A Fabulous, Original, High Middle Ages, Museum Piece. A 13th Century Medieval Knightly Sword of the Henry IIIrd and Simon de Montfort Period, Made And Used By a Knight of The IInd Baron's War Era, the Battle of Lewes in 1264. Oakshott Typology Type XII

What a fabulous, original, High Middle Ages Medieval ‘statement piece’ for any collection or decor. In the world of collecting there is so little remaining in the world from this highly significant era in European and British history. And to be able to own and display such an iconic original representation from this time is nothing short of a remarkable privilege.
A wonderful example piece, from the ancient knightly age, of the IInd Baron’s War era between Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester, and King Henry IIIrd.

The battle site is still not completely agreed upon, but part of the conflict was recorded at Offham hill, and this is was just 4 miles south of our farm, Thousands of the protagonists soldiers were supposedly camped within our grounds, but at present it is not certain for which side they fought. Our farm was originally part of Earl Godwin’s estate, later more famously known as King Harold, who also supposedly camped here on our land immediately before his disastrous Battle of Hastings in 1066 {actually fought inland in the town, that is now called Battle, and not at Hastings at all}. A Canadian funded documentary was filmed here recently.

Effectively, from this time of around eight hundred years ago, from a collectors point of view, nothing else significant survives at all, only the odd small coin or very rarely seen, and almost impossible to own, carved statuary. Medieval 'Oakeshott type XII' Single-Handed Sword
13th century. Oakeshott is the standard that describes and by which defines Medieval swords, their types, and periods of use. A superb original knightly double-edged iron sword with broad, flat, evenly tapering blade, the blade tending to widen perceptibly below the hilt, and the fullers are well defined, extending from below the guard for more than half of the blade's length, the blade's cross-section is of of straight lenticular design, the style of guard one of the most common of the category, i.e. a not exaggeratedly long and straight, with flattened cross-section, the pommel is a handsome thick rhomboid piece, fitted with fastening central rivet. The blade has been broken in combat and lost around quarter of its original length.
See Oakeshott, E., The Sword in the Age of the Chivalry, London,1964 (1994).

A fine example piece, from the ancient knightly age, from almost 800 years past. Although this sword is now in an obvious ancient, and historical, russetted condition, with some elements lacking, every item made of iron from this era, such as the rarest of swords and daggers, even in the Royal Collection, are in this very same state of preservation.

Henry III (1 October 1207 - 16 November 1272), also known as Henry of Winchester, was King of England, Lord of Ireland, and Duke of Aquitaine from 1216 until his death. He was the fourth king of the House of Plantagenet. The son of King John and Isabella of Angouleme, Henry assumed the throne when he was only nine in the middle of the First Barons' War. Cardinal Guala declared the war against the rebel barons to be a religious crusade and Henry's forces, led by William Marshal, defeated the rebels at the battles of Lincoln and Sandwich in 1217. Henry promised to abide by the Great Charter of 1225, which limited royal power and protected the rights of the major barons. His early rule was dominated first by Hubert de Burgh and then Peter des Roches, who re-established royal authority after the war. In 1230, the King attempted to reconquer the provinces of France that had once belonged to his father, but the invasion was a debacle. A revolt led by William Marshal's son, Richard Marshal, broke out in 1232, ending in a peace settlement negotiated by the Church.
Later on the Henry's reign came The Second Barons' War (1264-1267) it was a civil war in England between the forces of a number of barons led by Simon de Montfort against the royalist forces of King Henry III, led initially by the king himself and later by his son, the future King Edward I. The war featured a series of massacres of Jews by Montfort's supporters including his sons Henry and Simon, in attacks aimed at seizing and destroying evidence of Baronial debts.

The Battle of Lewes was one of two main battles of the conflict known as the Second Barons' War. It took place at Lewes in Sussex, on 14 May 1264, just around fourteen miles from our Brighton shop, and four miles south of our farm North of Lewes. It marked the high point of the career of Simon de Montfort, 6th Earl of Leicester, and made him the "uncrowned King of England". Henry III left the safety of Lewes Castle and St. Pancras Priory to engage the Barons in battle and was initially successful, his son Prince Edward routing part of the baronial army with a cavalry charge. However Edward pursued his quarry off the battlefield and left Henry's men exposed. Henry was forced to launch an infantry attack up Offham Hill where he was defeated by the barons' men defending the hilltop. The royalists fled back to the castle and priory and the King was forced to sign the Mise of Lewes, ceding many of his powers to Montfort. After a rule of just over a year, Montfort was killed by forces loyal to the King in the Battle of Evesham.

The swords of this era have the following characteristics. The fuller is well-marked and occupies two-thirds to three-quarters of the blade-length. It often starts on the tang within the hilt, and may be double or treble. The grip is a little longer than in the preceding types XI, X etc, averaging about 11.5cm. The tang is generally flat with almost parallel sides, or swelling a little in the middle. The cross can be of almost any style, though a short, straight one is most common, like in this case. The pommel, too, can be of any type though the thick disc with strongly bevelled edges (Type I) predominates. Here however the specimen shows similarity with a sword represented in a sculpture from the cathedral of Bamberg, dated at 1250 AD Douce Apocalypse, c. 1265-70. The dragon, who is Satan, comes forth again (Rev. 20:7). One contemporary painting in the gallery is of the rebel Earl of Gloucester, depicted with his alleged ally, Satan. Among the flags of the host of Satan is that of Gilbert de Clare, Earl of Gloucester, who had opposed Henry III. Usually the type XII presents a broad, flat, evenly tapering blade, generally with a good sharp point and tending to widen perceptibly below the hilt.(Oakeshott, 1964 (1994), p.42). Weight 1.2 kg, 73cm (28 3/4" inches long overall).

The Oakeshott typology is a way to define and catalogue the medieval sword based on physical form. It categorises the swords of the European Middle Ages (roughly 11th to 16th centuries1) into 13 main types, labelled X through XXII. The historian and illustrator Ewart Oakeshott introduced it in his 1960 treatise The Archaeology of Weapons: Arms and Armour from Prehistory to the Age of Chivalry.

The system is a continuation of Jan Petersen's typology of the Viking sword, which Petersen introduced in De Norske Vikingsverd ("The Norwegian Viking Swords") in 1919. In 1927, the system was simplified by R. E. M. Wheeler to only seven types, labelled I through VII. Oakeshott slightly expanded the system with two transitional types, VIII and IX, and then he started work on his own typology.

Among the many reasons for his typology, Oakeshott found date classification unreliable during his research. He wrote that the weapons' dates of manufacture, use, and retirement have been greatly obscured by trade, warfare, and other various exchanges combined with the weapons' own longevity.

The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the period of European history between c. 1000 and c. 1300; it was preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended c. 1500 according to historiographical convention. Key historical trends of the High Middle Ages include the rapidly increasing population of Europe, which brought about great social and political change from the preceding era, and the Renaissance of the 12th century, including the first developments of rural exodus and urbanization. By 1350, the robust population increase had greatly benefited the European economy, which had reached levels that would not be seen again in some areas until the 19th century. That trend faltered in the early 14th century, as the result of numerous events which together comprised the crisis of the late Middle Ages—most notable among them being the Black Death, in addition to various regional wars and economic stagnation.

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, and thus, it is a lifetime guarantee.
As is always usual, the wooden grip section perished centuries past. As almost every iron weapon that has survived today from this era is now in a similar russetted condition, just as this one, because only the swords of kings, that have been preserved in national or Royal collections are today still in a relatively good state and condition. We will include for the new owner a complimentary wooden display stand, but this amazing ancient artefact of antiquity would also look spectacular mounted within a bespoke case frame, or, on a fine cabinet maker constructed display panel. Our artisans can accomplish this if required.  read more

Code: 22937

A Most Fine Circa 1700 year Old Imperial Roman Vassal Warrior's Dagger Blade, Used Up To and Into The 5th Century AD Including By The Personal Guard of Emperor Gratian.

In superbly preserved condition, just lacking its organic material hilt, as is far more usual than not, due to wood and organic materials never surviving buried for longer that a few hundred years.
The condition is exceptional, likely cleaned and conserved after its discovery. The smoother surface probably indicates it was recovered from a soil that geologically well preserved ferrous metal rather than overtly corrupted.

The same dagger as used by the personal guard units of Roman Emperor Gratian, who was so impressed by the skills of the Alans in combat, he invited them to be part of his personal guard, and he even went so far in his respect of their prowess in combat as to wear the very same form of armour as they wore.

Used by the warriors known as the 'Alans', they were predecessors of the medieval European knights, and from whence the Christian name Alan, that is still used today, descended from.

The Alans laid the foundation of medieval military tradition in Europe and inspired British mythology.

This is an incredible, original, Alans dagger, known as the a Samartian, blade, in very fine condition, professionally cleaned and superbly conserved.

The Alan guards combat dagger is highly distinctive, bearing two opposing side cuts at the ricasso before the tang. From the time when the Alan's Samartian warriors fought with the Roman Legions against Attila the Hun, and the Hunic invasion, and the battles of the Catalaunian Fields, that led to the death of Attila.

The Alans pursuit of war, a decent opponent and heroic death was legendary in the ancient times. But how did these tribes end up with such a military role and political impact in the West while so far from their homeland, and most often amongst enemies. Clearly, their number or strength was not the answer.

They conquered the West with their military culture and outstanding discipline. Their cavalry, clad in steel armour and arranged in tight rows, had the best skills of the time. German kings eagerly invited the Alans to serve in their armies, while their own subjects, mostly marching troops, learned horse riding and horse battle from them. The Alans impressed the arrogant Roman nobility so much that Emperor Gratian (359-383) invited them to his guard unit, reformed his cavalry based on their model and wore Alan clothes and armour himself.

Since the Alan society was mostly war-oriented, boys were taught horseback riding from early childhood. According to Marcellinus, Alan warriors considered it offensive for a man to walk. Isidore of Seville noted in the 6th century that they even looked somewhat clumsy without their horses.

The warriors and tribes known as Alans were part of the tribes derived from the word and term of the earlier people known as Aryans, from the old Indo-European-Iranian word Arya. Tall and good-looking with fair hair and menacing looks, the Alans were more warlike than other ethnic groups related to them. Later, their source name, Aryan, was used and abused by notorious effect by Hitler's 3rd Reich in the 20th century, as the basis of the true ancient Germanic peoples. This blade shape is highly distinctive and may well itself inspired the very similar blade shape of the German WW2 SS dagger, as much as the Tudor English Holbein dagger worn by Henry the 8th is said to have inspired the entire SS dagger pattern.
This dagger blade is from the 5th-6th century AD. A two-edged leaf-shaped iron blade, lentoid in section with tapering tang, notch above each shoulder. During the first period, the Alans appear as a nomadic, warlike, pastoral people who were professional warriors and took service, at various times, with the Romans, Parthians, and Sasanians.

Their cavalry was particularly renowned. They participated in Mithridates wars with Rome (chronicled by Lucan), as well as in Roman campaigns in Armenia, Media, and Parthia in the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D. (see Josephus, Jewish Wars 7.244-51, Antiquities 18.97; cf. accounts in Moses of Khoren, History of the Armenians Langlois, Historiens II, pp. 105-06, 125 and the Georgian Chronicle Kartlis tskhovreba, in M. F. Brosset and D. I. Chubinov, Histoire de la Georgie I, St. Petersburg, 1849). Ammianus Marcellinus (31.2) describes the Alans? nomadic economy and warlike customs.

The invasion of the Huns split the Alans into two parts, the European and the Caucasian. Some of the European Alans were drawn into the migration of peoples from eastern into western Europe. With the Germanic tribes of Visigoths and Vandals they passed into Gaul and Spain, some even reaching North Africa. The Alans fought on the side of the Romans in the battle of the Catalaunian Fields (A.D. 451), when Aetius defeated Attila, chief of the Huns. In 461 and 464 they made incursions into Italy. After Attila's death they struggled, together with the Germanic tribes, to free themselves from Hun domination. Large Alan hordes settled along the middle course of the Loire in Gaul under King Sangiban and on the lower Danube with King Candac (the historian Jordanes sprang from the latter group). Another settlement is indicated by the name of the Spanish province Catalonia, which is but a slight deformation of Goth-Alania, provine of the Goths and Alans. The French proper name Alain and English Alan are an inheritance from the tribe. The Alans also left an imprint on Celtic folk-poetry, e.g., the cycle of legends concerning King Arthur and his knights of the Round Table (see M. Hesse, Iranisches Sagengut im Christlichen Epos, Atlantis 1937, pp. 621-28; J. H. Grisward, The motif of the sword thrown into the lake : The death of Arthur and the death of Batradz, Romania 90, 1969, pp. 289-340). Part of the European Alans remained in the lands bordering the Black Sea, including the Crimea. Gratian, Emperor Flavius Gratianus; 18 April 359 – 25 August 383) was emperor of the western part of the Roman Empire from 367 to 383. The eldest son of Valentinian I, Gratian accompanied his father on several campaigns along the Rhine and Danube frontiers and was raised to the rank of Augustus in 367. Upon the death of Valentinian in 375, Gratian took over government of the west while his half-brother Valentinian II was also acclaimed emperor in Pannonia. Gratian governed the western provinces of the empire, while his uncle Valens was already the emperor over the east.

Gratian subsequently led a campaign across the Rhine, attacked the Lentienses, and forced the tribe to surrender. That same year, the eastern emperor Valens was killed fighting the Goths at the Battle of Adrianople, which led to Gratian elevating Theodosius to replace him in 379. Gratian favoured Nicene Christianity over traditional Roman religion, issuing the Edict of Thessalonica, refusing the office of pontifex maximus, and removing the Altar of Victory from the Roman Senate's Curia Julia. The city of Cularo on the Isère river in Roman Gaul was renamed Latin: Gratianopolis after him, which later evolved to Grenoble.

Hilts of Roman era swords and daggers effectively, are almost non existent, as they were made of organic materials, such as wood, horn etc. which rarely survives on edged weapons more than 400 to 500 years or so.  read more

Code: 22083

The African Queen First Edition by C S Forester . Cecil Louis Troughton Smith, Known As Cecil Scott "C. S." Forester, "A Joy To Receive, Yet An Even Greater Joy To Give" M.H.

FORESTER, C.S. The African Queen

Heinemann, 1935.

First edition. Original brown cloth with gilt titles to the spine. A nice original copy with wear to the spine ends.

One of our most popular purchases from The Lanes Armoury, for gifting will always be our finest novels, by iconic authors. An heirloom for generations to come, that combines to be a fabulous read as well as an antiquarian joy of considerable beauty.
The African Queen is a 1935 novel written by English author C. S. Forester. It was adapted into the 1951 film of the same name.

The First UK printing published by William Heinemann Ltd., London in 1945. The BOOK is in Very Good++ condition . Original publisher's tan cloth with gilt titling to the spine. Very light bumping to the lower corners. Mild pushing to the spine tips with a very light vertical crease to the spine. The binding remains very tight and sound. Mild spotting to the text block with some light toning to the page edges. Free from inscriptions and erasures. A small light mark to the rear lower panel. Protected in a loose archival Mylar cover. Only 2500 copies were printed and very scarce in its original binding. The book was adapted very successfully for the 1951 John Huston film of the same title starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn. A very sharp collectible copy.

As World War I reaches the heart of the African jungle, Charlie Allnutt and Rose Sayer, a dishevelled trader, and an English spinster missionary, find themselves thrown together by circumstance in German Central Africa. Fighting time, heat, malaria, and bullets, they make their escape on the rickety steamboat The African Queen... and hatch their own outrageous military plan. Originally published in 1935, The African Queen is a tale replete with vintage Forester drama - unrelenting suspense, reckless heroism, impromptu military manoeuvres, near-death experiences - and a good old-fashioned love story to boot.


Cecil Louis Troughton Smith (27 August 1899 – 2 April 1966), known by his pen name Cecil Scott "C. S." Forester, was an English novelist known for writing tales of naval warfare. He is most remembered for his 12-book Horatio Hornblower series, depicting a Royal Navy officer during the Napoleonic wars; indeed, Hornblower has become embedded in the consciousness of generations growing up in the earlier part of the 20th century.

One of the author's most sought books, as a consequence of the classic John Huston film of 1951 starring Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn. Photo in the gallery of the early The African Queen movie poster {for information only}  read more

Code: 25971

Very Rare Antique 1850's 'Lancaster Patent' Two-Band Oval Bore Rifle-Musket 50 Bore Lancaster’s Patent Royal Engineers Rifle!

An antique extremely rare and highly desirable Two-Band Rifle-Musket by Charles Lancaster, manufactured in London, England circa 1850's. In simply fabulous condition for its age. Charles William Lancaster (1820-1878) was devoted to his craft and was among the best England had to offer in the field of firearms making and invention. It was around the year 1850, when he conceived the idea of the oval bore. Indeed, it is very slightly oval, almost imperceptibly and the rifling is very subtle and this rifle could easily be mistaken for a smooth bore. The rifling is also “gain twist”, meaning that the twist gets faster as the projectile approaches the muzzle. He believed that the oval bore was the future form all rifles and cannons should take due to the design’s inherent ability to mitigate the fowling that came from using black powder, as well as their accuracy. He would put his idea to the test when he entered the government trials for what would become the Pattern 1853. He would spend much of 1852 and 1853 in doing so. His oval bore proved more accurate and less prone to foul than the competition, though the very subtle rifling was prone to wear out sooner with much use than conventional rifling. His system was not ultimately adopted for the Pattern 1853 infantry rifle-musket, but it was adopted in smaller numbers for sapper muskets.

This example is a 2-band rifle, the type which could have been made and sold for the Royal Engineers, Sappers and Miners, and volunteer units during this period, but this is a particularly rare chequered stock officer’s version, with a name engraved silver cartouche.

The Volunteer Movement was a response to the Crimean War as well as heightened tensions between England and France and the outbreak of war between France & Austria. England had a lot of territory to cover between the British Isles and its colonies, and there was imminent risk of being pulled into another conflict. This was a popular movement to create home defence. These had a great deal of autonomy initially, though many were eventually folded into the regular British Army. The rifle has fantastic sights stamped with Enfield inspector stamp.

We bought the entire small collection from the widow of a 'Best of British Empire Rifles and Bayonets, Both British and German' collector, who acquired them over the past 40 years, and only ever kept the very best he could afford to keep. Act fast they are selling really fast, three rifles and four bayonets and a cutlass have sold today alone. Top quality and condition,19th and 20th century scarce British and German collectables are always the most desirable of all.  read more

Code: 25145

A Superb, Original, Antique Japanese Shinshinto Period, 19th Century, Samurai's, Secret, Hidden Fan-Dagger, A Kanmuri-Otoshi Form Kakushi Ken, Sensu-gatana

A fantastic antique samurai Sensu-gatana conversation piece. Wide and attractive blade with clip back return false edge, overall bright polish and no age pitting. Edo period secret bladed fan-tanto,19th century, with carved wood and bi-colour lacquered fittings, in black and golden yellow, beautifully simulated to look like a traditional Japanese folded fan.
A photo in the gallery from Edo Japan of a seated high ranking samurai holding his tachi and war fan. Another samurai standing also with fan and daisho through his obi. Samurai sometimes disguised their blades as inoffensive items, such as cleverly made walking sticks or other common objects such as fans. Their ancestors, the classical warriors, overlooked nothing which could be used as a weapon. Also, deprived of their swords by law in the Meji era, late 19th century samurai had to rely even more on their own ingenuity and resourcefulness for protection against thieves, hoodlums, bandits and intrigue.
There is no way to know if the blade is signed on the tang as most fan daggers of this type, just as this one had the blade nakago sealed in place, so there was no telltale visible mekugi blade affixing peg.

A Japanese war fan is a fan designed for use in warfare. Several types of war fans were used by the samurai class of feudal Japan and each had a different look and purpose. One particularly famous legend involving war fans concerns a direct confrontation between Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin at the fourth battle of Kawanakajima. Kenshin burst into Shingen's command tent on horseback, having broken through his entire army, and attacked; his sword was deflected by Shingen's war fan. It is not clear whether Shingen parried with a tessen, a dansen uchiwa, or some other form of fan. Nevertheless, it was quite rare for commanders to fight directly, and especially for a general to defend himself so effectively when taken so off-guard.

Minamoto no Yoshitsune is said to have defeated the great warrior monk Saito Musashibo Benkei with a tessen.

Araki Murashige is said to have used a tessen to save his life when the great warlord Oda Nobunaga sought to assassinate him. Araki was invited before Nobunaga, and was stripped of his swords at the entrance to the mansion, as was customary. When he performed the customary bowing at the threshold, Nobunaga intended to have the room's sliding doors slammed shut onto Araki's neck, killing him. However, Araki supposedly placed his tessen in the grooves in the floor, blocking the doors from closing. Types of Japanese war fans;
Gunsen were folding fans used by the average warriors to cool themselves off. They were made of wood, bronze, brass or a similar metal for the inner spokes, and often used thin iron or other metals for the outer spokes or cover, making them lightweight but strong. Warriors would hang their fans from a variety of places, most typically from the belt or the breastplate, though the latter often impeded the use of a sword or a bow.
Tessen were folding fans with outer spokes made of heavy plates of iron which were designed to look like normal, harmless folding fans or solid clubs shaped to look like a closed fan. Samurai could take these to places where swords or other overt weapons were not allowed, and some swordsmanship schools included training in the use of the tessen as a weapon. The tessen was also used for fending off knives and darts, as a throwing weapon, and as an aid in swimming.
Gunbai (Gumbai), Gunpai (Gumpai) or dansen uchiwa were large solid open fans that could be solid iron, metal with wooden core, or solid wood, which were carried by high-ranking officers. They were supposedly used to ward off arrows, as a sunshade, and to signal to troops. 12 inches long overall. approx 7 inch blade. The black lacquer is in nice condition, with natural age wear, the golden yellow lacquer has some natural, dark, handling age colour staining.  read more

Code: 26322

A Very Good Peninsular War and Battle of Waterloo Use British Napoleonic Regulation, Ordnance, Front Line Rank Issue, 1796 Light Dragoon Trooper's Sabre by Wooley & Co. An Ordnance Supply Contractor from the 18th and early 19th Century

All steel, original issue matching scabbard, with steel P hilt and leather bound grip, maker engaved at the top near the throat. The blade is very good indeed, and nicely bright overall, and with the ordnance maker's Wooley stamp on the blade spine. Overall very nice condition for age, it has obviously seen combat service, but it has been cared for very well since it left service over 200 years ago

The mounted swordsmanship training of the British emphasised the cut, at the face for maiming or killing, or at the arms to disable. This left masses of mutilated or disabled troops; the French, in contrast, favoured the thrust, which gave cleaner kills. A cut with the 1796 LC sabre was, however, perfectly capable of killing outright, as was recorded by George Farmer of the 11th Regiment of Light Dragoons, who was involved in a skirmish on the Guadiana River in 1811, during the Peninsular War:

"Just then a French officer stooping over the body of one of his countrymen, who dropped the instant on his horse's neck, delivered a thrust at poor Harry Wilson's body; and delivered it effectually. I firmly believe that Wilson died on the instant yet, though he felt the sword in its progress, he, with characteristic self-command, kept his eye on the enemy in his front; and, raising himself in his stirrups, let fall upon the Frenchman's head such a blow, that brass and skull parted before it, and the man's head was cloven asunder to the chin. It was the most tremendous blow I ever beheld struck; and both he who gave, and his opponent who received it, dropped dead together. The brass helmet was afterwards examined by order of a French officer, who, as well as myself, was astonished at the exploit; and the cut was found to be as clean as if the sword had gone through a turnip, not so much as a dint being left on either side of it"

The blade is remembered today as one of the best of its time and has been described as the finest cutting sword ever manufactured in quantity. Remarkably, this sword still has its original wooden scabbard liner.

For example of the type regiment that would have used this sword we give an example from the 10th Light Dragoons / Hussars

The regiment action at the Battle of Sahagún in December 1808 and the Battle of Benavente later in December 1808 during the Peninsular War. At Benavente the regiment captured General Charles Lefebvre-Desnouettes, the French cavalry commander. The regiment then took part in the Battle of Corunna in January 1809 before returning to England.

In 1813, having landed once more in Spain, the regiment fought at the Battle of Morales in June 1813. During the battle the regiment destroyed the 16th French Dragoons between Toro and Zamora, taking around 260 prisoners. The regiment also fought at the Battle of Vitoria later in the month while still in Spain and then, having advanced into France, fought at the Battle of Orthez in February 1814 and the Battle of Toulouse in April 1814. As part of the 6th Cavalry Brigade, the regiment charged the French cavalry and infantry at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815.

The night of the 17th/18th June 1815 is well known for being extremely wet, so that the men had to mount up with wet clothes and march through boggy ground. The 6th Brigade was placed on the extreme left of the whole army. Vivian requested the 10th to supply a reconnaissance party which was ordered to locate the advance parties of the Prussians, This party, under Major Thomas Taylor, reached as far as Ohain, and met with a Prussian patrol and discovered that General Bülow was at St Lambert. Back at the battlefield, the French began their advance, and Hougoumont came under attack at 11.30am. Vandeleur’s brigade of Light Dragoons were on the right of Vivian’s regiments, and they, together with the 10th Hussars were positioned to confront the French troops. Meanwhile the heavy cavalry were sent in to charge against enemy cavalry and infantry. Ponsonby’s Union Brigade found themselves in difficulties when they were charged by Lancers and Chasseurs, so the 12th and 16th Light Dragoons of Vandeleur’s Brigade dashed through a column of French infantry to attack the left flank of the Lancers and forced them to withdraw.

The 10th and 18th Hussars who for several hours had withstood the French artillery barrage were ordered to move to the right along a hollow way but did not go into action at this stage. During the late afternoon, Vivian’s Brigade moved further to the right. As they took up a new position Colonel Quentin was wounded in the ankle, and his place taken by Lord Robert Manners.
The brigade were drawn up behind infantry units of Brunswick and Nassau which were wavering. The Nassau troops fell back so that they were almost touching the heads of the 10th’s horses. Due to strong encouragement and persuasion these German soldiers were discouraged from further retreat. Vivian then ordered the KGL forward to link up with the Hanoverians and other German allies. This gave heart to the faltering men of Nassau and a forward movement took place. The 10th followed in support but were unable to attack as cavalry should, so were vulnerable to enemy musketry. They sustained many injuries including three officers.The brigade cantered forward with the 10th Hussars leading. As they passed Vandeleur’s Light Dragoons and Maitland’s brigade of Guards, they were cheered on. Vivian saw masses of French troops on the left of La Belle Alliance and decided to concentrate the attack there. The 10th were ordered to incline to the right and the 18th and KGL to support them. The squadrons formed line and charged in echelon so that the right squadron under Major the Hon Frederick Howard, were first in action. The force of their charge pushed the French back and sent them off in all directions so that as the other squadrons came up they pursued fleeing troops. Vivian, having seen how the Scots Greys had charged too far, earlier in the day, called a halt and rally.
The Tenth, having been ordered to halt, came under attack from cuirassiers. Howard’s squadron bore the brunt of the attack but could not be supported by the other two squadrons as they failed to hear the order to halt and carried on with their pursuit under the command of Lt-Col Manners. Vivian caught up with Howard who, it seems, had beaten off the cuirassiers, and ordered the squadron to charge a square formed by the Grenadiers of the Guard. This was a forlorn hope as the French Grenadiers were seasoned troops and well able to fend off the attack with a wall of bayonets. It was supposed to be a coordinated attack together with a unit of infantry but the infantry commander declined to cooperate. According to Captain Taylor, Howard consulted with him about the proposed attack and Taylor advised against it. ‘Major Howard said that having been ordered to attack he thought it a ticklish thing not to do it, and gave the order accordingly.’ Major Howard was killed in this action, shot through the mouth and having his head beaten with a rifle butt. With two other officers wounded (Lieuts Arnold and Bacon), and another killed (George Gunning), the squadron was extricated by Cornet William Hamilton. There is no mention of whether Captain Taylor took part. Even though the attack failed, the enemy square was forced to fall back as part of a general retreat.

Final Charge of the 10th
Meanwhile the two pursuing squadrons continued to a point southeast of Hougoumont, driving back cuirassiers. They then came upon the enemy infantry in retreat and recognised men of the Imperial Guard in their tall bearskins who covered the retreat by forming a defensive position. They fired on the squadrons, so Manners halted the men at a distance of 40 paces, formed the men into line and sounded the charge. The impact of the 10th against the French defence was too great and the veterans of the Imperial Guard were forced to give way. Vandeleur saw what was happening and brought his brigade to support the right flank of Vivien’s men. The infantry of Adam’s Brigade, on the left of the Tenth, made great progress and were soon led by Wellington himself to put the final nail in the French Army’s coffin. Napoleon quit the field and his army was in full retreat. Adams’s men were halted at La Belle Alliance, Vandeleur’s Brigade bivouacked at the woods of Cellois. But Vivien’s Brigade were led some distance further, to Hilaincourt.



The last photo in the gallery shows a photograph of one section of the collection in the museum of Waterloo, taken in around 1900, showing all the weapons of Waterloo en situ, including all the protagonists {British, French, Prussian and Belgian muskets, swords, pistols, armour uniforms, etc}. The museum was founded and owned by a veteran of the 7th Hussars that fought at Waterloo.  read more

Code: 26319

A Very Fine Pair of 1770's Gentleman' or Officers Holster Pistols. Fine Juglans Regia Walnut Stocks, All Brass Cast Furniture Mounts Beautifully Engraved. Bright Steel Barrels & Flintlocks Signed Waters & Ward

Waters and Ward was an 18th-century English gun-making partnership based on Snow Hill in Birmingham, {active around 1770} an important regional hub within the historic British gun-manufacturing trade in the 18th century.

John Waters is listed on page 56 of "English Gunmakers: The Birmingham and Provincial Gun Trade in the 18th and 19th Century" by Bailey and Nie as active 1766-1788 and "Granted British Patent No. 1284 of 9 Mar. 1781 for attaching bayonets to pistols; is generally credited with the invention of the 'spring bayonet.'" His partnership with Ward was very brief thus the Waters and Ward named pistols are especially rare. Likely less that a single surviving flintlock by them appears on the collectors market every few years, and a pair, once a decade or even less.

These are truly a beautiful pair of fine status pistols from the late mid 18th century, from the era of great turmoil across the Atlantic in the Americas, and simply a joy to behold. The Metropolitan Museum in America have numerous similar wonderful examples in their collection, carried by the English and American officers in both armies in the War of American Independence, in the 1770’s to 80’s. The wars where George Washington was General, and commander of the American forces, the Continental Army, against his former natural loyalties in his service to the British crown as a colonial officer in the 1760's.

The American Revolution, historically, was one of the most formative for world history until the 20th century world wars.
A war, that by defeating the British forces, by mostly former British colonists and crown subjects, along with elements of European emigres, and, the considerable assistance by the Britain’s greatest rivals at the time, France, creating, arguably, the most powerful nation of earth, in the much later 20th and 21st centuries. And, the other consequences, spawned the French Revolution, thus assisting Britain to expand the British Empire, and creating the worlds greatest power for the next 140 years until the 20th century, when America took its place, but only thanks to Germany, another of France’s great rivals.
The King of France expended so much gold from the French treasury, in loans and assistance to American revolutionaries, that it bankrupted the King, and naturally, France. Entirely, in many respects, due to the fact America, simply refused to pay back any financial contribution King Louis had made, and thus, creating the groundwork for his revolution, that cost him, and the nobility of France, their heads.
Ironically it was the French Kings ability to expend his vast resources against his government wishes, that lost him his realm, and it was the English kings inability to stop the war, as he was firmly against the British governments policy of the war, as he was a constructional monarch, thus head of state in name, but with no effective power to control policy or his governments wishes, that helped to create the most popular royal family in the world.
Another great irony, was, all the blame by America was heaped upon the British King George IIIrd, {the so-called, king of tyranny} to enable the circumstances of the war, but, he was one of the few men of ‘power’ in Britain that supported their situation, of course, behind the scenes so to speak, but, could do nothing about it. He was in reality, one of the kindest of men to have every ruled {in name only} a great nation, known by his beloved subjects as ‘Farmer George’, due to his passion of working hand in hand with his estate labourers, who he regarded as friends, digging ditches and tending animals.
Thus the French Kings action cost him his families throne, and lives, and the British Kings lack of action, went on the create the worlds greatest empire of the 19th and early 20th century. A lesson on the advantages of constitutional monarchies no doubt.
The previous few paragraphs, if you kindly forgive our wandering narrative, show, very briefly, and concisely of course, and naturally we had to leave out a few other minor historical events {around sixty ‘lesser’ wars, but whose counting} that just how intriguing and fundamental history truly is to all future events.

Both actions are very good indeed, tight and crisp as can be, however one frizzen spring that tensions the frizzen {a steel} on one lock, was broken in combat  read more

Code: 26318

A Most Superb And Rare Early Koto Period Shikome-Tessen, with Fine Quality Concealed Blade Bearing a Stunning Hamon & Hada A Hidden High Ranking Samurai's, {Such as a Daimyo, or Kumigashira 組 頭} Samurai Tanto War Fan, Called a Shikome-Tessen

A fantastic, original, and very rare, late Muramachi hira-zukuri 16th century samurai concealed weapon war fan, a samurai tanto {dagger} disguised as a folded fan, called a shikome-tessen, that has a fabulous, traditional tanto blade concealed within with midare hamon.

The kumigashira 組 頭 mounted warriors held the highest rank below the daimyo lord, commanding all the hirashi, mounted samurai for their lord.

A narrow thrusting and cutting blade with a stunning hamon and hada. It was also a perfect dagger for an assassination, thus a disarmed samurai, visiting or negotiating with a daimyo lord of an opposing clan, would seem to be completely harmless and of little threat, but armed with an innocent looking shikome-tessen, he would be as dangerous and formidable as if he was armed with his daisho.

Early Edo period secret bladed tanto, with carved wood and multi coloured urushi lacquered fittings, of black, with gold-over-black tortoishell pattern lacquer edge trim, in a beautiful, traditional Japanese folded samurai tessen war-fan form.

Samurai carried the tessen in their belt (obi) or bosom during the feudal era, particularly in formal settings or locations where carrying swords (katanas) was strictly prohibited.

It allowed nobles and warriors a legal means of self-defense that did not immediately trigger alarm.
Beyond combat, war fans were occasionally used by commanders on the battlefield to signal troop movements.

A photo in the gallery from Edo Japan of a seated high ranking samurai holding his tachi and war fan. Another samurai standing also with fan and daisho through his obi. Samurai sometimes disguised their blades as inoffensive items, such as cleverly made walking sticks or other common objects such as fans. Their ancestors, the classical warriors, overlooked nothing which could be used as a weapon.
The blade nakago sealed in place, so there was no telltale visible mekugi blade affixing peg.
A Japanese war fan is a fan designed for use in warfare. Several types of war fans were used by the samurai class of feudal Japan and each had a different look and purpose.

One particularly famous legend involving war fans concerns a direct confrontation between Takeda Shingen and Uesugi Kenshin at the fourth battle of Kawanakajima. Kenshin burst into Shingen's command tent on horseback, having broken through his entire army, and attacked; his sword was deflected by Shingen's war fan. It is not clear whether Shingen parried with a tessen, a dansen uchiwa, or some other form of fan. Nevertheless, it was quite rare for commanders to fight directly, and especially for a general to defend himself so effectively when taken so off-guard.

Minamoto no Yoshitsune is said to have defeated the great warrior monk Saito Musashibo Benkei with a tessen.

Araki Murashige is said to have used a tessen to save his life when the great warlord Oda Nobunaga sought to assassinate him. Araki was invited before Nobunaga, and was stripped of his swords at the entrance to the mansion, as was customary. When he performed the customary bowing at the threshold, Nobunaga intended to have the room's sliding doors slammed shut onto Araki's neck, killing him. However, Araki supposedly placed his tessen in the grooves in the floor, blocking the doors from closing. Types of Japanese war fans;
Gunsen were folding fans used by the average warriors to cool themselves off. They were made of wood, bronze, brass or a similar metal for the inner spokes, and often used thin iron or other metals for the outer spokes or cover, making them lightweight but strong. Warriors would hang their fans from a variety of places, most typically from the belt or the breastplate, though the latter often impeded the use of a sword or a bow.

Tessen could be folding fans with outer spokes made of heavy plates of iron which were designed to look like normal, harmless folding fans or solid clubs shaped to look like a closed fan. Samurai could take these to places where swords or other overt weapons were not allowed, and some swordsmanship schools included training in the use of the tessen as a weapon.
The tessen was also used for fending off knives and darts, as a throwing weapon, and as an aid in swimming.
Gunbai (Gumbai), Gunpai (Gumpai) or dansen uchiwa were large solid open fans that could be solid iron, metal with wooden core, or solid wood, which were carried by high-ranking officers. They were supposedly used to ward off arrows, as a sunshade, and to signal to troops.

Another most interesting fan tanto is in a museum collection in Boston Mass. USA

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston;
The deceptive 'Knife in Fan-Shaped Case'—or fan tanto, as it was typically known, with “tanto” meaning a short blade that may either be single- or double-edged in Japanese culture—was found in the desk during an inventory of the galleries shortly after Isabella Stewart Gardner’s death in 1924. The inventory provides little additional information. The hilt (or handle) of the knife is disguised as the base of the fan’s sticks and rivet; the sticks and leaves of the fan in folded position form the knife’s scabbard.
Japanese, Knife in a Fan-Shaped Case, 19th century. Lacquered wood with metal blade
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston. Isabella kept this in her desk in the Macknight Room

An appearance of a samurai fan concealed tanto in Victorian culture can be found in the 1879 French novel 'Le Crime de l’Opera' by Fortuné de Boisgobey.

The story features a scene in which a blackmailer is assassinated in an opera box by one of three masked ladies with a “Japanese fan-dagger, or poniard so made as to be concealed under the form of a fan.”

Two pictures in the gallery, one of a woodblock print of a samurai holding a tessen between his teeth in a pre-combat pose, and a Victorian photograph of a Meiji samurai seated with his tessen war-fan.

This Shikome-Gessan is 11.5 inches long overall. approx 7 inch blade.

https://www.gardnermuseum.org/blog/isabellas-folding-fan-deception

Woodblock print from The Lanes Armoury library Collection
by Utagawa Kunisada幅日本版画

Utagawa Kunisada (also known as Toyokuni III) was a leading 19th-century ukiyo-e master famed for his dynamic kabuki actor prints (yakusha-e) and warrior scenes.  read more

Code: 26315

A Superb “American” Cased Pair of 1850 Derringers, Gambler’s Waistcoat or Boot Pistols By Wilson, of Superb Quality. A Very Neat Little Pair Of Large Calibre Small Pistols The Type of Earliest ‘Derringer’ Pistols Ideal For Concealment. Damascus Barrels.

Used by the lady and gentlemen gamblers of the frontier towns, especially all the famous lady gamblers were known to have owned and used the very same form of such personal protectors.

One such cased set including her pistol belonged to the famous 'Poker' Alice Duffield {nee Ivers}.
The story of 'Poker' Alice's pistol and gambling set;

The pistol Jesse James assassin Bob Ford gave to Poker Alice, inscribed “To Alice Duffield / From Bob Ford,” with her original traveling gambling set, won from her in a faro game in her final days

Born Alice Ivers, an English-born American gambler, brothel owner, and rancher (1851-1930) who became known for playing poker and faro in the Wild West. Historical Wild West artifacts from the personal collection of Alice Ivers, more famously known as Poker Alice, a legendary cigar-smoking, gun-toting gambler and brothel owner in the American West, which includes her Hopkins & Allen pistol, a present from her then-employer, Jesse James assassin Robert Ford, and her original traveling gambling set, a gift from her second husband, Warren G. Tubbs, both of which were won from Alice in a game of faro by John Logan, a postal inspector from Sturgis, South Dakota, who frequented Alice’s gambling parlour as a youth.
Our cased Derringers;

Signed by gunmaker Wilson, London, {John Wilson of 16 Kings Road, St Pancras, London} Micro checkering bag shaped carved walnut grips, sliding safety box lock actions of grained watered steel, octagonal, turn off, Damascus breech loading barrels, {with some old blueing remaining} approx .45 calibre. Silver cartouches inlaid at the grips, fold-down concealed triggers that appear when the action is cocked, and the steel frame of watered steel, is intricately and finely hand engraved. Made by a fine English maker, Wilson of London, especially for export for the emerging American Wild West frontier gambling market.
Traditional American style casing with pistol shaped snug-fit recesses in a fine red velvet within its walnut case. The lid has a polished horn shield shape cartouche, superbly hand carved with a ‘pair of aces’ playing cards.

Photographed with its collection of gambler's Bowie knives {folding, sheathed and rate scissor type } . Now all just sold as a set to a private knife collector.

The heyday of gambling in the west lasted from 1850-1910. Gambling was the number one form of entertainment in the west, and nearly everyone living there engaged in it at one time or another. Cowboys, miners, lumberjacks, businessmen, and lawmen all played games of chance for pleasure and profit. Whenever a new settlement or camp started, one of the first buildings or tents erected would be a gambling hall. As the settlement grew, these halls would become larger and more elaborate in proportion. Gaming halls were typically the largest and most ornately decorated buildings in any town and often housed a bar, stage for entertainment, and hotel rooms for guests. These establishments were a driving force behind the local economy, and many towns measured their prosperity by the number of gambling halls and professional gamblers they had. Towns that were friendly to gaming were typically known to sports as “wide-awake” or “wide-open” for their acceptance of gambling.

Men were not the only ones who played at games of chance, women placed their bets, and the sight of petticoats at the table was regular. Many women played, dealt, or ran their own houses; this choice of profession offered them the opportunity to attain monetary independence and social stature. One of the most famous was Eleanore Dumont, known more crudely in her later years as “Madame Mustache.” Miss Dumont ran several different houses in Nevada, Idaho, Montana, and South Dakota. Another, Alice Ives, started gambling after the death of her husband. Known more popularly as Poker Alice, she was a readily recognized figure in the west for her nearly 40-year-long career. Kitty LeRoy made use of her sex appeal and flamboyant personality as well as excellent gambling ability to become a force of nature in Deadwood. She had multiple husbands and did not hesitate to get rid of men once she was tired of them. Perhaps they were lucky because Kitty also had a reputation for shooting men.

Cattle towns in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska, became gambling centers. Thanks to the railroad and cattle industries, a great number of people worked in and around these towns and had plenty of money to wager. Abilene, Dodge City, Wichita, Omaha, and Kansas City all had an atmosphere that was convivial to gaming. Not surprisingly, such an atmosphere also invited trouble, and such towns also developed reputations as lawless and dangerous places.
Most western citizens considered gambling a respectable profession, and those who chose to make a living doing it were respected members of society. “Gambling was not only the principal and best-paying industry of the town at the time, but it was also reckoned among its most respectable,” wrote Bat Masterson in 1907.

With the lack of any form of police or marshal protection within the Wild West frontier, personal protection was not only a desire, but absolutely essential. This form of superb concealed cased pistols for protection, against the murderous folk out to steal and plunder their hard earned gold.
Gambling, and indeed living, in the American frontier towns in the nineteenth century was just as dangerous then as wearing a valuable gold watch is in London today. Where, expecting assistance from a non-existing police protection force, was as vain an expectation then, as it is today.

As usual most of the American historical gamblers accessories, both pistols and knives, were mostly made in England and exported to America for the burgeoning Wild West market. All of this collection, apart from the Colt no3 Derringer were British made and returned to England many decades ago. The pair of small waistcoat pocket size Derringers are cased in the American style.

The significance of the ‘Pair of Aces’ to 19th century gamblers, is the start of an excellent gamblers hand, but a version of it is still as infamous today.

The pair of black aces, but combined with a pair of black eights, was known as the Wild Bill Hickok’s ‘Dead Man’s Hand’, and dates back to the Old West saloons two decades or so after this pair were made.

Born in Illinois in 1837, Hickok was a lawman, gambler, gunslinger, folklore hero, and actor. He spent much of his life shooting it out with criminals and arresting outlaws. Buthe also spent a large amount of his time subsidising his income with poker winnings.

Later in life, Hickok moved to Deadwood, located in the Black Hills of the Dakota territory. The region wasn’t a state yet, and the lawman was suffering from glaucoma and other ailments. He planned on settling in the mining town to play poker and earn his living.

On Aug. 2, 1876, Hickok was in a Five Card Stud game at Nuttal and Mann’s Saloon. Card rooms at that were what one might expect from the Old West. There was probably plenty of cigar smoke in the air and plenty of whiskey being drunk. As the cards made their way around the table and chips tossed into the pot, a gambler named Jack McCall slipped into the saloon. McCall made his way to the bar and moved behind Bill where he couldn’t be seen. McCall raised his pistol, steadied his aim out of sight of the game.

He fired right in the back of Bill’s head.

The lawman was killed instantly at only age 39. He was allegedly holding two black Aces and two black 8s – an excellent poker hand in this antiquated form of the game. While Hickok usually sat with his back to the wall to keep an eye on others in the room. But only a seat with his back to the room had been available.

Whether Hickok held that hand has been debated for years, but the tale remains as does the hand’s name.

One pistol has a superb tight and crisply operating action, one has a broken mainspring, but the two separated spring parts, of the original spring, are still within the grip, potentially ideal for repair, for the new owner to decide, or left , as is , as part of their service history. The previous collector owner clearly decided, as there would never be a reason for their future use as pistols, then they could be simply left as they are.  read more

Code: 26312

A Very Special Collection of Original Homer's Odyssean Period Weapons of Antiquity From the Siege Of Troy Era and Odysseus's Odyssey A 3200 Year Old Spear and Three Swords & A Gladius Hispaniensis From The Time Of Alexander and Early Rome

A special collection to celebrate the latest incredible film, Christopher Nolan's, The Odyssey. Starring Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Charlize Theron, Samantha Morton and Zendaya. It is always incredibly important that early history, of the earliest eras of Greek history, as related in Homer's great poetry, be once more brought to the world's consciousness, and what better way than a billion dollar film.

The poems described the era when the earliest Greek civilization's were destroyed, and to not reappear for hundreds of years, until the period of the Greek City states, ancient Greek writing, and the alphabet that appeared in the 800's B.C., All this following the Greek 'Dark Ages', that was sparked by the collapse of the Mycenaean civilization, and thus the consequences, according to Homer, of the fall of Troy.

It may be a somewhat fair approximation of The Odyssey, but all things considered, it was a superb film

The primary weapon of the Homeric period (depicted in the Iliad and the Odyssey) was the heavy throwing and thrusting spear, complemented by swords, daggers, and occasional ranged or specialized impact weapons.
Homeric combat blends late Bronze Age (Mycenaean) memories with the early Iron Age of Homer's own era, featuring a mix of bronze and iron equipment.

The spear or lance was the quintessential hero's weapon. Warriors typically carried two large spears, which were used both for long-range throwing and close-quarters thrusting.

The sword (xiphos / phasganon) was a secondary sidearm used when a spear broke or during close-quarters melee was the sword. These were relatively short, double-edged blades cast from bronze .The dagger (echeos / phasganon): was kept tucked next to the sword scabbard as a last-resort backup weapon for desperate hand-to-hand struggles.

The Odyssey is an epic poem in 24 books traditionally attributed to the ancient Greek poet Homer. The poem is the story of Odysseus, king of Ithaca, who wanders for 10 years (although the action of the poem covers only the final six weeks) trying to get home after the Trojan War. On his return, he is recognized only by his faithful dog and a nurse. With the help of his son, Telemachus, Odysseus destroys the insistent suitors of his faithful wife, Penelope, and several of her maids who had fraternized with the suitors and reestablishes himself in his kingdom.

Epics such as the Iliad and the Odyssey emerged from an oral tradition in which poets, or bards, performed epic narratives before audiences, with fixed written texts appearing much later. The written texts employed various literary devices such as formulaic epithets and repetition which helped performers memorize the poem and adapt during their recitation. For centuries, Homeric epics formed part of the educational foundation of the Greek world throughout the classical age and helped shape a broader Panhellenic cultural identity.

The Odyssey does not follow a linear chronology. The reader begins in the middle of the tale, learning about previous events only through Odysseus’s retelling. The first four books set the scene in Ithaca. Penelope, Odysseus’s wife, and their young son, Telemachus, are powerless before her arrogant suitors as they despair of Odysseus’s return from the siege of Troy. Telemachus is searching for news of his father, who has not been heard from since he left for war nearly 20 years earlier. He journeys secretly to the Peloponnese and seeks out two men who fought with Odysseus in the war at Troy, Nestor and Menelaus, and discovers that his father is indeed still alive.  read more

Code: 26309