Plus, a Napoleonic Wars officers sword of a British Light Dragoon regiment, plus 19th century British swords, helmets and Japanese swords. Including, the sword of the Colonel of the 3rd Battalion Grenadier Guards in the Crimean War, {see pictures 8 and 9} later Major General, {see portrait picture 6}.
We show a Portrait of Major Hodge of the 7th Light Dragoons with his same mameluke sword {see portrait picture 7} Before 1815, during the Napoleonic Wars and the Battle of Waterloo, the Mameluke-hilted sword was a fashionable, often personal, choice for British light cavalry officers (such as Hussars) and high-ranking staff officers, rather than a standard infantry rifle officer's weapon.
The style was adopted following campaigns in Egypt and India, influenced by Napoleon's Mameluke units and the personal preference of the Duke of Wellington

Also due in, a good and rare Victorian 17th Lancers Helmet { a tchapka lance cap } One of the great British cavalry regiments that took part in the Charge of the Light Brigade in the Crimean War.

“When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!”

These words were made famous by Alfred Lord Tennyson in his poem, ‘The Charge of the Light Brigade’, and refer to that fateful day on 25th October 1854 when around six hundred men led by Lord Cardigan rode into the unknown.

The charge against Russian forces was part of the Battle of Balaclava, a conflict making up a much larger series of events known as the Crimean War. The order for the cavalry charge proved catastrophic for the British cavalrymen: a disastrous mistake riddled with misinformation and miscommunication. The calamitous charge was to be remembered for both its bravery and tragedy.

The Grande Armée was formed in 1804 from the L'Armée des côtes de l'Océan (Army of the Ocean Coasts), a force of over 100,000 men that Napoleon had assembled for the proposed invasion of Britain. Napoleon later deployed the army in Central Europe to eliminate the combined threat of Austria and Russia, which were part of the Third Coalition formed against France. Thereafter, the Grande Armée was the principal military force deployed in the campaigns of 1806/7, the French invasion of Spain, and 1809, where it earned its prestige, and in the conflicts of 1812, 1813–14, and 1815. In practice, however, the term Grande Armée is used in English to refer to all the multinational forces gathered by Napoleon in his campaigns.

Upon its formation, the Grande Armée consisted of six corps under the command of Napoleon's marshals and senior generals. When the Austrian and Russian armies began preparations to invade France in late 1805, the Grande Armée was quickly ordered across the Rhine into southern Germany, leading to Napoleon's victories at Ulm and Austerlitz. The French Army grew as Napoleon seized power across Europe, recruiting troops from occupied and allied nations; it reached its peak of one million men at the start of the Russian campaign in 1812,3 with the Grande Armée reaching its height of 413,000 French soldiers and over 600,000 men overall when including foreign recruits.4

In summer of 1812, the Grande Armée marched slowly east, and the Russians fell back with its approach. After the capture of Smolensk and victory at Borodino, the French reached Moscow on 14 September 1812. However, the army was already drastically reduced by skirmishes with the Russians, disease (principally typhus), desertion, heat, exhaustion, and long communication lines. The army spent a month in Moscow but was ultimately forced to march back westward. Cold, starvation, and disease, as well as constant harassment by Cossacks and Russian partisans, resulted in the Grande Armée's utter destruction as a fighting force. Only 120,000 men survived to leave Russia (excluding early deserters); of these, 50,000 were Austrians, Prussians, and other Germans, 20,000 were Poles, and just 35,000 were French. As many as 380,000 died in the campaign.

Did you know, we now have five times as many traffic wardens in the UK than combat ready soldiers { 82000 traffic wardens compared to 18000 ‘combat ready’ soldiers.} When Hitler invaded, and occupied Norway, it was achieved with just 10,000 troops and barely 1,500 falshirmjager took Oslo, the capitol city. But it is very comforting to know London is a ‘perfectly safe’ city, as quoted by the mayor, who, interestingly has 15 permanent, fully armed 24/7 bodyguards. Goodness knows how many he would need if it wasn’t safe ?

Before WW1 the British Army stood at 700,000 men in 1914, which increased in total in the armed forces to 8.7 Million, and alongside the French, The Canadians, Australians, and The Indians, {another 11 million } thus, with an allied armed forces total of around 20 million, it still took 4 years of bloody conflict to beat the Germans. This was when Britain’s population was around half what is is today.  read more

Code: 26183

This Japanese higo school armour stirrup, with a clan crest (mon) of a bird in a cherry blossom treee (sakura) ‘mono no aware’ 物の哀れ in sinchu , is made in the traditional dove's breast (hato mune) shape with an open platform lined with red lacquer, slightly curved forward so that the foot fits in without sliding backwards. In the front extremity the stirrup has a rectangular buckle with several horizontal slots which also serve as a handle.

Not only a fine example of early original samurai equestrian combat armour, for protecting the foot of a mounted combat samurai in battle, it is also a weapon and a beautiful work of art. It also represents a most inexpensive collector's item of original samurai armour, combined as a weapon of combat and war, and around 400 years old.

The whole surface is in ancient russetted iron in the distinctive Higo school style, with a large onlaid most decorative sinchu clan mon crest mount of a bird with sakura tree, the ‘Mono no Aware’

Cultural context for this samurai crest. In Japan, this image represents the concept of mono no aware (the pathos of things). 物の哀れ —a poignant awareness of the impermanence of life, as both the cherry blossoms and the birds’ activity are intense but fleeting.

It is to be noted as we previously detailed, that these stirrups, due to their weight, were also used as weapons against the enemy infantry samurai and ashigaru. A kick from this by the mounted samurai when riding past a standing samurai at full gallop would smash through even the strongest iron helmet kabuto, resulting in likely instant death. The same effect as hitting any object with a 12 pound steel club hammer at full swing

Abumi, Japanese stirrups, were used in Japan as early as the 5th century, and were a necessary component along with the Japanese saddle (kura) for the use of horses in warfare. Abumi became the type of stirrup used by the samurai class of feudal Japan Early abumi were flat-bottomed rings of metal-covered wood, similar to European stirrups. The earliest known examples were excavated from tombs. Cup-shaped stirrups (tsubo abumi) that enclosed the front half of the rider's foot eventually replaced the earlier design.

During the Nara period, the base of the stirrup which supported the rider's sole was elongated past the toe cup. This half-tongued style of stirrup (hanshita abumi) remained in use until the late Heian period (794 to 1185) when a new stirrup was developed. The fukuro abumi or musashi abumi had a base that extended the full length of the rider's foot and the right and left sides of the toe cup were removed. The open sides were designed to prevent the rider from catching a foot in the stirrup and being dragged.

The military version of this open-sided stirrup, called the shitanaga abumi, was in use by the middle Heian period. It was thinner, had a deeper toe pocket and an even longer and flatter foot shelf. It is not known why the Japanese developed this unique style of stirrup, but this stirrup stayed in use until European style-stirrups were introduced in the late 19th century. The abumi has a distinctive swan-like shape, curved up and backward at the front so as to bring the loop for the leather strap over the instep and achieve a correct balance. Most of the surviving specimens from this period are made entirely of iron, inlaid with designs of silver or other materials, and covered with lacquer. In some cases, there is an iron rod from the loop to the footplate near the heel to prevent the foot from slipping out. The footplates are occasionally perforated to let out water when crossing rivers, and these types are called suiba abumi. There are also abumi with holes in the front forming sockets for a lance or banner. Seieibushi (Elite Samurai)
Traditionally the highest rank among the samurai, these are highly skilled fully-fledged samurai. Most samurai at the level of Seieibushi take on apprentices or Aonisaibushi-samurai as their disciples.

Kodenbushi (Legendary Samurai)
A highly coveted rank, and often seen as the highest attainable position, with the sole exception of the rank of Shogun. These are samurai of tremendous capability, and are regarded as being of Shogun-level. Kodenbushi are hired to accomplish some of the most dangerous international missions. Samurai of Kodenbushi rank are extremely rare, and there are no more than four in any given country.

Daimyo (Lords)
This title translates to 'Big Name' and is given to the heads of the clan.

Shogun (Military Dictator)
The apex of the samurai, the Shogun is the most prestigious rank possible for a samurai. Shoguns are the leaders of their given district, or country, and are regarded as the most powerful samurai.

Picture in the gallery of Samurai Wagakawa Kiyohide riding his black horse into battle wearing his identical black and brass mounted abumi horse armour stirrup.  read more

Code: 23147

1450.00 GBP

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1889 Pattern Prussian officers sword with cast eagle guard, excellent original multi wire bound grip, with kaisers crest insert, good condition double fullered bright polished blade and black lacquered steel combat scabbard. Kaiser Willhelm crest to grip. Folding spring loaded Prussian eagle guard. Used by a German infantry officer serving in the Great War, the Weimar period, and WW2. Taken as a WW2 souvenir in 1945.

Many of these swords were also used in the 3rd Reich by veteran officers serving in WW2. Numerous Vintage photographs of WW2 German Officers show them wearing this pattern of sword, including one in the gallery of Generalleutnant Hans von Donat with his identical sword.
The Imperial German Army (Deutsches Heer) entered the Great War in 1914 as the most professional and highly trained conscript force in the world. At its peak, it mobilised millions of men, evolving from a force designed for rapid, decisive offensives into a highly adaptable master of industrialised trench warfare.Organization and Early StrategyEstablished in 1871 after the unification of Germany, the army was a federal force dominated by Prussia, though the kingdoms of Bavaria, Saxony, and Württemberg maintained their own ministries and units.The General Staff: Unlike its rivals, Germany relied on a Great General Staff to institutionalise military excellence through academic training and strategic planning.The Schlieffen Plan: Strategy was initially dictated by the goal of avoiding a two-front war. The plan called for a massive, rapid right-wing sweep through neutral Belgium to knock France out of the war in weeks before turning to face Russia.Rapid Mobilisation: Upon the outbreak of war, the army expanded from roughly 700,000 peacetime troops to over 3.8 million men within a week.

As the war of movement stalled into trench warfare, the German Army became a leader in tactical innovation to overcome the deadlock.Stormtroopers (Stosstruppen): To break the stalemate, specialized shock units were trained in decentralized, aggressive "infiltration" tactics. These focused on bypassing enemy strongpoints to strike rear-area command and artillery.

By 1917, the army shifted from defending a single, rigid front line to a deep defensive system. This allowed attackers to penetrate forward zones only to be decimated by pre-planned counter-attacks and hidden machine-gun nests.

Tactics evolved to integrate infantry, heavy artillery (coordinated by masters like Georg Bruchmüller), aircraft, and early anti-tank measures into a single cohesive system

Despite nearly breaking the Allied lines during the 1918 Spring Offensive, the army ultimately succumbed to exhaustion, a lack of mobility to exploit breaches, and the overwhelming material superiority of the Allies.Dissolution: Under the Treaty of Versailles, the Imperial Army was abolished in 1919 and replaced by the Reichswehr, a professional force strictly limited to 100,000 men with no tanks, aircraft, or heavy artillery.The "Stab-in-the-Back" Myth: Following the surrender, a powerful myth grew that the army had remained undefeated on the battlefield but was betrayed by politicians, socialists, and revolutionaries at home—a narrative that later fueled the rise of the Nazi Party.

The great ‘Myth of German WW1 Reparations’ the financial penalty for losing WW1, that fuelled the rise of the National Socialists Workers Party { aka, the Nazis}.
Effectively, the German NAZI politicians blatantly lied that Germany was ruined financially by the allied powers taking all of Germany’s wealth. Can you imagine how shocking it must of been to discover their National Socialist Workers politicians actually lied in order to gain power, shocking indeed! Thank goodness that has never happened since.

Weimar and Nazi Germany in reality only paid just one eighth of the due ‘bill’ in reparations, but it received more, approximately 12 billion dollars more, in loans, from a group of New York American financiers, than it paid out. And, another surprise, the Nazis defaulted on those loans anyway, so the National Socialists kept all the {circa} 34 billion dollars in loan funds, that they then used to help pay for the next war, that Hitler planned all along. Bear in mind, in those days, a billion dollars was a lot of money.

Germany only actually paid approximately 20 billion to 21 billion gold marks (roughly $5 billion USD at the time) toward its World War I reparations before the debt was eventually settled or written off. While the original "bill" set by the Allies in 1921 was a staggering 132 billion gold marks ($33 billion USD), Germany actually paid only about one-eighth of that total.
The repayment process was ‘interrupted’ by the economic crises, the rise of the Nazi regime, and a second world war.
Between 1919–1932 Germany transferred between 19 billion and 21 billion gold marks in cash and "in-kind" payments, such as coal, timber, and livestock.
To make these payments however, Germany ‘borrowed’ roughly 33 billion to 35 billion marks from foreign investors (mostly American). This meant Germany actually received more in foreign loans than it paid out in reparations during the 1920s. A far, far greater sum than it had paid so far to the allies. However, In 1933, Adolf Hitler ceased all reparation payments and defaulted on the foreign loans used to fund them.

It is often reported that Germany "finished" paying for WWI on 3 October 2010. A considerable ‘bending’ of the truth. This final payment of $94 million (€69.9 million) was not for the reparations themselves, which had been cancelled in 1932 anyway. Instead, it settled the accrued interest on the private bonds and foreign loans Germany took out from the financiers in the 1920s to stay afloat.

Under the 1953 London Agreement, West Germany had agreed to pay these interest debts only after the country was reunified, which delayed the final instalment until the 20th anniversary of German reunification.

Light polished out surface pitting to the blade, good 95% original black lacquer paint to the steel, dent free scabbard  read more

Code: 26187

645.00 GBP

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Japanese sword hilt (tsuba) in cut iron and damascened with gold (nunome-zogan). The metal is finely carved with dragons chasing the sacred pearl in the Nanban style. The pearl is pierced and contains a small mobile ball which today comes out of its housing (see photos). Japanese work from the 17th century Edo period.

Nanban tsuba (Southern Barbarian sword guards) are 16th to 19th-century Japanese sword fittings characterized by foreign, non-traditional designs, primarily featuring intricate iron openwork (sukashi), beaded rims, and Chinese or European motifs. Originating from trade with foreign ships, these often-lavish guards were produced in China or by the Dutch East India Company and adapted for Japanese swords.
"Nanban" means "Southern Barbarian," a term used during the Edo period to describe foreigners—specifically Portuguese, Spanish, and Dutch traders—who arrived by sea.
While the name implies Western influence, most designs actually show strong Chinese influence.

They are usually made of iron, featuring complex openwork (carved in relief or pierced), undercutting, and often feature "small balls" trapped in small compartments that can move. Common motifs include dragons chasing flaming pearls, foreign letters (like "VOC" for the Dutch East India Company), and arabesque designs.
Initial pieces were likely imported from China or Southeast Asia through Nagasaki from the late 16th century onwards.
Japanese craftsmen began copying these styles. They often added specific features for Japanese swords, such as the hitsu-ana (holes for the utility knife/hairpin) and modifying the nakago-ana (tang hole).
The Yagami School: Based in Nagasaki, this school specialized in this style during the 18th century, famous for intricate ironwork featuring Chinese-style dragons and, notably, "1000 monkey" designs.
Although foreign-influenced, they were popular among samurai as fashionable, often heavily gilded or inlaid with gold/silver. They were sometimes used to subtly showcase hidden religious preferences (e.g., small crosses) during the prohibition of Christianity

Nanban-style carvers in Yamashiro (modern-day Kyoto) refers to 18th-century Japanese metalworkers, specifically tsuba (sword guard) makers, who adopted foreign design elements—primarily Chinese, but also Portuguese and Dutch influences—into their craft.

These artisans are known for producing Nanban Tsuba (Southern Barbarian sword guards), which often feature intricate, openwork (sukashi) designs, such as dragons, vines, and lion-like figures, usually on an iron ground.
They utilized gold or silver nunome-zōgan (inlay) to highlight designs, frequently carving on a cross-hatched background to create a textured, luxurious, or exotic look.
While Nanban-style items were often associated with Nagasaki, Kyoto-based makers (Yamashiro) were known for producing higher-quality, more sophisticated, and detailed versions, often with better-finished carvings.
Connection to Heianjo School: Some of these designs are categorized alongside Heianjo-style Tsuba, which were established in Yamashiro and known for combining iron with brass inlays.

These carvers operated during the Edo period (1603–1868), with peak production of these refined, domestically made Nanban pieces occurring around the 18th century.


Size 72x5mm Good condition.  read more

Code: 26169

495.00 GBP

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Original Polar Expeditions collectables are most highly desirable and we have been delighted to acquire two such connected lots. These are 12 original photographic postcards, published at the time, by two publishers, Traldi and Ballerini & Fratini. For example one is entitled "La Spedizione Nobile - 11 - Esplorazioni di Alpini."
Ed. A. Traldi, Milan, n.d. c. 1928. and another "General Nobile to edge of Italy before leaving."
Umberto Nobile January 21, 1885 ? July 30, 1978) was an Italian aeronautical engineer and Arctic explorer. Nobile was a developer and promoter of semi-rigid airships during the Golden Age of Aviation between the two World Wars. He is primarily remembered for designing and piloting the airship Norge, which may have been the first aircraft to reach the North Pole, and which was indisputably the first to fly across the polar ice cap from Europe to America. Nobile also designed and flew the Italia, a second polar airship; this second expedition ended in a deadly crash and provoked an international rescue effort.The N-class airship Italia was slowly completed and equipped for Polar flight during 1927-28. Part of the difficulty was in raising private funding to cover the costs of the expedition, which finally was financed by the city of Milan; the Italian government limited its direct participation to providing the airship and sending the aging steamer Citt? di Milano as a support vessel to Svalbard, under the command of Giuseppe Romagna.

This time the airship used a German hangar at Stolp en route to Svalbard and the mast at Vads? (Northern Norway). On May 23, 1928, after an outstanding 69 hour long flight to the Siberian group of Arctic islands, the Italia commenced its flight to the North Pole with Nobile as both pilot and expedition leader. On May 24, the ship reached the Pole and had already turned back toward Svalbard when it ran into a storm. On May 25, the Italia crashed onto the pack ice less than 30 kilometres north of Nordaustlandet (Eastern part of Svalbard). Of the 16 men in the crew, ten were thrown onto the ice as the gondola was smashed; the remaining six crewmen were trapped in the buoyant superstructure as it ascended skyward due to loss of the gondola; the fate of the six men was never resolved. One of the ten men on the ice, Pomella, died from the impact; Nobile suffered a broken arm, broken leg, broken rib and head injury; Cecioni suffered two badly broken legs; Malmgren suffered a severe shoulder injury and suspected injury to a kidney; and Zappi had several broken ribs.

The crew managed to salvage several items from the crashed airship gondola, including a radio transceiver, a tent which they later painted red for maximum visibility, and, critically, packages of food and survival equipment which quick-witted engineer Ettore Arduino had managed to throw onto the ice before he and his five companions were carried off to their deaths by the wrecked but still airborne airship envelope and keel. As the days passed, the drifting sea ice took the survivors towards Foyn and Broch islands.

A few days after the crash the Swedish meteorologist Malmgren and Nobile's second and third in command Mariano and Zappi decided to leave the immobile group and march towards land. Malmgren, who was injured, weakened and reportedly still depressed over his meteorological advice that he felt contributed to the crash, asked his two Italian companions to continue without him. These two were picked up several weeks later by the Soviet icebreaker "Krasin". However there were persistent rumors that Malmgren was killed and cannibalized by Zappi and Mariano

They would look incredible suitably bespoke framed with UV protected glass  read more

Code: 18032

675.00 GBP

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The stepping stone between the 1830's pepperbox revolver, and the later first double action revolver patented by London's Robert Adams in 1851. Some of the most ground breaking work in the early design and manufacture of revolvers was undertaken in England long before the world famous American revolver makers, such as Colt and Remington, became famous for their fine pistols. This most interesting piece is fully, and most finely engraved, on the frame and grip, with a highly detailed micro chequered walnut butt.

Good operating action, several areas of old surface pitting interspersed with areas of no pitting at all.
Trapdoor percussion cap container in the butt.
Made by one of England's 19th century makers and innovators of fine revolver pistols, of London. A classic example of one of the earliest English cylinder revolvers that was favoured by gentleman wishing to arm themselves with the latest technology and improvement ever designed by English master gunsmiths. They were most popular with officers that could afford them in the Crimean War and Indian Mutiny. A picture in the gallery is of Robert Adams himself, loading his patent revolver for HRH Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's Consort. He was also manager for the London Armoury and he made many of the 19,000 pistols that were bought by the Confederate States for the Civil War. The US government also bought Adams revolvers from the London Armoury, at $18 each, which was $4.00 more than it was paying Colt for his, and $6.00 more than Remington.The action on this beautiful gun is good very nice, and tight, but the surface has areas of old corrosion. As with all our antique guns no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables  read more

Code: 22364

495.00 GBP

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