A Very Fine, Classic Example Of An Original Type 98 Mounted, Signed Shingunto Japanese Officer's Sword, Literally Untounched Since Its Surrender in 1945. Good Blade with Fine Hamon

Signed Maekawa Masatugu
Maekawa Masatsugu (often associated or identified with Maekawa Kanetsugu / Genichi Maekawa, born 1904) was a notable swordsmith who forged military swords during World War II in Seki, Gifu Prefecture, Japan born in 1904 and died in 1951

Historical records show mixed discussions regarding his signature, with collectors noting he is often signed as Kanetsugu or Maekawa Masatsugu saku, belonging to the group of wartime Shōwa-era smiths working out of Seki  read more

Code: 26434

A Very Attractive Samurai Daisho With Edo Blades and All Original Edo Period Koshirae Han Dachi Mounts & Very Fine Bronze Mokko Gara-Form Shakudo tsuba Depicting Shishi on a Nanako Ground with Gold Highlights

Handachi iron mounts featuring inlaid gold and silver tendrils belong to the traditional Japanese art of metal inlay, most notably associated with techniques like Higo zogan (an ancient craft originating in the Higo Province) or Hizen nunome-zogan work, in silver copper and pure gold inlays.

Han-dachi originally appeared during the Muromachi period when there was a transition taking place from Tachi to katana. The sword was being worn more and more edge up when on foot, but edge down on horseback as it had always been. The handachi is a response to the need to be worn in either style.
It has a singularly beautiful and most scarcely seen colour combination of 'Red Devil' red and imperial white. Known as Ika-zoku or "The Red Devils" (Ii's Red Gotei / Aka-zonae). White ito binding being the prerogative of only those of the highest level of status, due to it's obvious difficulty to maintain in pristine condition when worn regularly. Rich, so-called 'Red Devil' red ishime lacquer, was the distinctive colour, and famous in Japanese samurai history, as the Li clan family’s colour, depicted with their imposing red lacquered suits of armour and weapons.
Rich red, as opposed to the more usual black and brown, was worn by all from the lord down to the foot soldiers, and it marked them out on the battlefield and advertised their origin to those who stood opposed to them. Known as the 'Red Devils', the samurai adorned in red urushi lacquered armour and weapons, under the rule of the Li family, played an integral part in the battles that ended the civil war and raised Tokugawa Ieyasu to the office of shogun, gaining great fame and a fierce reputation. Distinguished warriors, adorned in devil red, known as the most fierce-some, and, most fearless in all Japan.

The Sengoku period was initiated by the Onin War in 1467 which collapsed the feudal system of Japan under the Ashikaga Shogunate. Various samurai warlords and clans fought for control over Japan in the power vacuum, while the Ikkō-ikki emerged to fight against samurai rule. The arrival of Europeans in 1543 introduced the arquebus into Japanese warfare, and Japan ended its status as a tributary state of China in 1549. Oda Nobunaga dissolved the Ashikaga Shogunate in 1573 and launched a war of political unification by force, including the Ishiyama Hongan-ji War, until his death in the Honnō-ji Incident in 1582. Nobunaga's successor Toyotomi Hideyoshi completed his campaign to unify Japan and consolidated his rule with numerous influential reforms. Hideyoshi launched the Japanese invasions of Korea in 1592, but their eventual failure damaged his prestige before his death in 1598. Tokugawa Ieyasu displaced Hideyoshi's young son and successor Toyotomi Hideyori at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 and re-established the feudal system under the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Sengoku period ended when Toyotomi loyalists were defeated at the siege of Osaka in 1615.

The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: 関ヶ原の戦い; Kyūjitai: 關ヶ原の戰い, Hepburn romanization: Sekigahara no Tatakai) was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu Prefecture, Japan, at the end of the Sengoku period. This battle was fought by the forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu against a coalition of Toyotomi loyalist clans under Ishida Mitsunari, several of which defected before or during the battle, leading to a Tokugawa victory. The Battle of Sekigahara was the largest battle of Japanese feudal history and is often regarded as the most important. Mitsunari's defeat led to the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate.

Tokugawa Ieyasu took three more years to consolidate his position of power over the Toyotomi clan and the various daimyō, but the Battle of Sekigahara is widely considered to be the unofficial beginning of the Tokugawa shogunate, which ruled Japan for another two and a half centuries

Ii Naomasa, served as one of Tokugawa Ieyasu's generals, and received the fief of Hikone in Omi Province as a reward for his conduct in battle at Sekigahara. The colour of their armour meant that they were the easiest to recognise on the painted screens that depicted the great events of Japanese history, showing that the Ii family understood the benefits of good public relations. The Ii and a few sub-branches remained daimyo for the duration of the Edo period.

The family remained at the heart of events until 1860 when Ii Naosuke, the last of the lords of Hikone was murdered by anti-shogun and anti-Western rebels. He was deeply involved in the negotiations between the shogunate and the Western diplomats concerning the opening of Japan to trade  read more

Code: 26433

A Deeply Convex Domed Moghul & Sikh Indian Hand Forged Steel Shield, Decorated With Koftgari Work

Just returned from over 40 hours of specialist hand cleaning and polishing with final conservation . This Indo-Persian Dahl is a circular, convex shield used in military combat or as an ornamental item, originating from the Indian and Persian regions. These shields, also known as Sipar, were typically made from steel or leather and were adorned with elaborate floral designs, often using koftgari (gold and silver inlay), and featured four domed bosses.

a style of shield as popular with the Moghul and the Sikh empires

The Mogul-Sikh Wars were a series of conflicts between the Sikh community and the Mughal Empire, primarily during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The tensions began with the growing popularity of Sikhism, founded by Guru Nanak in the Punjab, and escalated with the persecution of Sikh leaders, particularly under Mughal Emperor Jahangir. Key figures, such as Guru Hargobind and Guru Gobind Singh, played pivotal roles in militarizing the Sikh community in response to Mughal oppression, leading to the formation of the Khalsa, a collective of Sikh warriors devoted to defending their faith.

The conflicts intensified with the rise of Emperor Aurangzeb, who targeted the Sikhs due to their increasing power and influence. Following significant battles, including the siege of Anandpur, the Sikhs faced heavy losses, but their resolve only strengthened, leading to notable victories against Mughal forces. The eventual execution of Sikh leader Bandā Bahādur and subsequent massacres highlighted the brutal nature of these confrontations. Ultimately, the resistance of the Sikhs contributed to the decline of the Mughal Empire, as they established a robust martial tradition and expanded their influence throughout the Punjab region, fostering a sense of unity and resilience within the Sikh community.  read more

Code: 25900

Ancient Viking, Gemstone, Clawset Bronze Ring {Gemstone Not Present}. Circa 9th Century. 1820 Grand Tour Souvenir from Northern France, Recovered From The Seine Around Paris

Like many of our selection of antiquities, many originally arrived in England as souvenirs of a Grand Tour, from around 200 years ago. Two such pieces are gemstone claw-set Viking rings, around 1200 years old from Normandy, Northern France. This one has no stone remaining, the other, likely for a female Viking one, does

Bronze mount and claw set. This first ring of the two we acquired from the same original location, was likely for a female Viking


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

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

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

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

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

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

There were two Norse sieges of Paris. The first was in 845; and though a fairly minor affair in terms of battle, it had great symbolic significance. The second was roughly two generations later, in 885-886; was much larger (and deadlier); and had greater direct ramifications. Before the first siege, Viking raids were a new and growing problem for the peoples of Western Europe; but hitherto raids had been made by relatively small war bands bent on plunder. The Scandinavian adventurers might sack monasteries or villages, but would usually shun larger, better defended targets (Churchill, 1956). However, success was making the Norsemen bolder.

Aware of this growing threat, the aging emperor, Charlemagne, built a series of maritime defenses to protect his coasts and rivers from these new dragon ships. For the first few decades, the defenses worked; but the Vikings were growing in number, ability, and ambition and a new breed of leaders was coming to the fore. One of these leaders was a man the Frankish chroniclers call Reginheri; but who has since been widely equated with the semi-legendary figure Ragnar Lothbrok (Dzhak, 2016). Under Ragnar, Vikings were ready to step foot on the world stage. They were ready to capture the jewel of Western Europe, the city of Paris.

So, in Spring of 845, 120 dragon ships carrying about 5000 Scandinavian warriors, broke through the late emperor’s defenses and surrounded the walled city of Paris (Dzhak, 2016). In the ninth century, Paris was already more than a thousand years old. It was wealthy from its position as a trading center, and was the seat of one of Charlemagne’s three competing heirs, Charles the Bald. At this time, the heart of the city was confined to the islands in the center of the Seine, the Île de la Cité where the cathedral of Notre Dame stands today. This position made Paris eminently defensible in the eyes of the Frankish elite that ruled there; but it made it easily surrounded by the ship-born Vikings.  read more

Code: 26432

Fabulous Louis XVI Style, 19th Cent. Portico Clock, Signed François-Pierre Jolly Known as Gaston-Jolly in White Marble and Gilt Bronze Ornamentation, Enamel Dial Bearing a Large Laurel Wreath Sumounted by Four Columns. Napoleonic Directoire Period Maker

Each of the four columns are encircled with very fine gilt bronze foliage, rich decoration of urns, flowers, acorns and chains, radiating mask pendulum, small toupie feet, from the late 18th century to early 19th century Napoleonic era clock maker.

François-Pierre Jolly, known as Gaston-Jolly, is one of the most important Parisian horologists of the late 18th century and the early 19th century. After he became a master, on May 6, 1784, he established his workshop in the rue de Arcis and quickly earned a reputation among Parisian horological connoisseurs. During the Directoire and the Empire, he created several clocks, which were sought-after due to the quality of their movements and their original compositions. He is recorded first in the rue Pavée Saint-Sauveur from 1810 to 1820, then in the boulevard Poissonnière in 1820. Certain of his creations were recorded during the Empire as belonging to important collectors of the day, such as the wife of Charles-Philibert-Marie-Gaston de Lévis, comte de Mirepoix, la comtesse Alexandrine-Marie-Julie-Félicité de Montboissier-Beaufort-Canillac. See picture five in the gallery of her portrait in the Louvre. She is widely believed to be the subject of Jeune femme attachant un bouquet de fleurs (around 1784), a miniature portrait painted by Jacques-Antoine-Marie Lemoine. The piece is housed in the Department of Prints and Drawings at the Louvre Museum. Her father, Philippe-Claude de Montboissier-Beaufort-Canillac, marquis de Montboissier was executed by guillotine in 1794, during the French Revolution.

Another famous collector of Jolly's clocks was Bernard-Charles-Louis-Victor, Marquis de Lostanges, Napoleon’s Chamberlain. During the First Empire, Lostanges-Béduer was noted among Parisian connoisseurs and collectors of luxury decorative arts, notably acquiring fine horological works from renowned clockmakers such as François-Pierre Jolly. Lostanges-Béduer died in 1812, the same year as Napoleon's ill-fated Russian campaign, in which many officers of the Imperial Household participated.

Picture 5 in the gallery is a portrait of renown Gaston {François-Pierre} Jolly clock collector, now in the Louvre 'Jeune femme attachant un bouquet de fleurs (around 1784), a miniature portrait painted by Jacques-Antoine-Marie Lemoine.'

Steel Suspension Spring pendulum. Clockmakers transitioned from fragile silk threads to thin, flexible steel suspension springs during the 19th century. Replacing thread with a flat spring leaf reduced friction, prevented stretching from humidity, and allowed for much easier regulation. Many older silk-suspension clock movements were later retrofitted or "converted" by horologists to use steel springs when the original silk mechanisms could be improved by upgrading

Overall 19 inches high, 9.5 inches across, 5 inches depth.

Small aged hairline in the marble by the top of the front right collumn  read more

Code: 26430

Ancient Viking, Glass Gemstone, Clawset Bronze Ring. Circa 9th Century. 1820 Grand Tour Souvenir from Northern France, Recovered From The Seine Around Paris

Like many of our selection of antiquities, many originally arrived in England as souvenirs of a Grand Tour, from around 200 years ago. Two such pieces are gemstone claw-set Viking rings, around 1200 years old from Normandy, Northern France. One has no stone remaining, this first one does

Narrow shank in a rope design and a fold at the base to reduce the ring size for wear. This first ring of the two we acquired from the same original location, was likely for a female Viking


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

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

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

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

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

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

There were two Norse sieges of Paris. The first was in 845; and though a fairly minor affair in terms of battle, it had great symbolic significance. The second was roughly two generations later, in 885-886; was much larger (and deadlier); and had greater direct ramifications. Before the first siege, Viking raids were a new and growing problem for the peoples of Western Europe; but hitherto raids had been made by relatively small war bands bent on plunder. The Scandinavian adventurers might sack monasteries or villages, but would usually shun larger, better defended targets (Churchill, 1956). However, success was making the Norsemen bolder.

Aware of this growing threat, the aging emperor, Charlemagne, built a series of maritime defenses to protect his coasts and rivers from these new dragon ships. For the first few decades, the defenses worked; but the Vikings were growing in number, ability, and ambition and a new breed of leaders was coming to the fore. One of these leaders was a man the Frankish chroniclers call Reginheri; but who has since been widely equated with the semi-legendary figure Ragnar Lothbrok (Dzhak, 2016). Under Ragnar, Vikings were ready to step foot on the world stage. They were ready to capture the jewel of Western Europe, the city of Paris.

So, in Spring of 845, 120 dragon ships carrying about 5000 Scandinavian warriors, broke through the late emperor’s defenses and surrounded the walled city of Paris (Dzhak, 2016). In the ninth century, Paris was already more than a thousand years old. It was wealthy from its position as a trading center, and was the seat of one of Charlemagne’s three competing heirs, Charles the Bald. At this time, the heart of the city was confined to the islands in the center of the Seine, the Île de la Cité where the cathedral of Notre Dame stands today. This position made Paris eminently defensible in the eyes of the Frankish elite that ruled there; but it made it easily surrounded by the ship-born Vikings.  read more

Code: 26431

A Stunning & Most Rare Large Viking Bronze Stylus With Bulbous Finial and Circular Eraser for Wax Tablets. Similar to Another In Oldsaksamlingen, Historisk Museum, Oslo, Norway. 9th Century. Often Buried With a High Rank Viking To Take To The Afterlife

A typical 9th-century Viking bronze stylus was dual-purpose, operating as both a pen and an eraser:

These styli were used to compose temporary text, layout draft designs, and teach literacy. They were utilized for writing everything from Norse runes to Latin and Glagolitic characters depending on the trade network. Because metal writing tools were expensive and wax tablets required specialized upkeep, styli are typically recovered from high-status trading hubs, early Christian churchyards, or rich pagan burials where merchants and elites wanted to take their prized tools to the afterlife

Extant examples from this era show incredible regional variety. For example, a 9th-10th century bronze stylus found in Borre, Norway features an intricate bulbous finial formed by curved bands, while other regional variants found across Eastern Europe (such as the Kievan Rus spheres) display highly unique zoomorphic symbols or attached suspension rings
The opposite end featured a flattened, widened, or bulbous decorative side. This was used to smooth or flatten the wax out, essentially "rubbing out" mistakes or clearing the tablet so it could be reused.

The Viking afterlife
Valhalla: Odin's golden hall in Asgard, where half of the elite warriors slain in combat are chosen by the Valkyries to train and feast in preparation for Ragnarök.
Fólkvangr: The "field of the host" ruled by the goddess Freyja, who claims the other half of those who fall in battle. Poetic Edda poem Grímnismá.
Fólkvangr er inn níundi,
en þar Freyja ræðr
sessa kostum í sal;
halfan val
hon kýss hverjan dag,
en halfan Óðinn á.
Rán's Realm: An underwater domain beneath the waves presided over by the sea goddess Rán, welcoming those who drowned at sea.

The Schøyen Collection (MS 1987/12): Houses a famous Viking Stylus from Norway dating to the 9th–10th century. Discovered near Borre, Vestfold, it is an 18 cm bronze piece featuring a round, flattened eraser.
7.5 inches long  read more

Code: 26422

A Superb Victorian & WW1 Senior Naval Officer's Sword Bicorn Hat and Eppaulettes All In Superb Condition With Profile Shaped Helmet Storage Tin and EppauletteTransit and Storage Case

The sword is in fabulous condition with all its original mercurial gilt to the hilt and scabbard mounts.

The 1827 Pattern British Royal Navy Officer's Sword was introduced during the reign of George IV, replacing the 1805 spadrun pattern. It features a half-basket gilt-brass hilt with a crowned fouled anchor, a lion-head pommel, a white fishskin (shagreen) or ray-skin grip bound with wire, and a distinctive hinged folding inner guard designed to lock into the scabbard pin. Early versions used a "pipe-backed" blade style until 1846, when standard fullered and straight blade specifications evolved

the Royal Naval Bicorn hat is is very nice condition within its original bicorn profile shaped tin case with name plate.

A lovely officers silk bicorn with bullion scrolls and King's Crown buttons for King Edward VIIth. The bicorne or bicorn (two-cornered) is an archaic form of hat widely adopted in the 1790s as an item of uniform by British naval officers. It is readily associated with Napoléon Bonaparte and Admiral Nelson, but in practice most generals and staff officers of the Napoleonic era, of all European nations wore bicornes, and it survived as a widely worn full-dress head dress until at least 1914 in the Navy.

Epaulette is a type of ornamental shoulder piece or decoration used as insignia of rank by armed forces and other organizations. In the French and other armies, epaulettes are also worn by all ranks of elite or ceremonial units when on parade. It may bear rank or other insignia, and should not be confused with a shoulder mark - also called an shoulder board, rank slide, or slip-on - a flat cloth sleeve worn on the shoulder strap of a uniform (although the two terms are often used interchangeably).

Epaulettes are fastened to the shoulder by a shoulder strap or passenten, a small strap parallel to the shoulder seam, and the button near the collar, or by laces on the underside of the epaulette passing through holes in the shoulder of the coat or by a metal slide arrangement. Colloquially, any shoulder straps with marks are also called epaulettes. The placement of the epaulette, its colour and the length and diameter of its bullion fringe are used to signify the wearer's rank. Although originally worn in the field, and they certainly were when these were made, epaulettes are now normally limited to dress or ceremonial military uniforms. A photo in the gallery of Nelson's shot-through epaulette from Trafalgar. He has two stars due to his superior Admirals rank.  read more

Code: 26429

Japanese Koto, Sengoku Period, 500 Year Old Samurai Mounted Combat and Court Sword. Original Edo Era Mounted Ito-Maki No Tachi, With Original Edo Black and Red Tsugaru-nuri (津軽塗) With the Kara-nuri (唐塗) Technique Urushi Lacquer Saya.

Japanese Court Sword Ito-Maki No Tachi, blade cms Koto period, straight itame hada and hamon, in tachi koshirae, Edo period silk Ito bound over samegawa ( giant rayskin) tsuka, engrave, sinchu mounts with fine engraving, gilt dai seppa aoi tsuba with seppas, in its Tsugaru-nuri (津軽塗) lacquered saya with binding and mounts en-suite with hilt.
Traditional Japanese Tsugaru-nuri (津軽塗) lacquerware finish, specifically featuring the Kara-nuri (唐塗) technique in a red and black (Nashi-guro / 梨黒) colourway with metallic powder accents.

Kara-nuri It features a mottled, speckled, or raindrop-like abstract pattern created through a painstaking traditional process involving up to 48 separate steps of applying layers of colored lacquer, drying, and polishing.
Artisans use a specially notched spatula (called a shikake-bera) to carve patterns into the layered lacquer before sanding and polishing it down to reveal the colourful, organic strata beneath.

Tsugaru-nuri is a renowned traditional craft from Aomori Prefecture, Japan, celebrated for its intricate multi-layered application of lacquer, distinctive speckled patterns, and extreme durability.

A tachi (太刀) is a traditional, single-edged, curved Japanese sword worn by the samurai class, predominantly used during the Kotō period (900–1596). It is the historical predecessor to the iconic katana.

Measuring typically longer than the katana, the tachi was designed primarily for cavalry warfare. Its pronounced, deep curvature (especially near the hilt) made it exceptionally effective for delivering powerful, sweeping slicing cuts while riding a horse. Even after the mass-infantry-focused katana overtook it in popularity during the Muromachi period, the tachi remained a highly revered status symbol worn by high-ranking samurai for in the daimyo's or shogun's court.

In the Sengoku period (1467–1615) or the Azuchi–Momoyama period (1568–1600), the itomaki tachi (itomaki no tachi, 糸巻太刀), which means a tachi wound with thread, appeared and became the mainstream of tachi after that. Itomaki tachi was decorated with lacquer decorations with many maki-e and complex coloured threads, and could used for presentation, a ceremony, or an offering to the kami of Shinto shrines.

In later Japanese feudal history, during the Sengoku and Edo periods, certain high-ranking warriors of the ruling class wore their sword tachi-style (edge-downward), rather than with the scabbard thrust through the belt with the edge upward. This style of swords is called handachi, "half tachi". In handachi, styles were often mixed, for example, fastening to the obi was katana style, but metalworking of the scabbard was tachi style.

Overall condition very good indeed, the Edo period silk Ito binding is age worn but only as to be expected for 160 year old silk.
Photographed as is at present, we are awaiting the blade to be expertly cleaned to reveal its hidden beauty, it will then be photographed in detail.

Blade 27.3 inches long, 38 inches overall  read more

Code: 26428

A Most Fine Original, Antique, Early Napoleonic Wars Period 19th Century Antique North African Moukhala Snaphance Lock Gun With Wonderful Intricate Silver Wirework Inlay & Ivory Butt Plate

The lock is an Arabian North African made version of a Dutch snaphance. The lock plate is 20 cm long, and is of considerable thickness and is shaped with a decorative finial at the tail and a simple point at the front. Screwed to it is a long deep gutter shaped pan whose outer end is closed by a thick iron disc having its outer face covered in sheet silver. The flat-faced cock has a prolonged tail that engages with the nose of the horizontal sear where it protrudes through the plate and is arrested by a buffer screwed to the plate. The square frizzen is operated on by a spring whose outer edges are filed to a waved shape. The rod that links the tumbler with the pan cover is missing. The lock is fastened to the stock by three dome headed screws
There is a circular makers mark stamped on the outside of the lockplate below the buffer.

A most similar example in the Royal Armouries collection was made by tradition for the Viceroy of Tetuan, Morocco in the early 19th century

At present in the Leeds Armoury, Asian and African Gallery.

In inlaid silver there is an Islamic inscription that 'may' translate to "Allah (God) is sufficient for me, and He is the best disposer of affairs." (Alternatively: "Sufficient for us is Allah, and He is the best Disposer of affairs.")
This phrase comes directly from the Quran (Surah Ali 'Imran, 3:173). Inscriptions of this form are notoriously difficult to interpret, as they can use numerous different forms of Islamic script .

حسبي الله ونعم الوكيل

This type of flared butt musket is typical of Tetuan, in Morocco, see A C Tirri, Islamic weapons, Maghrib to Moghul, 2003, fig. 2. A7.722 centre gun.

These are often called Kabyle guns.
Cites registered.

Not suitable for export, UK mainland sale only.  read more

Code: 26427