A Superb 18th Century Royal Naval Midshipman's & Officer's Short Sword Hanger, Carved Spiral Hilt Grip With Rare Silver Close Plate Quillon and Pommel used From The Battle of the Glorious Ist of June, the Battle Of the Nile and the Battle of Trafalgar

Long bright blade in excellent condition. Spiral hilt of walrus tooth with silver close plate quillon crossguard with dome top silver close plate rubb over pommel.

Silver was a popular sword and pistol mounting material, if the officer could afford it, but for swords, silver could be a little soft, however a superb but expensive alternative was silver close plate {patented in 1789} a process of sheets of silver fused onto a hardened iron mounts using sal ammoniac and tin. which created a hilt as strong as steel but, stunningly beautiful as it was overlayered in pure silver.

Made in the 1790's, and used by a Royal Naval midshipman and officer right through to the end of the Napoleonic Wars era. A most beautiful Royal Naval officer's sword/long dirk of very nice quality indeed. Spiral hilted swords usually plain but sometimes stained green, became ultra high fashion in the mid to third quarter of the 18th century, in fact General George Washington carried a green stained spiral hilted sword in his role as commander-in-chief of the American Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. His spiral hilted sword, bear identical to ours, but his was stained green. See the last photo in the gallery.

In the National Maritime Museum there are most similar carved hilted short sword dirk

We show original paintings of naval officers wearing this very type of edged weapon. One is of Captain William Rogers capturing the 'Jeune Richard', on the 1st October 1807, the sword at his waist belt appears to be a near identical dirk/sword. There are several other near identical examples, in the National Maritime Collection, and practically every officer from Nelson down to his midshipmen carried one similar at some time or another during their naval career, in combat service, in the late 18th to early 19th century. It would be an amazingly effective close combat weapon, both offensive or defensive, and would certainly do any eminently suitable job as was demanded of it. Although traditionally known as midshipman's dirks or swords these useful edged weapons were also worn at the time by officer's of all ages and rank while serving and in combat see picture in the gallery. The rank of midshipman originated during the Tudor and Stuart eras, and originally referred to a post for an experienced seaman promoted from the ordinary deck hands, who worked in between the main and mizzen masts and had more responsibility than an ordinary seaman, but was not a military officer or an officer in training. The first published use of the term midshipman was in 1662. The word derives from an area aboard a ship, amidships, but it refers either to the location where midshipmen worked on the ship, or the location where midshipmen were berthed.

By the 18th century, four types of midshipman existed: midshipman (original rating), midshipman extraordinary, midshipman (apprentice officer), and midshipman ordinary. Some midshipmen were older men, and while most were officer candidates who failed to pass the lieutenant examination or were passed over for promotion, some members of the original rating served, as late as 1822, 23.

The Battle of the Glorious First of June in 1794 was the first naval conflict between the British and the French during the French Revolutionary Wars.

Background to the battle
During April and May 1794 the British fleet was searching the Atlantic Ocean for French grain ships bound for France from the USA. The grain was vitally needed to reduce the starving conditions brought about by the French Revolution. The French fleet left Brest in mid-May to escort this vital convoy to harbour.

The British had a line of 34 battleships under the command of Admiral Earl Howe and the French had a line of 26 battleships under Rear-Admiral Villaret-Joyeuse. The two forces clashed 400 nautical miles west of the island of the French island of Ushant. The battle began as a series of engagements, beginning with skirmishes and manoeuvring on 28 May 1794, and a more serious brush the following day. The rival fleets maintained distant contact during the two subsequent days of foggy weather.

British advantage
The morning of 1 June was fine and clear and the maneouvering of the preceding days had gained the British fleet the weather gage. This was a vital factor during the days of sailing ships as it meant the fleet was windward (nearest the direction the wind was blowing from) and had the choice of when and how to bring the enemy into action.

Howe’s plans were for his ships to run down onto the French fleet, break through all along their line and individually engage their opposite numbers. These intentions were difficult to transmit by signal and not all his captains fully understood or complied with the orders. In the end, only a few ships penetrated the French line – Howe’s flagship Queen Charlotte, alongside the Defence, Marlborough, Royal George, Queen and Brunswick.

The first ship to break through, Defence, was severely handled and totally dismasted. Elsewhere, the battle became a series of single combats between ships, none more fiercely fought than the duel between the Brunswick and the Vengeur. They pounded each other for nearly four hours before the Vengeur surrendered.

Aftermath
All along the line, the fighting was intense, and by the time the firing died away, 11 British and 12 French ships were more or less dismasted, 7000 were killed, wounded and captured on the French side, and 1000 killed or wounded from the British fleet.

Six French ships were captured and another, the Vengeur, sunk, while the damaged remainder of the French fleet made off in considerable confusion. After five days of strenuous chase and a hard-fought battle, the British were too exhausted to mount a pursuit.

Tactically, the British had won the day, and the news of victory was greeted with wild enthusiasm in Britain, but the grain convoy from America had escaped intact.

Overall 30 inches long 24.25 inch blade  read more

Code: 25515

A Fine Koto Period Wakizashi, Circa 1500 With Exceptional Mounts & Blade

The fuchigashira, are very special indeed hilt mounts and decorated with dragonfly and signed with an archaic style gold makers seal mark, and the menuki grip fittings, are of also stunning quality made in stunning quality shakudo. The menuki are based around the meditating Daruma. Daruma is a repesentation of a 5th century Buddhist monk,and has a design that is rich in symbolism and is regarded more as a talisman of good luck to the Japanese. He is completely wrapped in his robe, he holds a hossu-fly, the opposing menuki is showing, what is likely a view of Daruma wrapped in his cloak from behind, is inlaid with a pure gold seal mark of the maker, signed, Masayuki. The details in very high relief are accented with finely shakudo and gold inlaid in a Yanagawa style. This notable school takes rank with the Goto, the Nara, and the Yokoyoya in the extent of its influence, the numbers of its pupils, and the importance of the branch school founded by them. The founder, Yanagawa Naomasa (1692 ?1757 ) was a pupil of the early Yokoya and of the Yoshioka, and combined characteristics of both this school. Shakudo was historically used in Japan to construct or decorate katana fittings such as tsuba, menuki, and kozuka; as well as other small ornaments. When it was introduced to the West in the mid-19th century, it was thought to be previously unknown outside Asia, but recent studies have suggested close similarities to certain decorative alloys used in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome. The fittings are set within their two bespoke wooden display cases. Antique Japanese koshirae Japanese samurai sword mounts and fittings are considered as fine object d'art in their own right, and have been collectable as individual items or sets, since the Edo period. The tsuka ito hilt binding is of leather. The tsuba is a fine sukashi tsuba in iron. The saya is decorated with intricately layered pine needles, placed in position to appear natural and random but are actually methodically put in position, in an incredible time consuming skillful manner to appear random, but are not. The surface is then over laid in clear lacquer. The whole process to make thgis saya could have taken an artisan a year or even longer. Overall 24 1/4 inches long, blade length tsuba to tip 17 5/8 inches long  read more

Code: 23140

A Very Fine Ancient Koto Period ‘Plum Blossom’ Tanto Of the 1400's, Signed Blade

Around 600 plus years old. Likely used by one of the great Japanese clans that used the Ume [plum blossom] symbol as their kamon [crest]. With simply fabulous original Edo mounts of a copper ground with silver and gold decor of takebori deep relief plum blossom and berries. A fine copper tsuba stamped with rows of plum blossom kamon. The original edo saya is stunning, and inlaid with almost microscopic inlays of white shell. The saya pocket holds a superb kozuka with a complimenting copper hilt decorated with a takebori gold and shakudo goose in flight, showing with half a pure gold full moon. It is signed on the reverse side. The blade is very good with typical early, koto narrow straight hamon. The tang is signed but due to its great age is very difficult to translate. There are a super pair of matching takebori plum blossom menuki under the gold silk binding. A tanto would most often be worn by Samurai, and it was very uncommon to come across a non samurai with a tanto. It was not only men who carried these daggers, women would on occasions carry a small tanto called a kaiken in their obi which would be used for self-defence. In feudal Japan a tanto would occasionally be worn by Samurai in place of the wakizashi in a combination called the daisho, which roughly translates as big-little, in reference to the big Samurai Sword (Katana) and the small dagger (tanto). Before the rise of the katana it was more common for a Samurai to carry a tachi and tanto combination as opposed to a katana and wakizashi. Before the 16th century it was common for a Samurai to carry a tachi and a tanto as opposed to a katana and a wakizashi. Plum blossoms, symbolic of the arrival of spring, were a favored subject among scholar-gentleman painters in China, but when Chinese ink paintings of plums arrived in Japan their imagery became widespread within Zen circles. This composition of a gnarled plum tree framed by a circle of ink wash may reflect the use of the circle in Zen painting and calligraphy as a visual representation of words from the text of the Heart Sutra, “form is void and void is form,” and as a symbol of enlightenment.

Motsurin, a Zen artist-monk, might also have chosen plum blossoms because they were beloved of his mentor Ikkyū Sōjun (1394–1481), an abbot of Daitokuji temple in Kyoto known for his poetry, calligraphy, and flagrantly unorthodox behavior. Motsurin’s inscribed text claims that even elegant peonies and sweet jasmine cannot match the plum as a representation of the spring season. Originally brought in from China during the early Heian period (794-1185), plum trees became popular as ornamental garden fixtures because of their delicate beauty. Over the years, many varieties have been cultivated and now you see ume blossoms in a myriad of colours.

Ume blossoms are the first flower of spring and the original inspiration for flower-viewing hanami parties that were so well-loved by the rich aristocrats from the past. 21.5 inches long overall, blade 11 inches long  read more

Code: 23658

10th to 11th Century Earliest Crusader Knights Period Bronze Encolpion Reliquary Cross. Large Size Cross To Adorn The Chest of A Crusader Pilgrim, Designed To Hold A Relic Of The True Cross of Christ’s Crucifiction

On the face of this work the engraved crucified Christ appears, he wears the colobium, an iconographic type established in the Early Christian centuries. On the reverse, the Virgin Mary (Mother of God) stands in an orans prayer pose. The hollow portion formed inside the box was intended for the sacred relic that the faithful would have worn around the neck. Remarkably it still remains sealed so the relic within may likely still be enclosed within.

Part of an amazing collection of Crusades period Crucifixes and reliquary crosses for the early Anglo Norman Crusader knights and Jerusalem pilgrims. As used in the early Crusades Period by Knights, such as the Knights of Malta Knights Hospitaller, the Knights of Jerusalem the Knights Templar, the Knights of St John.The new Norman rulers were culturally and ethnically distinct from the old French aristocracy, most of whom traced their lineage to the Franks of the Carolingian dynasty from the days of Charlemagne in the 9th century. Most Norman knights remained poor and land-hungry, and by the time of the expedition and invasion of England in 1066, Normandy had been exporting fighting horsemen for more than a generation. Many Normans of Italy, France and England eventually served as avid Crusaders soldiers under the Italo-Norman prince Bohemund I of Antioch and the Anglo-Norman king Richard the Lion-Heart, one of the more famous and illustrious Kings of England.

An encolpion "on the chest" is a medallion with an icon in the centre worn around the neck upon the chest. This stunning and large neck worn example is bronze three part with its hinged top. 10th to 12th century. The hollow portion formed inside the cross was intended for the sacred relic that the faithful would have worn around the neck. The custom of carrying a relic was largely widespread, and many early bronze examples were later worn by the Crusader knights on their crusades to liberate the Holy Land. Relics of the True Cross became very popular from the 9th century, and were carried in cross-shaped reliquaries like this, often decorated with enamels, niellos, and precious stones. The True Cross is the name for physical remnants from the cross upon which Jesus Christ was crucified. Many Catholic and Orthodox churches possess fragmentary remains that are by tradition believed to those of the True Cross. Saint John Chrysostom relates that fragments of the True Cross were kept in reliquaries "which men reverently wear upon their persons". A fragment of the True Cross was received by King Alfred from Pope Marinus I (Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, year 883). An inscription of 359, found at Tixter, in the neighbourhood of Sétif in Mauretania, was said to mention, in an enumeration of relics, a fragment of the True Cross, according to an entry in Roman Miscellanies, X, 441.

Fragments of the Cross were broken up, and the pieces were widely distributed; in 348, in one of his Catecheses, Cyril of Jerusalem remarked that the "whole earth is full of the relics of the Cross of Christ," and in another, "The holy wood of the Cross bears witness, seen among us to this day, and from this place now almost filling the whole world, by means of those who in faith take portions from it." Egeria's account testifies to how highly these relics of the crucifixion were prized. Saint John Chrysostom relates that fragments of the True Cross were kept in golden reliquaries, "which men reverently wear upon their persons." Even two Latin inscriptions around 350 from today's Algeria testify to the keeping and admiration of small particles of the cross. Around the year 455, Juvenal Patriarch of Jerusalem sent to Pope Leo I a fragment of the "precious wood", according to the Letters of Pope Leo. A portion of the cross was taken to Rome in the seventh century by Pope Sergius I, who was of Byzantine origin. "In the small part is power of the whole cross", says an inscription in the Felix Basilica of Nola, built by bishop Paulinus at the beginning of 5th century. The cross particle was inserted in the altar.

The Old English poem Dream of the Rood mentions the finding of the cross and the beginning of the tradition of the veneration of its relics. The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle also talks of King Alfred receiving a fragment of the cross from Pope Marinus (see: Annal Alfred the Great, year 883). Although it is possible, the poem need not be referring to this specific relic or have this incident as the reason for its composition. However, there is a later source that speaks of a bequest made to the 'Holy Cross' at Shaftesbury Abbey in Dorset; Shaftesbury abbey was founded by King Alfred, supported with a large portion of state funds and given to the charge of his own daughter when he was alive – it is conceivable that if Alfred really received this relic, that he may have given it to the care of the nuns at Shaftesbury

Most of the very small relics of the True Cross in Europe came from Constantinople. The city was captured and sacked by the Fourth Crusade in 1204: "After the conquest of the city Constantinople inestimable wealth was found: incomparably precious jewels and also a part of the cross of the Lord, which Helena transferred from Jerusalem and which was decorated with gold and precious jewels. There it attained the highest admiration. It was carved up by the present bishops and was divided with other very precious relics among the knights; later, after their return to the homeland, it was donated to churches and monasteries.To the category of engolpia belong also the ampullae, or vials or vessels of lead, clay or other materials in which were preserved such esteemed relics as oil from the lamps that burned before the Holy Sepulchre, and the golden keys with filings from St. Peter's chains, one of which was sent by St. Gregory the Great to the Frankish King Childebert.

Encolpion, a different anglicization of the same word, covers the early medieval tradition in both Eastern and Western Christianity. Superb condition, top swivel ring mount immobile, still sealed, so it may still contain part of the 'real cross'.
Surface in very good condition, with typical natural aged patina with encrustations. 7.5 cms x 3.9cms  read more

Code: 23287

A Very Good, Original, Napoleonic Wars Period, Imperial Russian Romanov Cavalry Sabre Engraved With The Russian Double Eagle Crest. French Invasion and Retreat From Moscow Period of 1812

Probably 18th to early 19th century from the era of Catherine the Great to Czar Alexander Ist. Russian campaign sabre from the 1812 Russian campaign, Borodino, Smolensk and Moscow. In the cossack sasqua style, worn with the blade cutting side up. With walrus tooth hilt and engraved quillon bearing the Russian Romanov double crowned twin headed eagle crest with two cyrillic letters English equivalent M E within a shield. Leather scabbard with chequered decoration and wire decorative seaming at the throat.
A little known fact about the Napoleon's campaign into Russia is that Napoleon’s army actually lost more men on the way to Moscow than on the way back. The heat, disease, battle and desertion meant that by the time the Russian capital was seen on the horizon he had lost half his men. Nevertheless, what was important to the Corsican General was that he had reached the city. Battles at Smolensk and Borodino along the way had been costly and hard-fought, but nothing Tsar Alexander had done had been able to halt the Imperial juggernaut in its tracks though he had managed to extricate most of the Russian army intact from the fighting. In September the exhausted and bloodied Grand Arm?e reached Moscow with its promise of food and shelter, but it was not to be. So determined were the Russians to resist the invader that they burned their own old and beautiful capital in order to deny its uses to the French. Camped in a burned and empty shell, Napoleon dithered about whether to remain over the bitter winter or claim victory and march home. He was mindful of earlier campaigns into Russia such as that of Charles XII of Sweden a century earlier and made the fateful decision to return to friendly territory rather than face the snows without adequate shelter.

When it became clear that the Russians would not accept a favourable peace, Napoleon marched his troops out of the city in October. It was already too late. As the once-great army trudged across the empty vastness of Russia, the cold set in, as early as the French generals could possibly have feared. And that was the least of their worries. The horses died first, for there was no food for them. Then after the men ate them they started dying too, for all the supplies in Moscow had been burned a month earlier. All the time, hordes of cossacks harassed the increasingly bedraggled rearguard, picking off stragglers and making the survivor’s lives a constant misery. Meanwhile, Alexander ? advised by his experienced generals refused to meet Napoleon’s military genius head-on, and wisely let his army dribble away in the Russian snows. Astonishingly, by the time the remnants of the Grand Armee reached the Berezina river in late November it numbered just 27,000 effective men. 100,000 had given up and surrendered to the enemy, while 380,000 lay dead on the Russian steppes. 89.5 cm long overall  read more

Code: 20830

A Superb Pleistocene Period Large Cave Bear Tooth. Roots and Jawbone Part, Around 200,000 years Old. A Prehistoric Species of Large Bear Wiped Out in the Last Ice Age

From the Austrian Dragon Cave, Drachenhohle - Mixnitz, in Austria, a prehistoric, extinct Cave Bear molar with roots and jawbone. The cave bear (Ursus spelaeus) was a species of bear that lived in Europe during the Pleistocene and became extinct about 24,000 years ago during the Last Glacial Maximum.

Both the name “cave” and the scientific name spelaeus are because fossils of this species were mostly found in caves, showing that cave bears may have spent more time in caves than the brown bear, which uses caves only for hibernation. Consequently, in the course of time, whole layers of bones, almost entire skeletons, were found in many caves.

Cave bear skeletons were first described in 1774 by Johann Friederich Esper in his book Newly Discovered Zoolites of Unknown Four Footed Animals. While scientists at the time considered that the skeletons could belong to apes, canids, felids, or even dragons or unicorns, Esper postulated that they actually belonged to polar bears. Twenty years later, Johann Christian Rosenmüller, an anatomist at the Leipzig University, gave the species its binomial name

Both the cave bear and the brown bear are thought to be descended from the Plio-Pleistocene Etruscan bear (Ursus etruscus) that lived about 5.3 million years past to 10,000 years ago. The last common ancestor of cave bears and brown bears lived between 1.2 and 1.4 Mya. The immediate precursor of the cave bear was probably Ursus deningeri (Deninger’s bear), a species restricted to Pleistocene Europe about 1.8 Mya to 100,000 years ago. The transition between Deninger’s bear and the cave bear is given as the last Interglacial, although the boundary between these forms is arbitrary, and intermediate or transitional taxa have been proposed, e.g. Ursus spelaeus deningeroides, while other authorities consider both taxa to be chronological variants of the same species.

The cave bear had a very broad, domed skull with a steep forehead. Its stout body had long thighs, massive shins and in-turning feet, making it similar in skeletal structure to the brown bear. The average weight for males was 400 to 500 kilograms (880 to 1,100 lb), while females weighed 225 to 250 kg (495 to 550 lb). Of cave bear skeletons in museums, 90% are male due to a misconception that the female skeletons were merely “dwarfs”. Cave bears grew larger during glaciations and smaller during interglacials, probably to adjust heat loss rate.

Cave bears of the last Ice Age lacked the usual two or three premolars present in other bears; to compensate, the last molar is very elongated, with supplementary cusps. The humerus of the cave bear was similar in size to that of the polar bear, as were the femora of females. The femora of male cave bears, however, bore more similarities in size to those of kodiak bears.

The cave bear was sometimes hunted by Neanderthals during the Stone Age. There are many mass cave bear burial sites indicating these early humans actually worshipped the cave bear with its image often represented on cave walls.  read more

Code: 24561

A Very Good, Rare, 18th Century American Revolutionary & Colonial Period Musket

Long 47 inch two stage barrel, fine walnut stock with early down turned butt style. Stepped lock. Very crisp action. In the Metropolitan Museum in New York there are several extremely similar muskets used in the Revolutionary War just like it. See pages 116/117 Weapons of the American Revolution by Warren Moore, published in New York 1967 [see photo 10 in the gallery] . It is very similar to the early American Committee of Safety style Long Land Pattern musket. As the American Revolutionary War unfolded in North America, there were two principal campaign theaters within the thirteen states, and a smaller but strategically important one west of the Appalachian Mountains to the Mississippi River and north to the Great Lakes. The full-on military campaigning began in the states north of Maryland, and fighting was most frequent and severest there between 1775 and 1778. Patriots achieved several strategic victories in the South, the British lost their first army at Saratoga, and the French entered the war as an American ally.

In the expanded Northern theatre and wintering at Valley Forge, General Washington observed British operations coming out of New York at the 1778 Battle of Monmouth. He then closed off British initiatives by a series of raids that contained the British army in New York City. The same year, Spanish-supplied Virginia Colonel George Rogers Clark joined by Francophone settlers and their Indian allies conquered Western Quebec, the US Northwest Territory.

Starting in 1779, the British initiated a southern strategy to begin at Savannah, gather Loyalist support, and reoccupy Patriot-controlled territory north to Chesapeake Bay. Initially the British were successful, and the Americans lost an entire army at the Siege of Charleston, which caused a severe setback for Patriots in the region. But then British maneuvering north led to a combined American and French force cornering a second British army at Battle of Yorktown, and their surrender effectively ended the Revolutionary War. The American armies were small by European standards of the era, largely attributable to limitations such as lack of powder and other logistics. At the beginning of 1776, Washington commanded 20,000 men, with two-thirds enlisted in the Continental Army and the other third in the various state militias. About 250,000 men served as regulars or as militia for the Revolutionary cause over eight years during wartime, but there were never more than 90,000 men under arms at one time.

As a whole, American officers never equaled their opponents in tactics and maneuvers, and they lost most of the pitched battles. The great successes at Boston (1776), Saratoga (1777), and Yorktown (1781) were won from trapping the British far from base with a greater number of troops. Nevertheless, after 1778, Washington's army was transformed into a more disciplined and effective force, mostly by Baron von Steuben's training. Immediately after the Army emerged from Valley Forge, it proved its ability to match the British troops in action at the Battle of Monmouth, including a black Rhode Island regiment fending off a British bayonet attack then counter-charging for the first time in Washington's army. Here Washington came to realize that saving entire towns was not necessary, but preserving his army and keeping the revolutionary spirit alive was more important in the long run. Washington informed Henry Laurens "that the possession of our towns, while we have an army in the field, will avail them little."

Although Congress was responsible for the war effort and provided supplies to the troops, Washington took it upon himself to pressure the Congress and state legislatures to provide the essentials of war; there was never nearly enough. Congress evolved in its committee oversight and established the Board of War, which included members of the military. Because the Board of War was also a committee ensnared with its own internal procedures, Congress also created the post of Secretary of War, and appointed Major General Benjamin Lincoln in February 1781 to the position. Washington worked closely with Lincoln to coordinate civilian and military authorities and took charge of training and supplying the army. Most similar to the fusil de chasse/fusil du traite du plaine of 1740. Old forend repair. 63.25 inches long overall  read more

Code: 23439

A 16th C. Moghul - Hindu 'Shaturnal' Swivel Cannon Barrel For Use on Moghul War-Elephant Or War-Camel. Up To 500 Years Old. An Amazing Early War-Piece of Early Mobile Artillery Used In The Moghul Empire Of Akbar The Great

This incredible and historical war piece would have been mounted upon the Howdah, the huge wooden travelling carriage type apparatus for which the war crew would be seated, one to drive, steer and command the elephant, the others to operate cannon and arquebusses. Or, mounted upon the front of a war camel’s saddle.

A superb late Medieval matchlock swivel cannon barrel, called a shaturnal, specifically designed for combat service mounted upon the back of a great beast of war.

Only the second example of such an intriguing war-piece that we have seen in the past ten years. They are truly very scarce to find, and a great and most impressive piece of historical weaponry from late medieval India.

Interestingly the best way to see just how they were used would be in Sir Peter Jackson’s magnificent trilogy and interpretation of Tolkien’s masterpiece, Lord of the Rings. In one of the awesome battle scenes there are huge giant ‘fantasy’ war elephants, and each one bears a massive howdah for the crew to rain arrows and spears down upon the unfortunate enemy below, just as the Moghul war elephants once did in reality in India, centuries ago, but with arquebuss and light-cannon fire, instead of simply arrows or spears.
In the gallery is an engraving of War elephants depicted in Hannibal crossing the Rhône
A war elephant was an elephant that was trained and guided by humans for combat. The war elephant's main use was to charge the enemy, break their ranks, and instill terror and fear. Elephantry is a term for specific military units using elephant-mounted troops.

War elephants played a critical role in several key battles in antiquity, especially in ancient India.While seeing limited and periodic use in Ancient China, they became a permanent fixture in armies of historical kingdoms in Southeast Asia. During classical antiquity they were also used in ancient Persia and in the Mediterranean world within armies of Macedon, Hellenistic Greek states, the Roman Republic and later Empire, and Ancient Carthage in North Africa. In some regions they maintained a firm presence on the battlefield throughout the Medieval era. War-elephants were significantly used in the Battle of the Hydaspes,
The Battle of Zama, the Second Battle of Panipat
And the Battle of Ambur. At the Battle of Panipat, in 1556, the Hindu ruler King Hemu had a force of 500 war elephants, but although defeated, and Hemu beheaded, Hemu’s war elephants so impressed his enemy, by their awesome power and the effectiveness of their arquebuss musketeers and crossbowmen mounted in their howdahs, they took 120 surviving elephants from the battle and adopted them into the Moghul army. It is even possible this may be one of those Hindu shaturnal, used by the war-elephant musketeers, that were captured in that battle.

With a bore of around 5/8th inch and a barrel around eight times thicker than the normal width of a musket, this superb piece of early forged ironwork, known as a shaturnal, would have been fitted upon a wooden support on the back of the beast and rotated with something resembling a row boat rowlock. Extraordinarily effective, easy to manipulate, and quite devastating in battle.

By the time of Akbar (October 15, 1542 - October 27, 1605) heavy mortars and cannons were rarely used in the Mughal military, the preference being for lighter more easily mobile artillery such as this shaturnal.

Light cannons that could be used on the battlefield were the mainstay of the Mughal artillery corps, including the shaturnal, similar to swivel guns, but carried on the backs of war-camels and in the howdahs of war-elephants.

Akbar, widely considered the greatest of the Mughal emperors was thirteen years old when he ascended the throne in Delhi, following the death of his father Humayun. During his reign, he eliminated military threats from the Pashtun descendants of Sher Shah Suri, and at the Second Battle of Panipat he defeated the Hindu king Hemu. It took him nearly two more decades to consolidate his power and bring parts of northern and central India into his realm. There are original paintings copied in the gallery showing Akbar's matchlocks and artillery being used in combat. Towards the end of 1568 Akbar concentrated his forces around the fort of Ranthambhor, held by a vassal of the Maharana of Chittor, Rao Surjan Hada of Bundi. This fort had been attacked earlier in 1560, but that Mughal army had been defeated by the Rajputs.

The fort of Gagraun, to the south of Bundi, had however been captured that year. Now after the capture of Chittor Akbar could turn once again to Ranthambhor.

Weight around 5.25 kilos. 28.75 inches long. With an old Maharajah of Jaipur’s arsenal armoury’s storage mark. Around 50 years ago a colleague of ours acquired the entire contents of the Maharajah of Jaipur’s palace armoury of original antique Moghul and pre Raj period arms. We were fortunate to acquire from his great purchase a few hundred of the great arquebusses, some, up to 10 feet long, for our armoury collection, some of which we still have stored in our gun rooms here at The Lanes Armoury

As with all our antique guns no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables. Photographed on a temporary stand, but this is not included.

Picture 5 shows a 19th century photograph of a much smaller shaturnal, from a museum, mounted upon a camel for an historical demonstration of early war camel warfare in India..  read more

Code: 20243

A Superb Solid Sterling Silver Cigarette & Cigar Box, Early H.M. Queen Elizabeth IInd Period With The Crest of the Royal Borough of Windsor, & The Castle

Presented to officers of the Household Cavalry, the mounted bodyguard of her Late Beloved Majesty, Queen Elizabeth IInd, in 1965 at Windsor Castle. Silver Birmingham hallmarked by William Neale & Son Ltd (their mark from 1909). William Neale & Son Ltd
Birmingham, 1933 hallmark. Firm established by William Neale in 1850 in Birmingham. Later the firm became William Neale & Sons as a partnership of William Neale Sr., William Neale Jr. and Arthur Neale, building new premises at 29 Warstone Lane, Birmingham (1896). In 1905, the firm was converted into a limited liability company under the style of William Neale & Sons Ltd moving in 1910 at 34 Cox Street, St. Paul's Square, Birmingham. In 1941,

The Arms of the Borough as shown upon the silver box are officially recorded in the College of Arms as having been entered in 1566 at the Visitation of Berkshire made in that year by William Hervey Clarenceux, King of Arms, in the following form:

Per fesse Argent and Vert a Stag's Head caboshed of the first in chief between the attires Sable an Escutcheon of France Modern and England quarterly in base a Castle Wall with three Towers also Argent in the central tower a open Port with Portcullis raised Or.

Origin
Arms entered (without tinctures) at the Visitation of 1532; Confirmed with tinctures at the Visitation of 1566;

The castle is, of course, a reference to Windsor's famous royal fortress, and the stag's head recalls that the Windsor Great Park around the town formed a hunting ground for the Norman kings. The shield depicts the old 1405-1603 Royal Arms and is appropriate as New Windsor is a Royal Borough.

The Freedom Of Windsor: The freedom of the Royal Borough of Windsor was given to the Household Cavalry at a special ceremony held in the home Park, Windsor Castle, today. Immediately following this ceremony the Household Cavalry exercised their right by marching through the town of Windsor with bands plkating. Armoured cars from the Lifeguards took part in the parade. May 05, 1965.

Gross weight 22.8 ozs approx 6.75 inches x 4.65 inches x 2 inches. Hallmarked silver lined with cedarwood interior.  read more

Code: 25511

A Simply Stunning Antique Rococo Italian 19th Cen. Carved Venetian Grotto Stool, Probably by Pauly et Cie. A Wonderful Original Antique Work of Art From Italian Renaissance Revival Period

In carved walnut, baroque style, with a seat shaped as a rotating elevating scallop shell, docorated in ebonised lacquer, with a scrolled front, set on a relief carved gilded dolphin, and tripartite black ebonised lacquer base. Elaborately carved style of the rococo revival.

One could just as easily imagine the great composer Mozart sitting upon such a fabulously extravagant stool, playing a spinet in one of the great palaces in Venice, and similarly, Sir Elton John seated upon it, performing one of his iconic compositions at a Oscars after party in Hollywood. Just as a piano stool should do, this stool’s shell seat rotates upon a steel spindle in order to adjust its seating height to perform at such as a Steinway or Bechstein grand piano. From 20.5 inches in height, to 23 inches high

As early as the 1500's grottoes were meant to complement Italian Renaissance gardens and provide cool places for Europeans to retreat from the sun. Of course there was a need to furnish these spaces, so fantasy furniture, called grotto furniture, became quite the trend and Grotto had it's own "style". Today home grottoes and shell encrusted furniture are undergoing something of a revival as we too long to bring our love of the ocean indoors with fun and whimsical seashell-inspired decor. Antique Venetian grotto furniture is now rare and immensely collectable. The scallop form became increasingly popular between the fifteenth and nineteenth centuries, as focus on classical, organic and symmetrical forms became more and more popular.
As the scallop form gradually became more used in architecture, its popularity started to be reflected in additional ways, predominantly having a vast influence on Italian Renaissance and Rococo furniture.
Furniture makers in Venice were very prolific in their seating designs, and were particularly known for chairs that had nautical themes. Shells, coral, dolphins and seahorses were often sculpted into chairs that took inspiration from the designs of Venetian grottoes. First created by the ancient Greeks, the grotto was formed out of caves situated near a water source and decorated with tufa, stones and shells. The grottoes acted as shrines, a restful space to pay respect to the spirits of water. In the Renaissance, grottoes became a popular addition to the landscapes of villas for those who could afford it. The Italian landscape designers revived and created a new tradition of grottoes, elaborately decorated into man-made monuments of natural beauty. The Renaissance grotto symbolized the quest for knowledge and an awareness of one's surroundings.

The Italian grotto style peaked during the nineteenth century, and furniture was created to reflect this passion for nautical themes. From the mid to late nineteenth century, furniture makers in Venice fashioned chairs based on the feel of the grotto, creating an eclectic mix of Renaissance and Rococo inspired sculpted imagery. The nineteenth century Venetian grotto chairs were most likely intended for hallways and were aimed to be sold to visitors on their European tour. This stool is in suprb condition with just some light erosion of the gilt and lacquer areas.

Apparently brought back to England by a British General after the Italian campaign in 1944/5, as a personal gift of an Italian nobleman.

The Brighton Pavilion Palace of the Prince Regent is profusely decorated with items of furniture influenced in what is now called the grotto style, with a heavy rococo influence throughout. With fabulously carved gigantic beasts such as dragons and ho ho birds, and this same shell design on stools in the music room. Items of original antique Venetian grotto seating, with the nautical shell infuence, are now commanding huge prices. Franco Zefferelli had a pair in collection that sold for $30,000  read more

Code: 22356