Imperial Roman 400 ad. Aur.Theodosii Macrobii, v. cl. & Inlustris, Opera Published London 1694. Macrobius Is Historically Important Because He Rescued Opinions And Passages From Works That Have Been Long Lost

by Ambrosius Aurelius Theodosius Macrobius, Johannes Isacius Pontanus, Johannes van Meurs, Jacobus Gronovius. First printing in England. Published by Dring and Harper of Fleet St. Imprimateur Rob. Ridgely, Feb 25, 169 1/2. 1694 Editio Novissima, Cum Indice Rerum & Vocum Locupletissimo. Calf leather, overall worn, with a spine with four raised bands.
Macrobius, ca. 400, is considered to be one of the last pagan Roman authors. His most important work is the Saturnalia, an account of a long dicussion held during a symposium on the occasion of the Saturnalia. The subjects discussed are grammar, philology, mythology, history. Macrobius also produced a commentary on the Somnium Scipionis of Cicero. The work of this late antique writer is important because he rescued opinions and passages from works that have been lost.

The Dutch classical scholar Johannes Isaac Pontanus, 1571-1639, was born at sea (hence his name), when his parents were on their way to Denmark. There he was for some time a helper of Tycho Brahe (NNBW I,1417). In 1606 he became professor of Mathematics at the University of Harderwijk. His edition of Macrobius, which included also notes of the Dutch scholar Johannes Meursius, dates from 1597, a second edition from 1628. § This edition of 1670 was produced by the young Dutch scholar Jacobus Gronovius, 1645-1716, after having finished his studies at the University of Leiden under his father Johannes Fredericus Gronovius, 1611-1671, who was professor of Greek and History from 1658, and from 1665 librarian of the University Library of Leiden. It was Jacobus' first important scholarly feat. In the preface Gronovius tells us that his father allowed him to inspect and cleanse ancient manuscripts, and how he conceived the plan to collate two rather old Macrobius manuscripts that were in a bad shape. ('duorum (.) MStorum situ & squalore horrentium, satis tamen antiquam manum ostendentium')
Later, in 1679, Jacobus succeeded his father as professor of History and Greek)

The leather binding is worn and aged, but very nice and original and it reflects the age and status of this work so much so that we recommend it is left as is, and not rebound. Of course this is a subjective opinion and can be ignored.  read more

Code: 23302

An Intriguing, Beautiful, Rare & Very Collectable 'Gadget Pistol' by James Rodgers of Sheffield. A Remarkable, Original 19th Century Knife-Pistol, Early Percussion Model 1838

A very popular personal defence weapon in the early Victorian, Pre-Civil War era in America, and was once a superb, and most useful, utility functional, and defensive piece, with such as the gold prospectors, of both the American California and Klondike Gold-rush miners. So much so, that they have even been known in their time as, 'Gold Prospector's Knife-Pistols'
Of course they would have been as equally beneficial in their day to gamblers and adventurers in the old, original, American 'Wild West'

With the lack of any form of police or marshal protection within the open wild terrain of the American and Canadian gold prospecting country, personal protection was not only a desire, but absolutely essential. This form of gadget weapon was not only useful as a day to day cutting tool, but a superb concealed pistol for protection against the murderous folk out to steal and plunder their hard earned gold. Mining gold in the nineteenth century was just as dangerous then as wearing a 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 currently.

Sheffield made knives and axes were the most popular source for all the frontiersmen and miners in all of American Wild West history, but also during the American Civil War by combatants of both sides, especially the rarest of all, such as this superb piece, the combination gadget weapon, a James Rogers knife pistol.

They were also just as popular with travellers in and around England, and for officer's on campaign around the Empire

The unique early Victorian Sheffield pocket pistol knife called the 'self protector'. Nickel barrel with a single bead sight, marked with a pair of Birmingham proofs on the upper left flat, and fitted with a central nipple and straight spur hammer. Polished horn grip plates. Equipped with a pair of folding blades, 3.25" and 1" in length, with "JAMES/ RODGERS/ SHEFFIELD" on both ricasso, mounted on either side of the folding trigger. Horn grips, with a storage compartment in the butt, flanked by a bullet scissor mould and tweezers held in the grips. One long blade, and shortened paring blade. Overall it is in great condition for age, and the have the guns original tools still fitted in their concealed compartments is remarkable.

This is truly the ultimate conversation piece as well as an incredible collectible curiosity of the very early Victorian period.

A rare and most collectable gadget gun. The rarest early muzzle loading version, by James Rodgers, that was latterly made by the later partnership of Unwin and Rodgers, after Philip Unwin joined James Rodgers. They gained the patent for their later gun in 1861. This is the earliest and rarest type made, with muzzle loading and a percussion action, they later created a breech loading version, in .32 cal rimfire, but two decades or so later.

Cutlery means ‘that which cuts’, and can technically be anything from pocket knives, to scissors, ice skates and scythes. The first reference to cutlery made in Sheffield was in 1297, when the hearth tax records include Robertus le Coteler Robert the Cutler. In 1340 King Edward IIIs possessions in the Tower of London included a Sheffield knife, and Geoffrey Chaucer wrote A Sheffeld thwitle whittle baar he in his hose about the Miller in The Reeves Tale. In the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries Sheffield and the surrounding area of Hallamshire were in competition with cutlery-making in Thaxted (Essex), Ashbourne (Derbyshire) and Woodstock (Oxfordshire). The largest manufacturing centre, however, was in London where trade was controlled by the Worshipful Company of Cutlers.

Pictures 9 and 10 in the gallery show examples of the company’s trade advertising labels for the knife pistol from the time not included with pistol, but download copies are easily available.

The trigger action main spring is now disconnected and non functioning for safety. As with all our antique guns no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables  read more

Code: 21307

A Beautifully Bound Leather Book, Abraham Lincoln and The Downfall of American Slavery {Heroes of the Nations} by Noah Brooks 1894

A Very Special Offer Item! A Prize Presented to Meg Haynes, July 1907, for her gaining three certificates in the University Extension Lectures, at Hamilton House, Tunbridge Wells

Noah Brooks (1830-1903) was a journalist and editor who worked for newspapers in Sacramento, San Francisco, Newark, and New York. Michael Burlingame is the May Buckley Sadowski '19 Professor Emeritus of History at Connecticut College, author of The Inner World of Abraham Lincoln, and editor of An Oral History of Abraham Lincoln and Inside Lincoln's White House, among other books

When Lincoln became president, the departure of the Southern members of Congress at the beginning of the Civil War made it finally possible to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia. The District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862 provided partial compensation to slave owners, paid out of federal funds. Lincoln hoped to persuade the border states of Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, and Missouri to do the same, because that would eliminate their incentive to secede from the Union to join the Confederacy. Their secession might result both in the North losing the Civil War and in the continued existence of slavery.

On September 22, 1862, having waited until the North won a significant victory in the battle at Antietam, Lincoln used the power granted to the president under Article II, section 2, of the U.S. Constitution as "Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy" to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. It provided that, on January 1, 1863, in the states still in rebellion, the enslaved people would be freed. On January 1, 1863, as promised, he issued the final Emancipation Proclamation, which declared "that all persons held as slaves" in "States and parts of States ... in rebellion against the United States" on that day "are, and henceforward shall be free." The proclamation immediately freed on paper millions of the enslaved, but it had little practical effect until the Union Army was present. Week by week, as the army advanced, more slaves were liberated. The last were freed in Texas on a day they called "Juneteenth" (June 19, 1865), which became a federal holiday on June 17, 2021  read more

Code: 24406

A Beautiful Koto Period Ancient Aikuchi Tanto Circa 1500, With An Equally Beautiful Blade

Around 500 years old.

With kodzuka utility knife decorated with deep relief takebori crabs. Unusually the saya is covered with black lacquered leather. All original Edo period mounts and fittings. Silver inlaid iron hilt mounts with patinated copper menuki of shishi liondogs. The saya has a small mount of a silver inlaid quail. The blade has now just returned from re-polishing and looks absolutely beautiful. The tanto was invented partway through the Heian period, when it was mainly used as a weapon. With the beginning of the Kamakura period, tanto were forged to be more aesthetically pleasing, and hira and uchi-sori tanto were the most popular styles for wars in the kamakura period. Near the middle of the Kamakura period, more tanto artisans were seen, increasing the abundance of the weapon, and the kanmuri-otoshi style became prevalent in the cities of Kyoto and Yamato. Because of the style introduced by the tachi in the late Kamakura period, tanto began to be forged longer and wider. The introduction of the Hachiman faith became visible in the carvings in the tanto hilts around this time. The hamon (line of temper) is similar to that of the tachi, except for the absence of choji-midare, which is nioi and utsuri. Gunomi-midare and suguha are found to have taken its place. In Nambokucho, the tanto were forged to be up to forty centimetres as opposed to the normal one shaku (about thirty centimetres) length. The tanto blades became thinner between the uri and the omote, and wider between the ha and mune. At this point in time, two styles of hamon were prevalent: the older style, which was subtle and artistic, and the newer, more popular style. Blades could be of exceptional quality. As the end of the period neared, the average blade narrowed and the sori became shallow. The aikuchi is a tanto koshirae where the fuchi is flush with the mouth of the saya. Overall 21 3/4 inches long, blade length 12 1/4 inches  read more

Code: 23142

A Special Offer Item! A Rare German DWM Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken Berlin, 1896 Boer Infantry Rifle, Boer War and WW1 Issue. Matching Serial Numbers 2685

A very rarely seen Imperial German service rifle, especially from the early ZAR contract, it’s journey from Germany in 1896 to South Africa, then,WW1 and eventually to England in WW2 is most intriguing. With matching serial numbers still makes it even rarer. It cocks well and dry fires. It also bears a British BNP proof stamp. Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken Aktiengesellschaft (German Weapons and Munitions public limited company), known as DWM, was an arms company in Imperial Germany created in 1896 when Ludwig Loewe & Company united its weapons and ammunition production facilities within one company. In 1896 Loewe founded Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken with a munitions plant in Karlsruhe (Baden), formerly Deutsche Metallpatronenfabrik Lorenz, and the weapons plant in Berlin. Shares that Loewe had in other gun- and ammunition plants were transferred to DWM. This included Waffenfabrik Mauser, Fabrique Nationale d'Armes de Guerre (FN) in Belgium and Waffen- und Munitionsfabrik A.G. in Budapest. The DWM was orchestrated by Isidor Loewe (1848–1910), as his brother Ludwig had died in 1886. Karl Maybach (who was part of the Maybach company) was employed by the Loewe company in 1901.

One of the first rifles made and shipped to the South African Republic in 1896. The Z.A.R. purchased 47,000 rifles and carbines from Ludwig Loewe and DWM. The low four figure serial number places it within the earliest part of the contract. Distinctive by their lack of receiver markings and German Imperial Military-type inspection marks. Ladder rear sights with open “U” sight picture graduated from 400 to 2000 meters, with matching serial number. Stepped muzzle to accept bayonet with lug on front band underside. Cleaning rod stored under barrel. Full length stock with straight wrist.

DWM introduced the Pistol Parabellum ('Luger Pistol') in the early 1900s. It was worked on by Georg Luger and Hugo Borchardt. DWM manufactured the Maschinengewehr 01 and Maschinengewehr 08, licensed version/clone of the Maxim machine gun. The MG08 would be the main German machine gun of the First World War, alongside the somewhat different, air cooled Parabellum MG 14/17 for aviation use. Along with being one of the main arms suppliers of Imperial Germany, the company was at the forefront of small arms technology. They also supplied the world with the Mauser rifle system, becoming one of the world's largest arms manufacturers. Because the Mauser rifle was one of Germany's main exports before the First World War, DWM proved to be an important part of the pre-war German economy. Many of their weapons were still used by German troops up through the Second World War. And curiously the 1896 rifles were also used by some merchant navy crews in WW2, possibly captured guns from the Boer War or WW1.

UK Deactivated with certificate. Overall: 1232mm (length)

We do have a Spanish Mauser contract bayonet that fits, {at extra cost}  read more

Code: 25183

A Most Scarce and Beautiful Antique Balinese Executioner's Keris. Bayou Hindu God of Wind Hilt, 17th to 18th Century Blade, Possibly Made From Meteorite Steel

Not only a rare and beautiful example of an antique Indonesian traditional weapon of high status, it is a stunning work of art, with a spectacular hilt that is a gilt metal representational figure likely of Bayu, the Hindu god of wind, seated on a rock, with his right hand holding the flask with life-elixir, the left a part of his shawl, and his face with ferocious expression and bulging eyes, and studded with extravagant coloured glass-beads.

It has a very nice, very long blade, of the traditionally Balinese executioner's form. In many parts of Indonesia, the long straight bladed kris used to be the weapon of choice for ceremonial execution. The executioner's kris had a long, straight, slender blade exactly as this fine piece. The condemned knelt before the executioner, who placed a wad of cotton or similar material on the subject's shoulder or clavicle area. The blade was thrust through the padding, piercing the subclavian artery and the heart. Upon withdrawal, the cotton wiped the blade clean. Death came within seconds.

This is stunningly nice piece and a most unusually seen variation of these interesting weapons, called the Kris or Keris. Fine, Indonesian antique, gold coloured metal sword hilts of Bayu, studded with glass beads such as this, are rare and highly collectable, and they occasionally appear, on the collector's market, frequently mounted on a base, without their blades, and sold as Asian Object D'art.

In Sale No.2501, at Christie's, in their sale of Asian Ceramics and Works of Art, on the 8 May 2001, in Amsterdam, a gold coloured metal figure of this very kind, also studded with similar glass beads, sold for $9,390 US Dollars.  read more

Code: 22268

A Rare Form of Early 19th Century Drummer Boy's Sword. Only The Second We Have Had in 10 Years A Super George IIIrd British Army Drummer Boy's Sword

In excellent condition. With mythical beast pommel, curved quillons and short double edged blade. This sword was used in the early 19th century by a drummer boy in the British Army from the Napoleonic Wars.

Drummer boys were continually issued swords until, and up to, the Crimean War of 1854 in Russia.

20 inch blade. Superbly hand polished in the workshop, and that has returned it to it's original service near gold like finish. Blade polish to bright steel as well.

Drummer Boy of Waterloo.

By Woodland Mary.

When battle rous'd each warlike band,
And carnage loud her trumpet blew,
Young Edwin left his native land,
A Drummer Boy for Waterloo.
His mother, when his lips she pressed,
And bade her noble boy adieu,
With wringing hands and aching breast,
Beheld him march for Waterloo.
With wringing hands,

But he that knew no infant tears,
His Knapsack o'er his shoulder threw,
And cried, "Dear mother, dry those tears,
Till I return from Waterloo."
He went and e'er the set of sun
Beheld our arms the foe subdue,
The flash of death the murderous gun,
Had laid him low at Waterloo.
The flash of death, O comrades ! Comrades !' Edwin cried,
And proudly beam'd his eye of blue,
' Go tell my mother, Edwin died
A soldier's death at Waterloo.'
They plac'd his head upon his drum,
And 'neath the moonlight's mournful hue,
When night had stilled the battle's hum,
They dug his grave at Waterloo.
When night had still'd.


In the painting of a Waterloo Drummer Boy, if one looks behind his left leg one can see the bottom of the drummer boy's same sword blade.

No scabbard.  read more

Code: 18883

A Super Balinese Carved Wooden 'Demon Kris Stand Probably Representing One of the Vanaras, Forest Dweller Human-Ape Like Demi-God Warriors That Helped Rama Defeat Ravana

Possibly representing Hanuman, or Anoman, one of the Vanara human-apes of Ramayana epic. In Hindu mythology, Vanara forest-dwellers, either refers to the monkeys or a race of forest dwelling people. In the epic the Ramayana and its various versions, the Vanaras help Rama defeat Ravana. They are generally depicted as humanoid apes or monkeys. Vanaras are created by Brahma to help Rama in battle against Ravana. They are powerful and have many godly traits. Taking Brahma's orders, the gods began to parent sons in the zion of Kishkindha (identified with parts of present-day Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh & Maharashtra). Rama first met them in Dandaka Forest, during his search for Sita. An army of Vanaras helped Rama in his search for Sita, and also in battle against Ravana, Sita's abductor. Nala and Nila built a bridge over the ocean so that Rama and the army could cross to Lanka. As described in the epic, the characteristics of the Vanara include being amusing, childish, mildly irritating, badgering, hyperactive, adventurous, bluntly honest, loyal, courageous, and kind

Carved in one piece of wood vividly decorated in polychrome colours, approx 18 inches high, 9 inches deep.
The respect with which krises were always treated extended to the careful attention given to them even when they were not being worn. The weapons were stored in fitted bags, custom-made boxes and chests, and on wall-mounted display boards, as well as in kris stands. The use of three-dimensional sculptures as kris stands, however, was limited to the islands of Bali and Lombok. Not including the kris as shown. The kris or kêrìs "to slice"; is an asymmetrical dagger with distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron (pamor). While most strongly associated with the culture of Indonesia the kris is also indigenous to Malaysia, Thailand, Brunei, Singapore and the Philippines where it is known as kalis with variants existing as a sword rather than a dagger. The kris is famous for its distinctive wavy blade, although many have straight blades as well. Kris have been produced in many regions of Indonesia for centuries, but nowhere—although the island of Bali comes close—is the kris so embedded in a mutually-connected whole of ritual prescriptions and acts, ceremonies, mythical backgrounds and epic poetry as in Central Java. As a result, in Indonesia the kris is commonly associated with Javanese culture, although other ethnicities are familiar with the weapon as part of their culture, such as the Balinese, Malays, Sundanese, Madurese, Banjar, Thais, Bugis, Makassar, and Filipinos. Kris history is generally traced through the study of carvings and bas-relief panels found in Southeast Asia. It is believed that the earliest kris prototype can be traced to Dongson bronze culture in Vietnam circa 300 BC that spread to other parts of Southeast Asia. Another theory is that the kris was based on daggers from India.[7] Some of the most famous renderings of a kris appear on the bas-reliefs of Borobudur (825) and Prambanan temple (850).
However, Raffles' (1817) study of the Candi Sukuh states that the kris recognized today came into existence around 1361 AD in the kingdom of Majapahit, East Java. The scene in bas relief of Sukuh Temple in Central Java, dated from 15th century Majapahit era, shows the workshop of a Javanese keris blacksmith. The scene depicted Bhima as the blacksmith on the left forging the metal, Ganesha in the center, and Arjuna on the right operating the piston bellows to blow air into the furnace. The wall behind the blacksmith displays various items manufactured in the forge, including kris. These representations of the kris in the Candi Sukuh established the fact that by the year 1437 the kris had already gained an important place within Javanese culture. The best material for creating kris pamor, was acquired in a quite unusual way, as it is made from rare meteorite iron. Traditionally the pamor material for the kris smiths connected with the courts of Yogyakarta and Surakarta originates from an iron meteorite that fell to earth at the end of 18th century in the neighborhood of the Prambanan temple complex. The meteorite was excavated and transported to the keraton of Surakarta; from that time on the smiths of Vorstenlanden (the Royal territories) used small pieces of meteoric iron to produce pamor patterns in their kris, pikes, and other status weapons. After etching the blade with acidic substances, it is the small percentage of nickel present in meteoric iron that creates the distinctive silvery patterns that faintly light up against the dark background of iron or steel that become darkened by the effect of the acids  read more

Code: 24195

A Beautifully Detailed Early Christian, Ancient Roman Crucifix, Byzantine Empire, 8th to 9th century, Circa 1300 to 1200 Years Old, Cross Pattee

The form and shape that was also popular and used up to the Crusades period, for example if crusaders used an antique family crucifix. Bronze crucifix of Christ in the relief relief orans pose of arms outstretched. From a superb, small collection of original, historical, Imperial Roman, Viking and Crusades period artefacts has been acquired by us acquired in the 1820's. This fine bronze pendant pectoral cross was hand bronze forged during the Middle Ages in the cradle of Christianity, the Byzantine Empire. In AD 324, the first Christian Roman Emperor Constantine the Great transferred the Eastern Roman Empire capital to Byzantium, which became Constantinople, known as ''New Rome''. The Byzantine Empire became centred on the capital of Constantinople and was ruled by Emperors in direct succession to the ancient Roman Emperors. With the eventual decline of Rome, the Church of Constantinople became the richest and most influential center of the Christian world. The reign of Justinian the Great in 527-565 marked a blossoming of Byzantine culture with a building program that yielded such masterpieces as the Cathedral Church of the Holy Wisdom of God, Hagia Sophia. Justinian, who is considered a Saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church, created the authority of this Church, which firmly established Christianity throughout the Empire. This Byzantine Empire would exist for more than a thousand years until 1453 and was one of the most powerful economic, cultural, and military forces in Europe and Asia Minor. This superb cross was most certainly worn by a Byzantine citizen as a statement of faith during this amazing age of early Christendom. Picture in the gallery of an 8th century painting 'Christ is the Crucified, and a King'. The details of the painting are, they say; 'He is robed in majesty; He is fastened to the Cross. He wears the royal purple robes with which His scorners intended to mock Him, but He, Alpha and Omega, the first and last Word, the Primogenitor of those who are being saved, confers His own divine dignity onto the very idea of kingship. He wears the glory that inspired the good thief to plead for his salvation, with the confidence of the One whose Sonship makes that salvation possible'.


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

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

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

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

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

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

42mm x 22mm Still perfectly wearable.  read more

Code: 24226

One Of The Most Impressive, Fiersome, & Effective, Combat Weapons Ever Created. A 1600's to Early 1700's Mughul Period Battle Mace Shishpar With 8 Flanged Head and Khanda Sword Hilt. A Most Formidable Usually Hindu Piece Yet As Popular in Ancient Persia

One of two fabulous early examples we acquired. In ancient Persian texts this has been the decisive weapon of choice by great warriors, used to kill the dragon Kasfud by Gev, in ancient Persian texts, and known as the ‘Thunderbolt of Indra’ in ancient Indian texts, and also the Sky Borne Splitter.

A style of battle mace that goes back to the earliest days of medieval knightly warfare. As popular in Europe as it was in the Indian Sub Continent. Being a fantastic Moghul period example it has the highly distinctive khanda sword hilt, which has a protective half basket guard for the hand, and the projecting pommel spike to enable both two handed combat and a counter point for reverse striking and blows.
It has its traditional iconic feature of a shaped flange head, common with all steel flanged head maces, with ring turned finial, ring turned haft with characteristic hilt with upturned guard and broad knuckle bow, dished disc pommel with elongated spike finial.

Rare 17th - 18th C. Indian shishpar battle mace with khanda sword Hilt. Rare early example of the Indian battle-mace weapon "Shishpar" used by skilled warrior for fighting through armoured troops, armed with a 8-flang steel head topped with an armour exhibiting heavy but smooth patina with occasional fine pitting, the edges of several flanges with dents indicating on period usage against armour. Mounted on the well balanced steel shaft with a large Khanda sword hilt of early type, some light chiselled art work around the broad guard and at the base of the large pommel spike designed to be used for two handed grip at the battle. Grip with original old ox chords still present and intact. Powerful and very battle-efficient weapon of early Hindu and Muslim warriors.

Probably from Rajasthan. Despite successive waves of Muslim conquest, Rajasthan remained predominately Hindu. It was divided into a number of small states centred around fortified cities such as Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur, all of which had their own armouries that a few of these survive within today. The Gorz is a weapon often mentioned and variously described in Iranian myths and epic. In classical Persian texts, particularly in Ferdowsi’s Šha-nama , it is characterised as the decisive weapon of choice in fateful battles, and to kill the dragon of Kasafrud; by Gev, in the expedition to Mazandaran. In Indian mythology, Indra owns a club/mace (vajra-) called the Thunderbolt of Indra and made of the bones of Risi Dadici, a sacred figure in the Vedic literature. It has been also referred to by many other names and descriptions, including sky-borne, splitter, destructive.

Overall length 80cm, a heavy grade piece of superb quality  read more

Code: 24186