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Original Antique MK II Antique Short Lever Martini Henry Rifle, Victorian Leather Sling & Fabulous Stock Patina.

Original Antique MK II Antique Short Lever Martini Henry Rifle, with Victorian Leather Sling & Fabulous Stock Patina. Just arrived back from full no expense spared conservation, taking over 40 hours, and it looks fantastic. The stock looks as good as the very best quality walnut stock can be, after it was used by a front rank regiment for several decades.

Returning from professional hand conservation from the group of Martini Henry's that arrived a few weeks ago. Most are already pre-sold, and reserved, but all were in the very same condition, and quality. Fully actionable and a superb tight mechanism.

The most desirable Martini Henry are these MKII's, The very types of MK IIs as were used by the 24th Foot at Ishandwhana and Rorke's Drift, the Afghan War and several conflicts against the Mahdi in the Sudan. They were also used up to WW1 by some colonial regiments. All of our guns are original ordnance contract examples, best line regiment issue, and made either by Enfield, Birmingham Small Arms or London Small Arms, all with VR Crown mark, all are originally line regiment issue.

This rifle was made at the Enfield arms workshop and is a truly exceptional and beautiful example, maker marked, and in very good operational order indeed with an excellent action, but clearly combat used.

The Martini Henry, .450 577 rifle was most famous British Infantry breech loading rifle of the 19th century. All of these rifles are just as were used in the film ZULU, and the exact model type as was used during the Zulu War, all very nice examples.

We show in the gallery an en grisaille painting of The Last Stand of the British at Maiwand, each soldier armed with his same Martini Henry short lever rifle MKII.

This Martini-Henry dated 1885, was the breech-loading lever-actuated rifle adopted by the British, combining an action worked on by Friedrich von Martini (based on the Peabody rifle developed by Henry Peabody), with the rifled barrel designed by Scotsman, Alexander Henry. It first entered service in 1871 replacing the Snider-Enfield, and variants were used throughout the British Empire for 30 years. It was the first British service rifle that was a true breech-loading rifle using metallic cartridges.
During the Martini-Henry period in service, the British army were involved in a large number of colonial wars, most notably the Anglo-Zulu War. The Martini Henry, 450-577, Short Lever, MK I converted MK II or the regular MK II rifle was the type used by the company of the 2nd Battalion, 24th Regiment of Foot present at Rorke's Drift during the eponymous battle. The MK I originally had a small design fault in that the actions hinge pin was initially made of brass, which was too soft for continual use. The rare and early MKI's were thus converted by removing this pin, replacing it with a steel pin, and then redesignated the MKII. The Martini Henry examples we have were used throughout the British Empire. in fact the Martin henry was such a good rifle many survived to be used in WW1 by some colonial regiments.
This rifle was one from a collection that were used for lecture purposes for almost 15 years at various military bases & colleges around the country

As with all our original antique arms, no licence is required to own, purchase or to collect anything of that description we sell. They, and all of these rifles, are entirely unrestricted to own, collect, and display just as they are, however, we only permitted to sell to those who are over 18 of age with suitable I.d.

Code: 24370

2195.00 GBP

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A Most Attractive 19th Century Style Model Cannon of a British Field Gun with Grenadier Guards Crest

A highly impressive and beautiful piece, a perfect compliment to any gentleman's desk, study, or chairman's office. A most significant original vintage statement piece. Representing a field gun as one can see in all the oil painting representations of artillery in the Crimean War, and very similar to the Napoleonic War period field cannon. Bronze barrel and traditional wheeled wooden carriage. Set on a mahogany plinth and the barrel bears an onset royal crowned crest of the Grenadier Guards, part of the Household Division, the Queen's bodyguard.. Somewhat similar to the field guns used in the Crimean War. A field gun is a field artillery piece. Originally the term referred to smaller guns that could accompany a field army on the march, that when in combat could be moved about the battlefield in response to changing circumstances (field artillery), as opposed to guns installed in a fort (garrison artillery or coastal artillery), or to siege cannons and mortars which are too large to be moved quickly, and would be used only in a prolonged siege.

Perhaps the most famous use of the field gun in terms of advanced tactics was Napoleon Bonaparte's use of very large wheels on the guns that allowed them to be moved quickly even during a battle. By moving the guns from point-to-point during a battle, enemy formations could be broken up to be handled by the infantry or cavalry wherever they were massing, dramatically increasing the overall effectiveness of the attack.
Cannon overall 19 inches long on carriage, barrel 10 inches long mahogany base 20.25 inches x 11.25 inches. Wheels 7.25 inches across 20th century.

Code: 21037

845.00 GBP

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A 16th C. Moghul 'Shaturnal' Swivel Cannon Barrel For Use on A War Elephant

on the Howdah, or on Camel saddle. A superb late Medieval matchlock swivel cannon barrel used on the back of a camel or war elephant. With a bore of around 5/8th inch and a barrel around eight times thicker than the normal width of a musket. Superb piece of early ironwork that would have fitted in a wooden support on the back of the beast and rotated with something resembling a row boat rowlock By the time of Akbar (October 15, 1542 ? October 27, 1605) heavy mortars and cannons were rarely used in the Mughal military. 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 camels and even in the howdahs of 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. Weighs around 5.25 kilos. 28.75 inches long. With old Jaipur Arsenal Armoury store mark. As with all our antique guns no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables. Photographed on a stand, not included.

Code: 20243

995.00 GBP

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A Rare Burmese High Status Noble’s Silver Sword, With Silver Inlaid Blade

A 19th Century Burmese sword dha, curved, shallow fullered silver inlaid blade 26", slight swollen towards point, silver damascened for its full length on both sides, with a scene depicting seated warriors and sages, a dog chow, foliage and inscriptions, zig zag panel along the top edge, silver hilt, the central panels depicting figures of male and female deities, plain darkwood ball pommel, in its plain sheet copper- silver alloy panelled scabbard in eleven sections. Circa 1870. Callied a ‘story' dha, the whole sword is superbly decorated. A picture we show in the gallery of a Burmese prince with his similar sword dha on a stand before him. The blade decoration, with silver overlay on both sides, it is said, is sometimes believed to the horoscope of the Burmese nobleman for whom the dha was commissioned. This sword is a “story” dha, the silver onlay illustrate a popular folktale and Jataka legend, complete with vignette scenes of the highlights of the story, and accompanying captions in Burmese or Pali. The broad use and diffusion of the dha across Southeast Asia makes it difficult to attribute a definitive origin. The Burmese moved into Southeast Asia from the northwest (present day India), passing through Assam and Nagaland. The dha and its variants were possibly derived from the Naga dao, a broadsword used by the Naga people of northeast India for digging as well as killing. The Naga weapon was a thick, heavy, eighteen-inch long backsword with a bevel instead of a point, and this form of blade is found on some dha. Alternatively, the dha may have its origins with the Tai people who migrated to the area from present-day Yunnan Province in southern China. The Khmer and Mon peoples were well established before the arrival the Tai or the Burmese people; perhaps they invented the dha as 13th-century reliefs at Angkor depict the weapon. The history of the region includes many periods where one or the other of these groups dominated, bringing along their culture and weapons to conquered areas.

Similar terms exist in the surrounding area with slightly different meanings. The Chinese word dao (dou in Cantonese) means knife but can refer to any bladed weapon with only one edge. In Bengali, a dao is a six inch long knife. From the Himalayas, the dao spread to Southeast Asia where it came into its present shape. While it is pronounced dha in Burmese, among Khmer-speakers it is known as dao and it may be related to the Malay words pedang and sundang, meaning sword. A related term, dap, means a long-handled sword in Malay. In Thailand, the dha corresponds to the krabi but the equivalent Thai term is daab which is usually a stout double-edge sword. Other elaborate swords might have been made as presentation pieces perhaps to foreigners but the nature of the script on the blade suggests that this example may have been made for a very senior Burman or Shan aristocrat. Overall in scabbard 37.5 inches long, blade 26 inches long

Code: 23315

1895.00 GBP

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A Superb Tanged Arrow Head From The Battle of Crecy Site, Acquired in a Noble's Grand Tour in the 1820's.

Acquired in the 1820's while on a Grand Tour of Anglo French battle sites of Northern & Western France from Crécy-en-Ponthieu in the Somme region, in Azincourt the Pas-de-Calais, to Poitiers in Aquitaine. Subsequently acquired by us recently as part collection of a selection of artefacts and antiquities from battle sites around Europe. Many English war arrows for Longbows would have some type of bodkin or “plate cutter” since their job was to penetrate armour (gambesons, hauberks, and plate). long and short bodkin, plate cutter, leaf, trefoil, crescent, and swallowtail broadheads. Broadheads were for un-armoured men and horse..From the time of King Edward IIIrd of England. Edward Plantagenet (13 November 1312 – 21 June 1377) was King of England from 1327 until his death, and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe. His reign saw vital developments in legislation and government – in particular the evolution of the English parliament – as well as the ravages of the Black Death. He remains one of only six monarchs to have ruled England or its successor kingdoms for more than fifty years.
His reign saw the beginning of the Hundred Years War against France. Crecy was one of history's most decisive battles. After the battle of Sluys, Edward III landed in Normandy in July 1346 with about 10,000 men. The French pursued. Edward III decided to halt near Crecy in Normandy and to prepare for battle the next day. However, the French vanguard made contact and started to attack without the benefit of a plan. The French made as many as 15 attacks and the English checked each one in turn mainly because of the English longbowmen. At the end, the French were decimated and the English had a decisive victory.

At Crécy, the carefully deployed and well disciplined army of Edward III humbled King Phillip VI of France and left 1,500 of the chivalry of France dead on the field in this famous battle during Edward's chevauchee of 1346 AD during the 100 Years War.

First major battle of the Hundred Years' War fought on Saturday, August 26, 1346. in which Philip VI of France was defeated by Edward III of England at the village of Crécy-en-Ponthieu, now in Somme département, France, 18 km/11 mi northeast of Abbeville. The English victory reinforced the lesson of Courtrai – that infantry were well capable of dealing with cavalry.

Edward's forces were arranged in three divisions, all dismounted, with Welsh archers and spearmen in the front ranks. The French arrived in the afternoon; their Genoese crossbowmen opened the battle, but rain had slacked their bowstrings and they were rapidly annihilated by the Welsh bowmen who had unstrung their bows and kept the strings dry. The French knights, impatient for victory, then rode forward but, clustered together by the confined battlefield, they were rapidly picked off by bowmen and spearmen. The battle then resolved itself into a series of charges – some historians say as many as 15 – by the French knights against the English lines, but they were eventually beaten off and before nightfall were in retreat. Edward achieved a victory scarcely bettered in any battle before or since. With somewhere between 9,000 to12,000 Welsh and English men he fought King Phillip Vith of France's 35,000 men and knights. Edwards casualties were 2 knights and a few hundred men lost, Phillip had 1,542 Knights and around 20,000 plus men slain.

Edward was born on 13 November 1312, possibly at Windsor, although little is known of his early life, the son of Edward II and Isabella of France. Edward himself became king in 1327 after his father was deposed by his mother and her lover, Roger Mortimer. A year later Edward married Philippa of Hainault - they were to have 13 children. Isabella and Roger ruled in Edward's name until 1330, when he executed Mortimer and banished his mother.

Edward's primary focus was now war with France. Ongoing territorial disputes were intensified in 1340 when Edward assumed the title of king of France, starting a war that would last intermittently for over a century. In July 1346, Edward landed in Normandy, accompanied by his son Edward, the Black Prince. His decisive victory at Crécy in August scattered the French army. Edward then captured Calais, establishing it as a base for future campaigns. In 1348, he created the Order of the Garter.

War restarted in 1355. The following year, the Black Prince won a significant victory at Poitiers, capturing the French king, John II. The resulting Treaty of Bretigny in 1360 marked the end of the first phase of the Hundred Years War and the high point of English influence in France. Edward renounced his claim to the French crown in return for the whole of Aquitaine. In 1369, the French declared war again. Edward, by now an elderly man, left the fighting to his sons. They enjoyed little success and the English lost much of the territory they had gained in 1360.

Code: 23846

225.00 GBP

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A Beautiful Pair of Cased 18th Century Flintlock Boxlock Pistols, By Sharp & Co With Barrel Turn-off Key and Ball Mould.

A beautiful pair of good sized boxlock flintlock breech loading pistols in its beautiful case, with original bullet mould, and barrel key, with spare balls and flints. Fine mahogany case with key. One side of each gun has had very old past surface russetting, due to some damp ingress to the base of the box, probably around 150 years ago. however, each opposing side of each pistol has barely any pitting at all, and the surfaces are very good indeed and the engraved makers panel on each breech has superbly crisp engraving, and delightful patina to each gun with foldaway retracting and hidden triggers. The bullet is larger than the barrel on a breech lock flintlock pistol, as the barrel's breech is tapered to compress the ball as it moves forward at the moment of firing to tightly fit the ball to 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. One of the more interesting aspects common among these pistols is that the doghead was centered internally on the pistol in a fashion similar to hammers on today's pistols. (That is the action was mounted internally instead of one of the sides of the pistol.) This type of design is known as a "box lock". The box lock was more difficult to manufacture than a typical side mounted flintlock and tended to be more expensive to produce. each pistol overall 8 inches long, the case is 11 inches x 6 inches x 1.5 inches

Code: 23890

2495.00 GBP

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A Most Attractive Koto Katana Around 500 Years Old. Fuchi Kashira of Monkeys in the Persimmon Tree

Totally untouched for around 150 years since it arrived in England after the Boshi war in Japan. Very inexpensive for such a beautiful ancient sword.
An absolutely delightful katana, mounted with hilt mounts, sneaking persimmmons from a persimmon tree, on a shakudo nanako ground, very similar to the work of Nobuyoshi [see for similar The Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, MD, USA ] A pair of menuki in the form of partridges in gold. Very nice Bushu school o-sukashi tsuba in tettsu inlaid with gold, probably by Bushu ju Masakata, circa 1775, of Japanese knotweed (Itadori)

Two coloured original Edo lacquer urushi lacquer saya , ishime stone finish style in black and brown.

Super blade with good hamon, a most elegant curvature.

the Japanese folktale of Monkey and Crab. In the story, a mother crab met a monkey, who persuaded her to trade her rice ball for a persimmon seed. The monkey devoured the rice ball, while the crab planted and nurtured the seed. It grew into a fruitful tree, and the crab asked the monkey to harvest and share the fruit. Greedily, the monkey throws a hard persimmon at the crab below, crushing her. Enlisting the aid of outside help including a wasp, the crab's children seek revenge.

Shakudo, which is a billon of gold and copper (typically 4-10% gold, 96-90% copper) which can be treated to form an indigo/black patina resembling lacquer. Unpatinated shakudo Visually resembles bronze; the dark color is induced by applying and heating rokusho, a special patination formula.

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 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.

39.5 inches long overall in saya, blade 26 inches long tsuba to tip

Code: 24369

4995.00 GBP

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A Rare Set of Spare Parts For A German WW2 Panzer Binocular Gun Sight

With excellent lenses.
Ideal for the collector of WW2 German military opticals, perfect as spares or for replacing lost or damaged parts. They would cost many, many times the price we ask to re manufacture, if they could even be replicated today, and may not be needed now, but to save them in case of need one day, would be exceptionally prudent and sound logic.

They could also be perfect for a collector of German WW2 Panzer military equipment at relatively minute cost.

Photo 3 in the gallery shows a complete binocular with the parts we offer in place

The beauty of these parts is that they are universal fit, even though they came from a panzer case originally they would fit kriegsmarine gun sights and luftwaffe anti aircraft sights

Code: 17798

175.00 GBP

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A 10th to 12th Century, Crusader Knights Period, Original, Large Reliquary Pectoral Cross Pendant, Crucifix

With a deep relief cast Jesus Christ on the cross, dressed with a long robe (sticharion) and single remaining flanking small figure (probably Saint John) to Christ’s right, the left arm has been struck off and now missing. It may well have been damaged by such as a sword cut, breaking off an arm and separating the crucifix into town pieces, of course this is only speculation. Christ stands on a pedestal that resembles a suppedaneum used to support the feet in a crucifixion.

The hollow portion formed inside the box was intended for the sacred relic that the faithful would have worn around the neck. Part of the 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 front panel. 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 civilisation.

Surface in very good condition, right arm broken off, with typical natural aged patina with encrustations. As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity.

Code: 23496

750.00 GBP

Shortlist item

Original Antique MK II Antique Short Lever Martini Henry Rifle, Victorian Leather Sling & Fabulous Stock Patina.

A Most Attractive 19th Century Style Model Cannon of a British Field Gun with Grenadier Guards Crest

A 16th C. Moghul 'Shaturnal' Swivel Cannon Barrel For Use on A War Elephant

A Rare Burmese High Status Noble’s Silver Sword, With Silver Inlaid Blade

A Superb Tanged Arrow Head From The Battle of Crecy Site, Acquired in a Noble's Grand Tour in the 1820's.

A Beautiful Pair of Cased 18th Century Flintlock Boxlock Pistols, By Sharp & Co With Barrel Turn-off Key and Ball Mould.

A Most Attractive Koto Katana Around 500 Years Old. Fuchi Kashira of Monkeys in the Persimmon Tree

A Rare Set of Spare Parts For A German WW2 Panzer Binocular Gun Sight

A Most Attractive and Impressive Late Victorian Heavy Quality Model Cannon

A 10th to 12th Century, Crusader Knights Period, Original, Large Reliquary Pectoral Cross Pendant, Crucifix