A Simply Wonderful Trojan War Period Full Length Bronze Sword Blade 28.75 Inches Long Circa 1200 B.C.

2nd millennium BC. A bronze sword with tapering long multi fullered blade, flat, tapered tang originally fitted with a likely organic hilt of possibly ivory or carved horn or wood. A sword that could have been traded with the Archean Greeks, the Mycenean Greeks the Trojan peoples and The Hitites.

The trade of Bronze Age weaponry followed trade routes that started in the the Assyrian Empire, East of Babylon, right through to the Mediterranean region, and all of empires and kingdoms in between. Also, all manner of Bronze Age utilitarian wares, personal adornments, and tools came from this famed bronze smithing region and their trading merchants.

In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and has been narrated through many works of Greek literature, most notably Homer's Iliad. The core of the Iliad (Books II – XXIII) describes a period of four days and two nights in the tenth year of the decade-long siege of Troy; the Odyssey describes the journey home of Odysseus, one of the war's heroes. Other parts of the war are described in a cycle of epic poems, which have survived through fragments. Episodes from the war provided material for Greek tragedy and other works of Greek literature, and for Roman poets including Virgil and Ovid.

The ancient Greeks believed that Troy was located near the Dardanelles and that the Trojan War was a historical event of the 13th or 12th century BC, but by the mid-19th century AD, both the war and the city were widely seen as non-historical. In 1868, however, the German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann met Frank Calvert, who convinced Schliemann that Troy was a real city at what is now Hisarlik in Turkey. On the basis of excavations conducted by Schliemann and others, this claim is now accepted by most scholars.

Whether there is any historical reality behind the Trojan War remains an open question. Many scholars believe that there is a historical core to the tale, though this may simply mean that the Homeric stories are a fusion of various tales of sieges and expeditions by Mycenaean Greeks during the Bronze Age. Those who believe that the stories of the Trojan War are derived from a specific historical conflict usually date it to the 12th or 11th century BC, often preferring the dates given by Eratosthenes, 1194–1184 BC, which roughly correspond to archaeological evidence of a catastrophic burning of Troy VII, and the Late Bronze Age collapse. Legend has it that the war originated from a quarrel between the goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, after Eris, the goddess of strife and discord, gave them a golden apple, sometimes known as the Apple of Discord, marked "for the fairest". Zeus sent the goddesses to Paris of Troy, who judged that Aphrodite, as the "fairest", should receive the apple. In exchange, Aphrodite made Helen, the most beautiful of all women and wife of Menelaus of Sparta, fall in love with Paris, who quit Sparta with her and returned to Troy. Menelaus's brother Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, led an expedition of Achaean troops to Troy and besieged the city for ten years because of Paris' insult. After the deaths of many heroes, including the Achaeans Achilles and Ajax, and the Trojans Hector and Paris, the city fell to the ruse of the Trojan Horse. The Achaeans slaughtered the Trojans (except for some of the women and children whom they kept or sold as slaves) and desecrated the temples, thus earning the gods' wrath. Few of the Achaeans returned safely to their homes and many founded colonies in distant shores. The Romans later traced their origin to Aeneas, Aphrodite's son and one of the Trojans, who was said to have led the surviving Trojans to modern-day Italy.

Most of our antiquities and artefacts are from 200 year past souvenir accumulations from British ‘Grand Tours’. Beautiful Items and antiquities were oft acquired in the 18th and early 19th century by British noblemen and women touring battle sites in Northern France and Italy, in fact most of Europe and the Middle East, on their so-called ‘Grand Tour’. They were often placed on display upon their return home, within the family’s ‘cabinet of curiosities’, within their country house. Some significant British stately homes had entire galleries displaying the treasures and artefacts gathered and purchased on such tours, and some tours lasted many years, and the accumulated souvenirs numbered in their hundreds or even thousands

As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity.  read more

Code: 24764

Original Roman Empire period, Copper Alloy, 2nd Century Signet Ring with Engraved Bird

Henig type Xb ring. Wide oval bezel affixed to flattened shoulders engraved copper bronze alloy with gilt highlights. Almost identical to one found in the UK near Hadrian's Wall. That one was engraved to represent the Zaroastrian fire altar, or vessel of sprouting grains. The ring was important for displaying the Roman's status. For example Tiberius, who was after all left-handed according to Suetonius, thus displays a ring in his bronze portrait as the Pontifex Maximus:
So the rings were very important to tell from a glimpse of eye if a traveller was a citizen, an equites or a senator, or legionary. People sealed and signed letters with the rings and its falsification could bring death.

In ancient Rome they were used as signet rings, for the elite citizens and political leaders with power and wealth using them to sign documents by transferring their impression into a hot dripping of wax. At that point in history, there was no such thing as a written signature.

The fugitive slaves didn’t have rings but iron collars with texts like “If found, return me to X” which also helped to recognise them. The domesticus slaves (the ones that lived in houses) didn’t wore the collar but sometimes were marked. A ring discovered 50 years ago is now believed to possibly be the ring of Pontius Pilate himself, and it was the same copper-bronze form ring as is this one.  read more

Code: 24854

An Original Viking Warrior's Bronze Torc Arm Ring CIrca 800's in Viking Twisted Wirework Design

A fabulous Viking twisted wire bronze alloy arm ring bracelet. A most attractive and impressive original Viking bracelet

Knowledge about the arms and armour and body adornments such as bracelets, torcs, rings and pendants, of the Viking age is based on archaeological finds, pictorial representation, and to some extent on the accounts in the Norse sagas and Norse laws recorded in the 13th century. According to custom, all free Norse men were required to own weapons and were permitted to carry them all the time, and body adornments were a way to set one apart, the more successful in combat a warrior was was the greater his share of the looted booty, and this success could only be best shown by him in his body adornment, such as rings, torcs, wrist and arm bracelets, or pendants, and finally topped off with a wolf fur cloak. The arms he bore and his jewellery were indicative of a Viking's social status: a wealthy Viking had a complete ensemble of a helmet, shield, mail shirt, sword if his status was the highest otherwise spear or axe, and his body adornments. However, swords were rarely used in battle in the same quantity as axes, as few Vikings were of the status to own or carry a sword, A typical bondi (freeman) was more likely to fight with a spear and shield, and axe, and most also carried a seax as a utility knife and side-arm. Bows were used in the opening stages of land battles and at sea, but they tended to be considered less "honourable" than a melee weapon.

The warfare and violence of the Vikings were often motivated and fuelled by their beliefs in Norse religion, focusing on Thor and Odin, the gods of war and death. In combat, it is believed that the Vikings sometimes engaged in a disordered style of frenetic, furious fighting known as berserkergang, leading them to be termed berserkers. Such tactics may have been deployed intentionally by shock troops, and the berserk-state may have been induced through ingestion of materials with psychoactive properties, such as the hallucinogenic mushrooms, Amanita muscaria, or large amounts of alcohol. Perhaps the most common hand weapon among Vikings was the axe, swords were far more expensive to make, and only wealthy warriors could possibly afford them.

Vikings and Norse people wore arm rings (also known as Torcs) as a sign of their wealth and status, and as a sign of loyalty. An arm ring is a type of heavy jewellry that is worn around the upper or lower arm. Arm rings might made of precious metals such as gold or silver, but for combat bronze was more sustainable

Norse arm rings were usually given as gifts to mark special occasions such as births, weddings, or military victories. They were also sometimes used as currency. In some cases, arm rings were passed down from generation to generation as family heirlooms. Viking arm rings have been found at many old Viking locations.

The meaning of a Viking arm ring could vary depending on its owner. For some people, it may have been a symbol of their power and wealth. For others, it may have represented their family history or heritage.

Whatever the meaning of a Viking arm ring may have been, it is clear that these pieces of jewellery were important to the Norse people. Arm rings were more than just fashion accessories; they held significant value both socially and economically.

Just under 60 mm across. In its wearing life arm rings wether for wrist or upper arm could be expanded easily by hand in order to increase its size to fit the wrist or arm of the wearer at the time, but not today of course.

As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity  read more

Code: 24797

An Original & Superb Imperial Roman Bronze Ring, The Type Worn by the Praetorian Guard, Personal Guard of the Emperor 1st Century AD From the Time of Julio-Claudian Emperors, Augustus, Tiberious, Caligula, Claudius & Nero

Founded by Emperor Augustus the Praetorian Guard were the personal guard of the Emperor, that answered to no one but him. However, the Praetorians notoriously assassinated 13 of their Roman Emperors that it was sworn to protect, and on one occasion they even auctioned off the emperors throne to the highest bidder. So, as the expressions goes, nobody's perfect.

1st century AD. An Imperial Roman heavy copper alloy bronze ring. The form of ring worn by the Praetorian Guard, being classified as Henig type 1, Classified by the seminal classification of ancient ring forms, by Dr. Martin Henig, and Geraud type 1b; From the Julio-Claudian dynasty (27 BC – AD 68).

The last example we had, around 3 years ago, but that was adorned with an engraving likely to denote higher rank of the wearer, this one is unadorned.

Most of our antiquities and artefacts are from 200 year past souvenir accumulations from British ‘Grand Tours’. Beautiful Items and antiquities were oft acquired in the 18th and early 19th century by British noblemen and women touring battle sites in Northern France and Italy, in fact most of Europe and the Middle East, on their so-called ‘Grand Tour’. They were often placed on display upon their return home, within the family’s ‘cabinet of curiosities’, within their country house. Some significant British stately homes had entire galleries displaying the treasures and artefacts gathered and purchased on such tours, and some tours lasted many years, and the accumulated souvenirs numbered in their hundreds or even thousands

The Praetorian Guard was a fixture of the imperial era, but their origins date back to groups of elite soldiers that protected generals during the Roman Republic. As early as the second century B.C., special units were selected to shadow famed Roman leaders such as Marc Antony, Scipio Africanus and Lucius Cornelius Sulla whenever they ventured into the field. Julius Caesar later enlisted his tenth legion as personal security, but the Praetorian Guard as we know it didn’t appear until shortly after Augustus became Rome’s first emperor in 27 B.C. After ascending to the throne, Augustus established his own imperial guards comprised of nine cohorts of 500 to 1,000 men each.

The unit would endure as a symbol of imperial might for over 300 years. By A.D. 23, it even operated out of its own fortress, the Castra Praetoria, located on the outskirts of Rome. The Praetorian Guard often handled crowd control at the Roman games, but they occasionally stepped into the arena and played an active role in the bloodshed. There is evidence that the Guard took part in gruesome wild beast hunts to demonstrate their combat prowess, and they played a notorious role in a “naumachia,” or staged sea battle, hosted by Emperor Claudius in A.D. 52. The spectacle saw as many as 19,000 men and some 100 boats clash in a mock naval engagement on the Fucine Lake. Most of the participants were prisoners and slaves, and the Praetorians, armed with catapults and ballistae, surrounded the battle on rafts to add to the mayhem and prevent any of the condemned from escaping.

The Praetorians’ may have been tasked with protecting the Roman Emperor, but they were also the single greatest threat to his life. The unit was a major player in the webs of deceit that characterized imperial Rome, and they were willing to slaughter and install new emperors when tempted by promises of money or power.
Disgruntled Praetorians famously engineered the assassination of Caligula and the selection of Claudius as his successor in A.D. 41. Among others, the Guard or their prefect also played a part in the murder of Commodus in 192, Caracalla in 217, Elagabalus in 222 and Pupienus and Balbinus in 238. In some cases, the Praetorians were partially responsible for both installing andmurdering a would-be emperor. Galba ascended the throne in A.D. 68 after winning the support of the Guard, only to be killed at their hands the following year after he neglected to properly reward them. Likewise, Emperor Pertinax was confirmed by the Praetorians in 193 and then slain just three months later when he tried to force them to accept new disciplinary measures.

In general the majority of rings recovered in provincial cities were made of bronze from local workshops. The most common alloy employed for the largest number of ornaments and with the greatest variety of shapes was brass, the alloy of copper and zinc. The high number of alloys with a different composition indicates that there was a significantly increased demand for jewellery similar in colour to precious metal, but cheaper and easy to produce..For examples see; Cf. Henkel, F., Die Römischen Fingerringe der Rheinlande und der Benachbarten Gebiete, Berlin, 1913, items 168, 202a,959 and 1785, for types.

Size R {UK}, a good comfortable wearable size, and sound heavy quality, and a remarkably smooth and exceptionally well preserved surface patina

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading  read more

Code: 25082

An Fabulous Bronze and Iron Archemeanid Empire Sword From the Time of the Greco-Persian Wars of Xerxes the Great Against the Spartans at Thermopylae. The Very Type of Sword Actually Used As Depicted in The Movie 300 Spartans

To place this wonderful historical piece in a modern context. If one saw the incredible movie ‘300 Spartans’, this is exactly the same kind of sword that would have been used in that extraordinary battle, and into the period of the greatest Empire ever known of Alexander the Great.
It is 7th century to 6th century BC, and was a most rare and incredibly valuable weapon of war during that time, utilising as it does a combination of steel and bronze, as iron steel was a most rare, valuable and highly prized metal in the early ancient Bronze Age period. This wonderful sword would likely have been used and held by warriors of nobility for likely several hundred years.
A complete sword, of both blade and hilt, with leaf-shaped russetted iron blade, double-waisted grip with transverse collar, the pommel formed as two crescentic iron spayed lobes, the hilt clad with bronze. Approx 635 grams, 19.25 inches. very good condition hilt for age. Approximately 2500 years old, Achaemenid Empire era, 550 bc to 330 bc From the the Greco-Persian War, such as includes the iconic battles of Marathon, Thermopylae and Plataea, up to the time of Alexander the Great. This wonderful antiquity, from one of the most eventful and ground breaking periods of classical history, is in amazing condition and beautifully decorated 6th-4th century BC. A bronze long dagger with narrow lentoid-section blade, collared grip with crescentic ears to the pommel. By the 7th century BC, the Persians had settled in the south-western portion of the Iranian Plateau in the region of Persis, which came to be their heartland. From this region, Cyrus the Great advanced to defeat the Medes, Lydia, and the Neo-Babylonian Empire, establishing the Achaemenid Empire. The Ionian Greek Revolt in 499 BC, and associated revolts in Aeolis, Doris, Cyprus and Caria, were military rebellions by several regions of Asia Minor against Persian rule, lasting from 499 to 493 BC. At the heart of the rebellion was the dissatisfaction of the Greek cities of Asia Minor with the tyrants appointed by Persia to rule them, along with the individual actions of two Milesian tyrants, Histiaeus and Aristagoras. In 499 BC, the then tyrant of Miletus, Aristagoras, launched a joint expedition with the Persian satrap Artaphernes to conquer Naxos, in an attempt to bolster his position in Miletus (both financially and in terms of prestige). The mission was a debacle, and sensing his imminent removal as tyrant, Aristagoras chose to incite the whole of Ionia into rebellion against the Persian king Darius the Great. In 490 BC the Persian forces were defeated by the Athenians at the Battle of Marathon and Darius would die before having the chance to launch an invasion of Greece. The Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BC, during the first Persian invasion of Greece. It was fought between the citizens of Athens, aided by Plataea, and a Persian force commanded by Datis and Artaphernes. The battle was the culmination of the first attempt by Persia, under King Darius I, to subjugate Greece. The Greek army decisively defeated the more numerous Persians, marking a turning point in the Greco-Persian Wars. Xerxes I (485–465 BC, "Hero Among Kings"), son of Darius I, vowed to complete the job. He organized a massive invasion aiming to conquer Greece. His army entered Greece from the north, meeting little or no resistance through Macedonia and Thessaly, but was delayed by a small Greek force for three days at Thermopylae. A simultaneous naval battle at Artemisium was tactically indecisive as large storms destroyed ships from both sides. The battle was stopped prematurely when the Greeks received news of the defeat at Thermopylae and retreated. The battle was a strategic victory for the Persians, giving them uncontested control of Artemisium and the Aegean Sea.

Following his victory at the Battle of Thermopylae, Xerxes sacked the evacuated city of Athens and prepared to meet the Greeks at the strategic Isthmus of Corinth and the Saronic Gulf. In 480 BC the Greeks won a decisive victory over the Persian fleet at the Battle of Salamis and forced Xerxes to retire to Sardis. The land army which he left in Greece under Mardonius retook Athens but was eventually destroyed in 479 BC at the Battle of Plataea. The final defeat of the Persians at Mycale encouraged the Greek cities of Asia to revolt, and the Persians lost all of their territories in Europe; Macedonia once again became independent. Alexander the Great, an avid admirer of Cyrus the Great, conquered most of the empire by 330 BC. Upon Alexander's death, most of the empire's former territory came under the rule of the Ptolemaic Kingdom and Seleucid Empire, in addition to other minor territories which gained independence at that time. The Iranian elites of the central plateau reclaimed power by the second century BC under the Parthian Empire

See Khorasani, M.M., Arms and Armour from Iran. The Bronze Age to the End of the Qajar Period, Tübingen, 2006, p.384, no.20, for similar. As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity.  read more

Code: 23515

A Very Good & Scarce 1100 years old Viking Period Short Javelin Spear Head, Approx 900 AD

Medially ridged leaf shaped blade, with a long tapering spiked tang. Although not as glamorous as the sword, the spear was in every sense the definitive weapon of the Viking Age and used as the primary weapon of combat by almost every warrior. This form of long throwing javelin spear has an iron socket spike at the base, that in order to create a javelin, its bottom spike would be driven into a suitable haft by around 3.5 inches, up to the end of the socket, and this would thus create a most devastating long distance throwing weapon of warfare. Decorated spearheads inlaid with precious metals prove that in the Viking Age spears were not seen as the poor man's choice and one has only to look at the representations of warriors from the illuminated manuscripts of the era to quickly come to the conclusion that the use of the spear was ubiquitous. Swords are considered a most valuable historical find, as is a same era spear, however, a similar condition surviving Viking era sword would cost today well over 10,000 pounds, so the cost of this spear by comparison is very good value indeed. A fine example of a 10th century spear that can be found in England, that came from Viking invaders, who used such spears from Eastern Europe, all Scandinavia, Northern Europe, Central Europe and Britain. Many of the Anglo-Saxon phrases used to describe both battle and warrior help to underline the importance of the spear. In Vlusp (from the Norse Poetic Edda) line 24 onwards -we read :

Vápnum sínum skal-a maðr velli á
feti ganga framar,
því at óvíst er at vita,
nær verðr á vegum úti geirs of þörf guma

let fly a spear, hurled it over the host;
that was still the first war in the world,
the palisade surrounding the sir's stronghold was breached
by the Vanir battle-magic, as they strode the plain.
During the War between the sir and the Vanir, Odinn threw a javelin into the Vanir host to signal the commencement of hostilities. The practice of symbolically throwing a spear into the enemy ranks at the start of a battle was sometimes used in historic clashes, to seek Odinn’s blessing. 17.5 inches long overall. Part of an original medieval collection we have just acquired, of Viking and early British relics of warfare from ancient battle sites recovered up to 220 years ago. Almost every iron weapon that has survived today from this era is now in a fully russetted condition, as is this one, because only the swords of kings, that have been preserved in national or Royal collections are today still in a good state and condition. 205mm long.
Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading  read more

Code: 23741

A Superb Pair of Red Lacquer Over Steel Abumi, Samurai Stirrups, Edo Period Used by Daimyo or Seieibushi (Elite Samurai) Traditionally the Highest Rank of Elite Samurai of The Sakai Clan,

Simply stunning pieces of antique samurai armour, perfect for the collector of samurai swords, armour and artifacts, or simply as fabulous object d'art, they would be spectacular decorative pieces in any setting, albeit to compliment contemporary minimalistic or fine antique decor of any period, oriental or European.

Decorated at the front with a beautiful kamon samurai clan crest of the renown samurai it's one of popular kamon that is a design of the flower of oxalis corniculata.
The founder of the clan that chose this flower as their mon had wished that their descendants would flourish well. Because oxalis corniculata is renown, and fertile plant.
the mon form as used by clans such as the Sakai, including daimyo lord Sakai Tadayo

One of the great Sakai clan lords was Sakai Tadayo (酒井 忠世, July 14, 1572 – April 24, 1636). He was a Japanese daimyō of the Sengoku period, and high-ranking government advisor, holding the title of Rōjū, and later Tairō.

The son of Sakai Shigetada, Tadayo was born in Nishio, Mikawa Province; his childhood name was Manchiyo. He became a trusted elder (rōjū) in Toyotomi Hideyoshi's government, alongside Tokugawa Ieyasu. Under Hideyoshi, he was made lord of Kawagoe Castle (in Musashi Province, today Saitama Prefecture) and later of Nagoya Castle in Kyūshū's Hizen Province. In 1600, in the lead-up to the decisive Sekigahara campaign, he fought against the Tokugawa at Aizu, and submitted to them at the siege of Ueda. Thus, having joined the Tokugawa prior to the battle of Sekigahara itself, Sakai was made a fudai daimyō, and counted among the Tokugawa's more trusted retainers. He served under Ieyasu for a time, and under the second shōgun, Tokugawa Hidetada, as a hatamoto.
The lacquered iron menpo (face mask) with four-lame yodarekake face armour. The kabuto is signed on the interior Nobutada saku Nobutada made this

During the Japanese civil wars (1467-1568), red was revered by the samurai and worn as a symbol of strength and power in battle, in ancient times it was a lacquer called sekishitsu (a mixture of cinnabar and lacquer). For example it was the trademark colour of the armour of the Li clan, the so called Red Devil’s. In the Battle of Komaki Nagakute, fought in 1584, Ii Naomasa's clan fronted 3,000 matchlock gunmen, his front line forces up wearing what would become the clan’s trademark, bright red lacquered armour, with high horn-like helmet crests. Their fearsome fighting skills with the gun and long-spear, and their red armour had them become known as Ii’s Red Devils. He fought so well at Nagakute, that he was highly praised by Toyotomi Hideyoshi leader of the opposition! Ii Naomasa was known as one of the Four Guardians of the Tokugawa.

Also the similar clan mon of the Chōsokabe clan (長 宗 我 部 氏Chōsokabe-shi ), Also known as Chōsokame (長 曾 我 部 、 長 宗 我 部 ) , Was a Japanese clan from the island of Shikoku . Over time, they were known to serve the Hosokawa clan then the Miyoshi clan, and then the Ichijō clan although they were later liberated and came to dominate the entire island, before being defeated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi . The clan claimed to be descendants of Qin Shi Huang (d. 210 BC), the first emperor of a unified China .

The clan is associated with the province of Tosa in present-day Kōchi prefecture on the island of Shikoku . Chōsokabe Motochika , who unified Shikoku, was the first twenty daimyo (or head) of the clan.

In the beginning of the Sengoku period , Chōsokabe Kunichika's father, Kanetsugu, was assassinated by the Motoyama clan in 1508. Therefore, Kunichika was raised by the aristocrat Ichijō Husaie of the Ichijō clan in Tosa province. Later, towards the end of his life, Kunichika avenged the Motoyama clan and destroyed with the help of Ichijō in 1560. Kunichika have children, including his heir and future daimyo of Chosokabe, Motochika, who continue unifying Shikoku.

First, the Ichijō family was overthrown by Motochika in 1574. Later, he gained control of the rest of Tosa due to his victory at the Battle of Watarigawa in 1575. Then he also destroyed the Kono clan and the Soga clan . Over the next decade, he extended his power to all of Shikoku in 1583. However, in 1585, Toyotomi Hideyoshi ( Oda Nobunaga's successor ) invaded the island with a force of 100,000 men, led by Ukita Hideie , Kobayakawa Takakage , Kikkawa Motonaga , Toyotomi Hidenaga and Toyotomi Hidetsugu . Motochika surrendered and lost the Awa provinces, Sanuki and Iyo ; Hideyoshi allowed him to retain Tosa. The smiths name Motochika was linked to the clan itself. The last picture In the gallery is of samurai Chōsokabe Morichika, ruler of Tosa province. His clan mon, that appears on the abumi and on the tanto on the habaki, can be seen on the collar of his garb, As ruler of Tosa Province, in 1614 he went to join the defenders of Osaka Castle against the Tokugawa, he arriving there the same day as Sanada Yukimura. His Chōsokabe contingent fought very well in both the Winter and Summer at Osaka Campaigns. After the fall of Osaka, Morichika attempted to flee but was apprehended at Hachiman-yama by Hachisuka men, He and his sons were beheaded on May 11, 1615, following the defeat of the Toyotomi and Chōsokabe forces at the Battle of Tennōji. We acquired these abumi with tanto of the 1390's of the same clan, but sold separately.

These abumi are in superb condition for their age, certainly showing signs of use on horseback, but these slight wear marks etc. perfectly compliment their provenance for display.  read more

Code: 23472

An Edo Period, 1603 - 1868, Samurai Horseman’s Ryo-Shinogi Yari Polearm

With original pole and iron foot mount ishizuki. Very nicely polished four sided double edged head. The mochi-yari, or "held spear", is a rather generic term for the shorter Japanese spear. It was especially useful to mounted Samurai. In mounted use, the spear was generally held with the right hand and the spear was pointed across the saddle to the soldiers left front corner. The warrior's saddle was often specially designed with a hinged spear rest (yari-hasami) to help steady and control the spear's motion. The mochi-yari could also easily be used on foot and is known to have been used in castle defense. The martial art of wielding the yari is called sojutsu. A yari on it's pole can range in length from one metre to upwards of six metres (3.3 to 20 feet). The longer hafted versions were called omi no yari while shorter ones were known as mochi yari or tae yari. The longest hafted versions were carried by foot troops (ashigaru), while samurai usually carried a shorter hafted yari. Yari are believed to have been derived from Chinese spears, and while they were present in early Japan's history they did not become popular until the thirteenth century.The original warfare of the bushi was not a thing for "commoners"; it was a ritualized combat usually between two warriors who may challenge each other via horseback archery and sword duels. However, the attempted Mongol invasions of Japan in 1274 and 1281 changed Japanese weaponry and warfare. The Mongol-employed Chinese and Korean footmen wielded long pikes, fought in tight formation, and moved in large units to stave off cavalry. Polearms (including naginata and yari) were of much greater military use than swords, due to their much greater range, their lesser weight per unit length (though overall a polearm would be fairly hefty), and their great piercing ability. Swords in a full battle situation were therefore relegated to emergency sidearm status from the Heian through the Muromachi periods. The pole has has the top lacquer section relacquered in the past 50 years or so.  read more

Code: 20518

A Very Fine Antique, Ancestral Chisa Katana Sword in Crew Gunto Mounts Signed Jumyo, Shinto. Swords By Jumyo Were Very Often Gifted to Noble Family Daimyo, As They Were Considered Very Auspicious

A beautiful antique Shinto ancestral blade, over 350 years old, bearing a suguha hamon in delightful polish, with two mekugi-ana and it is signed Jumyo, mounted for use in WW2, by a Japanese officer, likely of noble birth {due to him bearing a Jumyo blade in his sword}, in full military pattern officer sword mounts that are in superb untouched condition.

The Jumyo (寿命) school has its origins from Yamato (Nara prefecture) and moved to Mino province (Gifu prefecture) in the Kamakura period (1185-1333). The tradition continued for centuries, right up until the end of the Edo period in 1868. The main line separated in the 17th century into the Ishikiri and Kondo lineages. In addition, there were also the Owari-Jumyo. This line resulted from a migration of Mino smiths to Owari following Ieyasu Tokugawa’s defeat of the Imagawa clan. The Shodai of the Owari-Jumyo, Tango no kami Fujiwara Jumyo, was also the first in the Ishikiri lineage. The Owari-Jumyo lasted five generations (1579-1804).

The name Jumyo has been thought as very auspicious for longevity and used for gift and many swordsmiths used the same name for generations. It was believed that those who possessed a Jumyo blade were blessed with good fortune and longevity. Jumyo swords had a deserved reputation as wazamono blades with very good cutting ability. Interestingly, a superstition arose that a cut from a Jumyo sword would never heal. Presumably this was a comment on both the cutting ability of this school’s swords and their perceived auspicious nature.

Its super blade was made around 370 years ago, and thus this sword would have seen service by up to 20 samurai within it's service lifetime. Then, by its very last owner it was mounted and taken to war by likely the eldest son, a pilot, from a family with samurai ancestry. The Japanese fighter plane often had a metal container within the cockpit that would hold the pilots katana. Although the pilot was never expected to need his sword while on a mission, he was expected to die with it if his plane should crash or explode, and if his plane was to crash land, and he survived, he would have a sword to maintain his life in potential enemy territory.

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

Blade 21.5 inches tsuba to tip.
Overall 37.5 inches long in saya  read more

Code: 25331

A Wonderful Shinto 'Shishi' Katana With All Original Edo Period Koshirae of Exemplary Museum Grade Fittings based on The Mythical Protectors of The Shinto Shrines, the Shishi Lion-Dogs

A typical example of a very fine katana of a seieibushi (elite samurai) traditionally the Highest rank of elite samurai. Circa 1670, with a most fine hon-zukuri blade form with suguha hamon, mumei; and a wonderful iron sumiiri kakugata tsuba with shishiaibori decoration of a shishi lion dog below a waterfall, with complimentary matching mino-goto fuchi, fabulous large shishi lion-dog menuki in shakudo with pure gold inlay highlights; set within its original beautiful Edo period saya of a combination of ribbed and lobster-scale urishi lacquer. The fuchi is Goto school of deep takebori of gold and shakudo catydids and insects, with a carved polished buffalo horn kashira. Tradition black tsuka Ito wrapped over the fabulous menuki on the samegawa {giant rayskin}

Shishi (or Jishi) is translated as "lion” but it can also refer to a deer or dog with magical properties and the power to repel evil spirits. A pair of shishi traditionally stand guard outside the gates of Japanese Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples, although temples are more often guarded by two Nio Protectors. The Shishi (like the Nio) are traditionally depicted in pairs, one with mouth open and one with mouth shut. The opened/closed mouth relates to Ah (open mouth) and Un (closed mouth). “Ah" is the first sound in the Japanese alphabet, while "N" (pronounced "un") is the last. These two sounds symbolize beginning and end, birth and death, and all possible outcomes (from alpha to omega) in the cosmic dance of existence. The first letter in Sanskrit is "Ah" as well, but the last is "Ha." Nonetheless, the first and last sounds produced by the mouth are "Ah" and "M." The Sanskrit "m" and the Japanese "n" sound exactly the same when hummed with mouth closed. The spiritual Sanskrit terms AHAM and AUM thus encapsulate the first letter-sound (mouth open) and the final sound (mouth closed). Others say the open mouth is to scare off demons, and the closed mouth to shelter and keep in the good spirits. The circular object often shown beneath their feet is the Tama 玉, or sacred Buddhist jewel, a symbol of Buddhist wisdom that brings light to darkness and holds the power to grant wishes.
The Incredible Story of Japanese Lacquer on Samurai Swords Scabbards, called Saya

Japanese lacquer, or urushi, is a transformative and highly prized material that has been refined for over 7000 years.
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!
Flowing from incisions made in the bark, the sap, or raw lacquer is a viscous greyish-white juice. The harvesting of the resin can only be done in very small quantities.
Three to five years after being harvested, the resin is treated to make an extremely resistant, honey-textured lacquer. After filtering, homogenization and dehydration, the sap becomes transparent and can be tinted in black, red, yellow, green or brown.
Once applied on an object, lacquer is dried under very precise conditions: a temperature between 25 and 30°C and a humidity level between 75 and 80%. Its harvesting and highly technical processing make urushi an expensive raw material applied in exceptionally fine successive layers, on objects such as bowls or boxes.After heating and filtering, urushi can be applied directly to a solid, usually wooden, base. Pure urushi dries into a transparent film, while the more familiar black and red colours are created by adding minerals to the material. Each layer is left to dry and polished before the next layer is added. This process can be very time-consuming and labor-intensive, which contributes to the desirability, and high costs, of traditionally made lacquer goods. The skills and techniques of Japanese lacquer have been passed down through the generations for many centuries. For four hundred years, the master artisans of Zohiko’s Kyoto workshop have provided refined lacquer articles for the imperial household

Blade 28.5 inches long from tsuba to tip. Overall 40.5 inches long in saya.

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading  read more

Code: 25304