much of its territory is flooded by the waters of Kakhovka Reservoir.

The Zaporozhian Sich grew rapidly in the 15th century from serfs fleeing the more controlled parts of the Polish?Lithuanian Commonwealth. It became established as a well-respected political entity with a parliamentary system of government. During the course of the 16th, 17th and well into the 18th century, the Zaporozhian Cossacks became a strong political and military force that challenged the authority of the Polish?Lithuanian Commonwealth, the Tsardom of Russia, and the Crimean Khanate.

The Host went through a series of conflicts and alliances involving the three powers, including supporting an uprising in the 18th century. Their leader signed a treaty with the Russians. This group was forcibly disbanded in the late 18th century by the Russian Empire, with most of the population relocated to the Kuban region in the South edge of the Russian Empire. The Cossacks served a valuable role of conquering the Caucasian tribes and in return enjoyed considerable freedom granted by the Tsars. As with all our antique guns, no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables  read more

Code: 22112

An 18th Century Flintlock Long Barrel Sporting Musket

Absolutely perfect as an original decorative display piece for the right location. Nice stock, flintlock action [not actionable] 52.5 inches long overall. This would make a delightful original display piece for any suitable location. Under barrel brass plate strengthening supports.The royal forest was an area of land designated to the king for hunting and forestry; it included woodland, heathland, and agricultural land. As of the 12th century nearly a third of England's territory was assigned as royal forest. Only the king and other permitted members of the nobility were allowed to hunt game in the assigned area. To maintain this restriction, forest law was introduced to enforce the boundaries. Special officials known as foresters were in charge of overseeing forest law. The foresters were among the most hated of royal officials as they were often corrupt, having a reputation for making illegal side profits on royal forest property by farming, extracting natural resources, and poaching game. They exacted many punishments for poaching game, farming, and other illegal activities on the royal forest. Heavy fines and imprisonment were the common discipline. While foresters were in charge of the upkeep of forest law, sometimes the king would employ the local sheriff to get involved. Hunting, however, was not the only function for the royal forest. Kings would also use these territories for cattle upbringing, farming, and extracting the land's resources. They also notably served as reserves for all kinds of wildlife. King Henry I of England was known for having a fascination with pet animals. His parks included wild animals like lions and leopards. Forest laws in regards to hunting created class distinctions. King Richard II of England issued the first game law in 1390. It constituted a property requirement of certain value to have hunting dogs or other hunting equipment. During the Regency period, game birds were shot in different ways, though Driven Game shooting was popular on larger estates. Here, where beaters are employed to drive game towards a line of standing guns through woods and over moors or fields, dependent on the quarry and time of year. The total bag (number of birds shot) will be anywhere between 80 and 300, again dependent on quarry etc. The day will be very formal, and gamekeepers or a shoot captain will oversee proceedings. Pickers-up are also employed to make sure all shot game is collected. On such estates, large numbers of pheasants, partridge and duck, but not grouse, may be released to maintain numbers. Shotguns (also known as a fowling piece or scattergun) were improved during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and game shooting became more popular. To protect the pheasants for the shooters, gamekeepers culled vermin such as foxes, magpies and birds of prey almost to extirpation in popular areas, and landowners improved their coverts and other habitats for game. Game Laws were relaxed in 1831 which meant anyone could obtain a permit to take rabbits, hares and gamebirds.  read more

Code: 23478

A Very Scarce French Chassepot Rifle Musketoon Modele 1866 Colonial Inlay

Last used by the French Colonial Spahi in WW1. The scarce French Army Musketoon model, St Etienne. Converted to the Gras system in 1874. Used from the Franco Prussian war right throught WW1 by the French Colonial Spahi. This rifle was laterly renamed the 1866-74 after it was converted to the Gras system. Then in the latter part of its working life this rifle has been transferred to the French colonial troops, the famous Spahi, and over decoratedby them with typical Spahi flamboyant inlays at the butt. We show photos of a French Curassier using his 1866 Chassepot musketoon in the Franco Prussian War, French Infantry using their Chassepot, and the French Colonial Spahi using the 1866-74 musketoon into WW1.

Spahis were light cavalry regiments of the French army recruited primarily from the indigenous populations of Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. The modern French Army retains one regiment of Spahis as an armoured unit, with personnel now recruited in mainland France. Senegal also maintains a mounted unit with spahi origins as a presidential escort: the Red Guard.he spahi regiments saw extensive service in the French conquest of Algeria, in the Franco-Prussian War, in Tonkin towards the end of the Sino-French War (1885), in the occupation of Morocco and Syria, and in both World Wars. A detachment of Spahis served as the personal escort of Marshal Jacques Leroy de Saint Arnaud in the Crimean War and were photographed there by Roger Fenton. A contingent of Spahis also participated in the North China campaign of 1860. During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71 one detached squadrons of Spahis formed part of the forces defending Paris, while a provisional regiment comprising three squadrons was attached to the Army of the Loire.2 A serious rising against French rule in Algeria during 1871?72 was sparked off by the mutiny of a squadron of Spahis who had been ordered to France to reinforce those units already there. Pahis were sent to France at the outbreak of war in August 1914. They saw service during the opening period of mobile warfare but inevitably their role diminished with the advent of trench warfare. During World War I the number of units increased with the creation of Moroccan Spahi regiments and the expansion of the Algerian arm. By 1918 there were seven Spahi regiments then in existence, all having seen service on the Western Front, in addition a detached squadron had served in Palestine against the Ottoman Empire. 11mm calibre, .20+ inch barrel. Obsolete antique no licence required. Its inventor was, Antoine Alphonse Chassepot, and it became the French service weapon in 1866. It was first used at the battlefield at Mentana, November 1867, where it inflicted severe losses on Garibaldi's troops. The event was reported at the French Parliament: "Les Chassepots ont fait merveille!", {The Chassepots did marvelous execution !} In the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871) it proved greatly superior to the German Dreyse needle gun, outranging it by 2 to 1. Although it was a smaller caliber but the chassepot ammunition had more gunpowder and thus faster muzzle velocity. The Chassepots were responsible for most of the Prussian and other German casualties during the conflict. Small Gras cartridge adaption bolt head lacking. As with all our antique guns no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables  read more

Code: 21713