James Bond Ist Edition "You Only Live Twice" Ist Issue, Fleming, Ian Published by Jonathan Cape, London, 1964. Basis for the James Bond movie with Sean Connery & Karin Dor As Bond-Girl Helga Brandt.

Jonathan Cape, London, 1964. the 2nd Bond book. Black Cloth with Japanese kanji . Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition:Good. First Edition. A first edition/first Impression. Throughout a jolly nice copy. "When Ernst Stavro Blofeld blasted into eternity the girl whom James Bond had married only hours before, the heart, the zest for life, went out of Bond" (from the dust-jacket). Basis for the James Bond movie with Sean Connery and Karin Dor as Bond-Girl Helga Brandt. This film is the first Bond movie to deviate from the source material. Other than the Japanese setting, and several characters, the two stories are very different. A first edition/first Impression (stating "first Published 1964" versus the second state "March 1964")
You Only Live Twice
Cinema poster showing Sean Connery as James Bond fly his monocoptor over the villains lair.
British cinema poster for You Only Live Twice.

The movie was Directed by Lewis Gilbert
Produced by Albert R. Broccoli
Harry Saltzman

Distributed by United Artists
Release date
12 June 1967 (London, premiere)
You Only Live Twice is a 1967 British spy film and the fifth in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions, starring Sean Connery as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. The film's screenplay was written by Roald Dahl, and loosely based on Ian Fleming's 1964 novel of the same name. It is the first James Bond film to discard most of Fleming's plot, using only a few characters and locations from the book as the background for an entirely new story.

In the film, Bond is dispatched to Japan after American and Soviet manned spacecraft disappear mysteriously in orbit. With each nation blaming the other amidst the Cold War, Bond travels secretly to a remote Japanese island to find the perpetrators and comes face to face with Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the head of SPECTRE. The film reveals the appearance of Blofeld, who was previously a partially unseen character. SPECTRE is working for the government of an unnamed Asian power, implied to be the People's Republic of China, to provoke war between the superpowers.

During the filming in Japan, it was announced that Sean Connery would retire from the role of Bond, but after a hiatus, he returned in 1971's Diamonds Are Forever and later 1983's non-Eon Bond film Never Say Never Again. You Only Live Twice is the first Bond film to be directed by Lewis Gilbert, who later directed the 1977 film The Spy Who Loved Me and the 1979 film Moonraker, both starring Roger Moore.

You Only Live Twice was a great success, receiving positive reviews and grossing over $111 million in worldwide box office.  read more

Code: 25091

1st Edition James Bond, Man with the Golden Gun, by Ian Fleming. Bond Sent to the Caribbean To Find & Kill Francisco Scaramanga, The Titular "Man With the Golden Gun".

London: Jonathan Cape 1965. 1st Edition 1st Issue. Flemings 12th outing for Commander Bond. With original dust jacket priced at 18 shillings. Cover artist Richard Chopping (Jonathan Cape ed.). The Man with the Golden Gun is the twelfth novel (and thirteenth book) of Ian Fleming's James Bond series. It was first published by Jonathan Cape in the UK on 1 April 1965, eight months after the author's death. The novel was not as detailed or polished as the others in the series, leading to poor but polite reviews. Despite that, the book was a best-seller.

The story centres on the fictional British Secret Service operative James Bond, who had been posted missing, presumed dead, after his last mission in Japan. Bond returns to England via the Soviet Union, where he had been brainwashed to attempt to assassinate his superior, M. After being "cured" by the MI6 doctors, Bond is sent to the Caribbean to find and kill Francisco Scaramanga, the titular "Man with the Golden Gun".

The first draft and part of the editing process was completed before Fleming's death and the manuscript had passed through the hands of his copy editor, William Plomer, but it was not as polished as other Bond stories. Much of the detail contained in the previous novels was missing, as this was often added by Fleming in the second draft. Publishers Jonathan Cape passed the manuscript to Kingsley Amis for his thoughts and advice on the story, although his suggestions were not subsequently used.

The novel was serialised in 1965, firstly in the Daily Express and then in Playboy; in 1966 a daily comic strip adaptation was also published in the Daily Express. In 1974 the book was loosely adapted as the ninth film in the Eon Productions James Bond series, with Roger Moore playing Bond and Fleming's cousin, Christopher Lee, as Scaramanga.
The Man with the Golden Gun film was filmed in 1974 the ninth film entry in the James Bond series and the second to star Roger Moore as the fictional MI6 agent James Bond. A loose adaptation of Ian Fleming's novel of the same name, the film has Bond sent after the Solex Agitator, a device that can harness the power of the sun, while facing the assassin Francisco Scaramanga, the "Man with the Golden Gun". The action culminates in a duel between them that settles the fate of the Solex.

The Man with the Golden Gun was the fourth and final film in the series directed by Guy Hamilton. The script was written by Richard Maibaum and Tom Mankiewicz. The film was set in the face of the 1973 energy crisis, a dominant theme in the script. Britain had still not yet fully overcome the crisis when the film was released in December 1974. The film also reflects the then popular martial arts film craze, with several kung fu scenes and a predominantly Asian location, being set and shot in Thailand, Hong Kong, and Macau. Part of the film is also set in Beirut, Lebanon, but it was not shot there. Ian Fleming wrote The Man with the Golden Gun at his Goldeneye estate in Jamaica in January and February 1964, completing it by the beginning of March. His health affected him badly during the writing process and he dropped from his usual rate of two thousand words a morning to a little over an hour's worth of work a day.

As with his previous novels, Fleming used events from his past as elements in his novel. Whilst at Kitzbühel in the 1930s, Fleming's car, a Standard Tourer, had been struck by a train at a level crossing and he had been dragged fifty yards down the track. From that time on he had associated trains with death, which led to their use as a plot device not just in The Man with the Golden Gun, but also in Diamonds Are Forever and From Russia, with Love. To show just how much all things original Bond are appreciated in the world of collectors the Walther pistol used by Connery in the poster of From Russia With Love, in 1963, and also drawn in the man With The Golden Gun poster as shown here an air pistol, .177 (4.5mm) Walther 'LP MOD.53' Air Pistol, Serial No. 054159, was sold by Christies in 2010 with an estimate of £15,000 to £20,000 for an incredible £277,000. We dropped out of the bidding at £22,000 Incredible in that it was never used in any film, was an air pistol not a real automatic, and only used in promotional posters. It was 'said' to have been used by accident in fact as they couldn't find a correct Walther PPK on the day of the photoshoot.  read more

Code: 25092

The Spy Who Loved Me by Ian Fleming First Edition Jonathan Cape 1962. The Vivienne Michel Novel { Fleming's Invented Co-Author Novelist}. This is the Only Bond Book To Be Written In The First Person.

Double-page illustration at pp. 6-7. First edition, first impression. This is the only Bond book to be written in the first person, presented as the testimony of a 23-year-old Canadian woman with whom Bond has an ill-fated affair. To further this pretense, Vivienne Michel gets a spurious credit on the title page as co-author. A Central character and narrator is "Vivienne Michel, " a young Canadian woman who ends up running a cheap motel in the Adirondack Mountains to pay for a trip through America. When issued, it was banned in some countries as the most sexually explicit of Fleming's novels. Basis for the movie with Roger Moore in his third James Bond role, Barbara Bach as Major Anya Amasova (Agent Triple X) and Curd Jürgens as Karl Stromberg; film adaptation was produced in 1977 .

About; The Spy Who Loved Me

‘He was about six feet tall, slim and fit. The eyes in the lean, slightly tanned face were a very clear grey-blue and as they observed the men they were cold and watchful. His good looks had a dangerous, almost cruel quality that had frightened me. But now I knew he could smile, I thought his face exciting, in a way no face had ever excited me before …’ Vivienne Michel is in trouble. Trying to escape her tangled past, she has run away to the American backwoods, winding up at the Dreamy Pines Motor Court. A far cry from the privileged world she was born to, the motel is also the destination of two hardened killers—the perverse Sol Horror and the deadly Sluggsy Morant. When a coolly charismatic Englishman turns up, Viv, in terrible danger, is not just hopeful, but fascinated. Because he is James Bond, 007; the man she hopes will save her, the spy she hopes will love her

Octavo. Original dark grey boards, spine lettered in silver, dagger design stamped on front cover in silver and blind, red endpapers. With dust jacket, small tears on the jacket with light staining.  read more

Code: 25093

An Extraordinarily Rare Piece of Earliest Aeronautica, Airship Zeppelin 'Sample Card' For Picture Frame Mounts Circa 1915. Sold to the Family's of Airship Crew in WW1

Pressed gilt and silvered metal airship models that were sold to affix to picture frames of the photos of loved ones that served in the Zeppelins in WW1.  read more

Code: 16776

Gold Metal Watch Fob, With a Zeppelin Model Top Mount Representing The Hindenburg Zeppelin, Gifted by Kapitan Max Pruss, Kapitan of the Ill Fated Zeppelin Airship LZ.129 Hindenburg. & the Hindenburg Kapitan's Saucer

Apparently given by Kapitan Max Pruss, the last Kapitan of the Hindenburg, accompanied with his boxed, original, WW2 Luftwaffe pilot's Leitz goggles, and his personal, named ‘Hindenburg’ porcelain saucer, not to be confused with the LZ standard livery porcelain, to a visiting British RAF officer in the 1950's, while he was attempting to resurrect with the post-war German government, his new Zeppelin project, with his former Hindenburg Chief Engineer, Rudolf Sauter. The fob is very heavy quality, and weighs as it should if it was solid gold, however, it bears no gold hallmark, so we cannot sell it as solid gold, and we cannot thus assume it is solid gold, therefore we offer it as ‘gold coloured metal’. The fitted Zeppelin miniature model top mount is certainly gold plate as the plate is fractionally worn in places. He Sauter worked with Captain Max Pruss, the Hindenburg's former commander, during the post-war years to try and revive the Zeppelin airships. In the early 1950s, in fact, Sauter and Pruss drew up plans for a new Zeppelin and made the case to the West German government and the press that (in Sauter's words,) "The use of Zeppelins in air traffic is absolutely economical. The West German government is planning to spend 150 million marks on a new airline flown by airplanes. We would need only 50 million marks to build new Zeppelins." Sauter showed the new Zeppelin plans to Dr. Hugo Eckener, by then in his late 80s and retired. As Eckener later told a news reporter, "I told him that he had my blessing, but that I do not want to have anything to do with it. Today, a Zeppelin would not have a chance against an airplane.". More photos of the fob and saucer to follow tomorrow. One photo in the gallery Is of Kapitan Pruss, with a fellow Kapitan Von Schiller colleague making a time check while aboard the Hindenburg.

Kapitan Pruss commanded the Zeppelin airship, Hindenburg, during its tragic explosion and destruction in Lakehurst, America. Amazingly he survived but with severe burns.

The Hindenburg disaster was an airship accident that occurred on May 6, 1937, in Manchester Township, New Jersey, United States. The German passenger airship LZ 129 Hindenburg caught fire and was destroyed during its attempt to dock with its mooring mast at Naval Air Station Lakehurst. The accident caused 35 fatalities (13 passengers and 22 crewmen) from the 97 people on board (36 passengers and 61 crewmen), and an additional fatality on the ground.

The disaster was the subject of newsreel coverage, photographs and Herbert Morrison's recorded radio eyewitness reports from the landing field, which were broadcast the next day.A variety of hypotheses have been put forward for both the cause of ignition and the initial fuel for the ensuing fire. The publicity shattered public confidence in the giant, passenger-carrying rigid airship and marked the abrupt end of the airship era.

We also have a souvenir German porcelain Hindenburg saucer from the captain’s personal porcelain set, said by Pruss to have been given to him by Hitler’s deputy, Herman Goring, however, if so, this must have been before the dramatic argument and falling out between Goring and Pruss at Frankfurt Airport in 1940.

Pruss was the commander of the airship during the Hindenburg disaster of 6 May 1937. This was his first time commanding a trip to Lakehurst. Pruss and several crew members rode the Hindenburg down to the ground as it burned, then ordered everybody out. He carried radio operator Willy Speck out of the wreckage, then looked for survivors until rescuers were forced to restrain him. Pruss, however, suffered extensive burns and had to be taken out by ambulance to Paul Kimball Hospital in Lakewood. The burns were so extensive that he was given last rites, but although his face was disfigured for the rest of his life, his condition improved over the next few months. Pruss was unable to testify at investigative committees, but officially he was not held responsible.

Pruss, along with other airship crewmen, maintained that the disaster was caused by sabotage, and dismissed the possibility that it was sparked by lightning or static electricity. Although Hugo Eckener did not rule out other causes, he criticized Pruss' decision to carry out the landing in poor weather conditions, expressing his belief that sharp turns ordered by Pruss during the landing approach may have caused gas to leak, which could have been ignited by static electricity. Pruss insisted that such turns were normal procedure, and that the stern heaviness experienced during the approach was normal due to rainwater being displaced at the tail.

Apparently Kapt. Pruss was exceptionally polite, and the exchange of gifts was most warmly given and received.  read more

Code: 24145

A Beautiful And Rare American Revolutionary War Period Large Boxlock Action Double Cannon Barrelled Flintlock Volley Gun Pistol, Silver Scroll Inlaid Butt

A renown ‘Queen Anne’ style volley gun. A fascinating and most rare breech loading piece, with twin over and under turn-off cannon barrels, that is able to fire as a volley gun, with both barrels simultaneously, or, one after the other, using a unique sliding trigger guard that opens or covers one of the ignition pans as is required. 50 bore, double barrelled large over and under flintlock boxlock pistol, c1770,” the muzzles starred for a barrel key, with two separate pans beneath a single frizzen, the sliding cover of one pan operated by the sliding trigger guard, the frame retaining traces of etching, the rounded flat sided walnut butt inlaid with silver scrolls and wavy lines. World famous English gunsmith from London Durs Egg was renown for making incredibly similar rare twin cannon barrelled pistols, also with unusual covered pan actions. No proofs. Discussing with Howard Blackmore of the Tower Armouries some decades ago, the non-proved 18th century guns were often for the American export market where proofing was not required. Queen Anne pistols are characterized by the fact that the breech and the trigger plate are forged in one piece with the lock plate, foreshadowing by over 100 years the so-called "action" of a modern weapon. With the typical 'Queen Anne' pistol the barrel unscrews with a barrel key or wrench just ahead of the chamber where the powder and ball are placed when the pistol is loaded. The chamber is long and narrow with a cup at the top shaped to fit the bullet (a round lead ball). The user can quickly fill the chamber with black powder and put a bullet on top; the barrel is then replaced, sealing the bullet between its cup and the breech end of the barrel.

The bullet is larger than the barrel, so the breech is tapered to compress the ball as it moves forward at the moment of firing to tightly fit the bore. High gas pressure is developed behind the bullet before it is forced into the barrel, thus achieving considerably higher muzzle velocity and power than with a muzzle loader. The barrel was often rifled, which improves accuracy. The system also avoids the need for wadding or a ramrod during loading. It was not hugely successful as a military weapon at the time because in the heat of battle the separate barrel could be dropped during loading. The greatest popularity of the Queen Anne was as an effective self-defense weapon. They could be highly decorated with silver to suit the tastes of the very wealthy. But in the case of a double barrel they were especially popular, but most expensive, in fact considerably more than a pair of single barrelled versions.
The firing action functions on a single cock, wear overall to stock and steel as usual due to age. Pistol 10.5" long overall,  read more

Code: 23317

An Incredibly Rare Crimean War Romanov Senior Officer's Sword Knot, Such As Worn By A Romanov Grand Duke of Russia, Or General. The Bullion Gold And Crimson Silk Knot Bears The Romanov Crest on One Side and a Cyrillic Royal Monogram on The Other

A Crimean War of the 1850’s, Romanov crested General’s gold and silk bullion sword knot, bearing a superb Romanov crest of the crowned double headed eagle, which is masterfully created within the weave of the gold bullion. See photo. Gules, a double-headed eagle displayed, twice imperially crowned, grasping in the dexter claw an imperial sceptre, and in the sinister claw an imperial orb.

From the time of Czar Alexander Ist to Czar Nicolas Ist. The form of very high ranking officer such as a Romanov General or Admiral in the Crimean War, which may explain how came to Britain, possibly as a war souvenir by a British officer serving in the Crimea

We show a portrait of Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich Romanov of Russia, from the late 19th century, with his sword that bears the same form of knot.

In 1855 Prince Mikhail Dmitrievich Gorchakov was appointed commander-in-chief of the Russian forces in the Crimea in place of the disgraced Prince Menshikov. Gorchakov's defence of Sevastopol, and final retreat to the northern part of the town, which he continued to defend till peace was signed in Paris, were conducted with skill and energy. The Battle of the Great Redan against British forces was a notable local victory. In 1856 he was appointed namestnik of Kingdom of Poland in succession to Prince Paskevich. He died at Warsaw on May 30, 1861, and was buried, in accordance with his own wish, at Sevastopol.
It would have likely been one of his or his predecessors generals that would have used this knot. Of by whom it is likely impossible to know.
Photo 7 in the gallery is a portrait of Prince Mikhail Dmitrievich Gorchakov, and photo 8 is a close-up of his same sword knot though not well defined in the portrait. Picture 9 in the gallery is the closest original Romanov era example we can find, fitted to its sword. However, it is a much later version of knot, from the 1900’s, and for a regular ranked Officer’s sword of St George, that sold {the sword and its later knot} for £18,750 four years ago.

The knot bottom twisted gold wire loops are a little tangled in part, but overall it is in super condition for such a very rare piece of original, mid 19th century, highest quality, high ranking Romanov officer’s uniform dress ware.  read more

Code: 25335

A Fine Kugyō Daisho, Koto to Early Shinto Era, Of A Daito & Shoto. Daito Signed Bishu ju Munemitsu. Shoto Signed Fujiwara Rai Kinmichi Yamashiro. This Daisho Is One Of The Most Beautiful Pairs Of Original Edo Period Fitted Samurai Swords We Have Seen

A fabulous daisho likely of the highest ranks of the samurai nobility of ancient and feudal times, they held the highest status of samurai in Japan and the rank of Kugyō. The samurai lords and controllers the Shogun’s court of the bakufu, only ranking below the shogun himself

The blades and saya have now returned from no expense spared *museum grade conservation, so we show them now after it has been completed. The perfectly colour matching brown and gold silk sageo tied around the daito saya, that we have been saving for just such a deserving sword as this, after we acquired it from Victor Harris decades ago, looks absolutely incredible.

The Daito {long sword} bears the signature: Bishu ju Munemitsu, Bizen Province, Late Mihara school, circa 1575, Gunome hamon Masame hada

The Shoto {short sword} is signed: Fujiwara Rai Kinmichi, Yamashiro School, {circa 1624}, Sudareba hamon, Masame hada. A beautiful suite of daisho fuchgashira of takebori insects and catydids in gold and shakudo, and a pair of fabulous iron plate maru-gata tettsu tsuba inlaid with takebori flower heads in soft metals. The most fine kozuka, is in gold and shakudo takebori, decorated with shishi {lion dogs}, over a nanako ground, is signed, and its steel blade, kozukatana is also signed

The daisho have finest original Edo saya, of urushi lacquer decorated with kamon of multiple clans, this suggests affiliations and allegiance to those clans, and they are multiples of mon applied, on a ground of gold-nashiji, of gold-ikakeji. This form of highest superior work was restricted, in feudal times, to san mi 三位, samurai owners, of the third court-rank, or possibly even higher, such as 一位, Ichii, First rank, or, 二位, Nii, second rank. These samurai nobles of the third to higher ranks were called kugyō when these two swords was made and carried in the early Edo period of the Tokugawa shogunate.

First Rank (一位, Ichii): The highest court rank, reserved for individuals of exceptional merit and influence.
Second Rank (二位, Nii): A higher rank, often associated with those in positions of authority.
Third Rank (三位, Sanmi) and Fourth Rank (四位, Shii): These ranks denoted important positions in the court system

In feudal Japan, court ranks, known as mibun, were a hierarchical system defining the status and duties of individuals, particularly within the samurai class. These ranks influenced everything from a samurai's attire and position to their ability to request audiences with the Shogun. The system was a complex tapestry of colors, symbols, and titles, signifying one's place in the social order.

In the Tokugawa shogunate each of the First to Third Ranks is divided into Senior (正, shō) and Junior (従, ju). The Senior First Rank (正一位, shō ichi-i) is the highest in the rank system. It is conferred mainly on a very limited number of persons recognized by the Imperial Court as most loyal to the nation during that era.

The Junior First Rank (従一位, ju ichi-i) is the second highest rank, conferred in many cases on the highest ministers, premier feudal lords, and their wives.

Nobles with the Third Rank or upper were called kugyō.

Successive Tokugawa shoguns held the highest or near-highest court ranks, higher than most court nobles. They were made Shō ni-i (正二位, Senior Second Rank) of court rank upon assuming office, then Ju ichi-i (従一位, Junior First Rank), and the highest rank of Shō ichi-i (正一位, Senior First Rank) was conferred upon them upon their death. The Tokugawa shogunate established that the court ranks granted to daimyo by the imperial court were based on the recommendation of the Tokugawa shogunate, and the court ranks were used to control the daimyo.

Oda Nobunaga and Toyotomi Hideyoshi were Shō ni-i (正二位, Senior Second Rank) and Ju ichi-i (従一位, Junior First Rank) respectively, but both were elevated to Shō ichi-i (正一位, Senior First Rank) in the Taisho era, about 300 years after their deaths.

The no expense spared museum grade conservation including blade polish conservation and cleaning, has yielded fabulous results. We undertook it for two specific reasons, firstly, it deserves to be returned to as close to its original condition as possible, yet, still showing it age, and, externally regarding the tsuka-ito and urushi lacquer, showing all its natural wear, and secondly, to honour its previous owner, who, for several decades, was a seasoned practitioner of the Japanese martial art forms {not using these swords of course}, and he was a friend of many in the Japanese nihonto world, such as Victor Harris, former Curator of Japanese swords at the British Museum. It has thus been undertaken with immense care. For example all the original urushi nashiji lacquer is being left, just, ‘as is’ after it has been hand cleaned and conserved, in order to show all its natural beauty, quality yet natural aging, with its colour somewhat darkening from the past few hundred years.

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading, as Britain’s oldest established, and favourite, armoury and gallery.

THE LANES ARMOURY, THE PREMIER HOME OF ORIGINAL AND AFFORDABLE ANCIENT ANTIQUITIES & MILITARY ANTIQUE COLLECTABLES IN BRITAIN.

The Lanes Armoury, is world renown as Britain's favourite specialist collectors shop, and also a font of historical and educational information that is detailed with every single item. We detail each piece alongside its historical context, either generic or specific, for those that may wish to read, learn, or be informed, as opposed to simply acquire collectable items. We are probably one of the oldest companies of our kind in the whole of Europe and we have been established through generations, as specialists in armoury, military antiques, militaria collectables, and specialist books, since the early 1900’s, and thus we have continued to be one of the largest in the world today. The current partners were set on this path by their great grandfather

We are also very pleased to know we are also studied and read by academics and students from hundreds of universities around the world, by those that are interested in not only British but worldwide history. Of course we are not perfect and errors can and will be made, but thanks to our viewers and visitors, errors can be corrected, and learnt from.
Our sacred principle is that every single country's history ought to be studied, learnt, and passed down to future generations, however good, or even bad, some of it may be. All history is knowledge, be it good, bad, or indifferent.

Everyday we are contacted by historians that wish to make contributions to our detailed information for our pieces, and to thus add to our constant dedication to impart historical knowledge, that may be unknown to many of our millions of viewers.

As once told to us by an esteemed regular visitor to us here in our gallery, in order to view and study our Japanese edged weapons and armour gallery, and the same words that are repeated in his book;

“In these textures lies an extraordinary and unique feature of the sword - the steel itself possesses an intrinsic beauty. The Japanese sword has been appreciated as an art object since its perfection some time during the tenth century AD. Fine swords have been more highly prized than lands or riches, those of superior quality being handed down from generation to generation. In fact, many well-documented swords, whose blades are signed by their makers, survive from nearly a thousand years ago. Recognizable features of the blades of hundreds of schools of sword-making have been punctiliously recorded, and the study of the sword is a guide to the flow of Japanese history.”
Victor Harris
Curator, Assistant Keeper and then Keeper (1998-2003) of the Department of Japanese Antiquities at the British Museum. He studied from 1968-71 under Sato Kenzan, Tokyo National Museum and Society for the Preservation of Japanese Swords.

* Museum grade conservation is encouraged for fine and rare artefacts in order to conserve and create pieces as much as is possible without creating an ‘as new’ appearance. It is extremely important to retain as must original patina as possible, and natural aging, so as to beautifully improve their current condition as much as possible, without removing historical context. Such as the great priceless treasures, the Roman Portland vase, and the Anglo Saxon Sutton Hoo helmet, associated with King Rædwald of East Anglia, now both exhibited in the British Museum

The original lacquer saya on the shoto has small areas of line opening near the throat due to its past hundreds of years old wear, yet it is still in a fine condition otherwise. Its hand carved and polished black buffalo horn fittings and kurikata are are now hand repolished and superb throughout the daito saya. This overall museum grade conservation project we have undertaken, involving hundreds of hours of expert attention and skill, we would like to think, is just the kind of result that our friend, Victor Harris, formerly of of the British Museum, would have been proud.  read more

Code: 25805

A Shinto Samurai Naganata Naoshi Wakizashi With Shakudo Edo Fittings & Full Edo Traditional Polish

Just returned from a year of expert artisan conservation polish of the original Edo polish blade and cleaning. Now looking superb, the unokubi zukuri bo-hi blade with a vivid toran great wave hamon, is mounted with all original Edo shakudo koshirae of fuchigashira, decorated with takebori drinking gourd and woodsman’s axe, flower basket menuki and kozuka, which is decorated shakudo with gold birds in flight over the sea. With an iron and copper and gold onlay mokko form tsuba decorated with a seated figure in a gold patterned robe, alongside the river below Mount Fuji.
Beautiful urushi spiral lacquer pattern saya, The original Edo period urushi lacquer on the saya is in simply excellent condition and shows most elegant simplicity, it reveals within that simplicity the finest craftsmanship and beauty worthy of a master of the art of urushi decor. Japanese lacquer, or urushi, is a transformative and highly prized material that has been refined for over 7000 years.

Cherished for its infinite versatility, urushi is a distinctive art form that has spread across all facets of Japanese culture from the tea ceremony to the saya scabbards of samurai swords

Japanese artists created their own style and perfected the art of decorated lacquerware during the 8th century. Japanese lacquer skills reached its peak as early as the twelfth century, at the end of the Heian period (794-1185). This skill was passed on from father to son and from master to apprentice.

Tōran-ba is a hamon which looks like as if surging waves are rolling back and forth. It was created by a swordsmith in Settsu (Osaka prefecture), Sukehiro, in the early Edo period. It is the very first pictorial hamon which showed “a hamon as an expression”. It had a great influence on many swordsmiths over time. It is an innovative hamon which is copied on some swords made from the Bakumatsu.
A very few minuscule blade age marks..  read more

Code: 24707

A Fine & Most Beautiful Japanese Katana, Signed Mitsuhiro Saku Late Koto to Shinto Period

A very attractive samurai katana, around 400 to 450 years old in a superb colour livery of blue-green tsuka-ito and a two colour saya of brown ishime {stone finish} and bright black urushi ribbed lacquer to the top quarter section, bound with white sageo, and a polished carved buffalo horn kurigata and sayajiri. The blade is signed, Mitsuhiro and shows a beautiful gunome hamon. The pair of menuki are a pair of caught Warasubo spine toothed fish, one with a mouse foraging on the top of its body. The mud flats of Japan’s Ariake Sea are home to a creature that is reportedly as delicious as it is disgusting-looking. Introducing the “Warasubo”, an eel-like xenomorph goby fish that for obvious reasons is known as the “Alien of Ariake Sea”, found in a large bay in Kyushu,

The fuchi kashira tsuka fittings are a pair of Edo period iron Higo school inset with silver droplets either representing a heavenly constellation, or snowflakes falling at night.

Made and used in the time of the greatest battle in samurai history. The Battle of Sekigahara Sekigahara no Tatakai) was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 that preceded the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate. Initially, Tokugawa's eastern army had 75,000 men, while Ishida's western army numbered 120,000. Tokugawa had also sneaked in a supply of arquebuses. Knowing that Tokugawa was heading towards Osaka, Ishida decided to abandon his positions and marched to Sekigahara. Even though the Western forces had tremendous tactical advantages, Tokugawa had already been in contact with many daimyo in the Western Army for months, promising them land and leniency after the battle should they switch sides.

Tokugawa's forces started the battle when Fukushima Masanori, the leader of the advance guard, charged north from Tokugawa's left flank along the Fuji River against the Western Army's right centre. The ground was still muddy from the previous day's rain, so the conflict there devolved into something more primal. Tokugawa then ordered attacks from his right and his centre against the Western Army's left in order to support Fukushima's attack.

This left the Western Army's centre unscathed, so Ishida ordered this unit under the command of Shimazu Yoshihiro to reinforce his right flank. Shimazu refused as daimyos of the day only listened to respected commanders, which Ishida was not.

Recent scholarship by Professor Yoshiji Yamasaki of Toho University has indicated that the Mori faction had reached a secret agreement with the Tokugawa two weeks earlier, pledging neutrality at the decisive battle in exchange for a guarantee of territorial preservation, and was a strategic decision on Mori Terumoto's part that later backfired.

Fukushima's attack was slowly gaining ground, but this came at the cost of exposing their flank to attack from across the Fuji River by Otani Yoshitsugu, who took advantage of this opportunity. Just past Otani's forces were those of Kobayakawa Hideaki on Mount Matsuo.

Kobayakawa was one of the daimyos that had been courted by Tokugawa. Even though he had agreed to defect to Tokugawa's side, in the actual battle he was hesitant and remained neutral. As the battle grew more intense, Tokugawa finally ordered arquebuses to fire at Kobayakawa's position on Mount Matsuo to force Kobayakawa to make his choice. At that point Kobayakawa joined the battle as a member of the Eastern Army. His forces charged ?tani's position, which did not end well for Kobayakawa. Otani's forces had dry gunpowder, so they opened fire on the turncoats, making the charge of 16,000 men mostly ineffective. However, he was already engaging forces under the command of Todo Takatora, Kyogoku Takatsugu, and Oda Yuraku when Kobayakawa charged. At this point, the buffer Otani established was outnumbered. Seeing this, Western Army generals Wakisaka Yasuharu, Ogawa Suketada, Akaza Naoyasu, and Kutsuki Mototsuna switched sides, turning the tide of battle

The top section of the blade, near the kissaki has two very small areas of natural age pitting  read more

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