Antique Arms & Militaria

A Wonderful, Original, Historical, Eastern Roman Empire, Byzantine Christian Cross In Bronze 7th to 10th Century

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

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  read more

Code: 23253

Ancient Iron Viking Socket Spear. Circa 9th century, Around 1200 Years Old

Like several pieces we acquired often from a Grand Tour of the 1820’s, Viking pieces and artefacts, such as rings and spear heads, acquired in Northern France near Paris, that originated from around the time of the Viking siege of Paris in the early 800’s.
Many historians commonly associate the term "Viking" to the Scandinavian term vikingr, a word for "pirate." However, the term is meant to reference oversea expeditions, and was used as a verb by the Scandinavian people for when the men traditionally took time out of their summers to go "a Viking." While many would believe these expeditions entailed the raiding of monasteries and cities along the coast, many expeditions were actually with the goal of trade and enlisting as foreign mercenaries.

The Viking Age generally refers to the period from A.D. 800, a few years after the earliest recorded raid, until the 1050s, a few years before the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, according to Angelo Forte, Richard D. Oram and Frederik Pedersen, authors of "Viking Empires" (Cambridge University Press, 2005). During this time, the reach of the Scandinavian people extended to all corners of northern Europe, and many other nations found Vikings raiding their coasts. The farthest reported records of Vikings were in Baghdad for the trading of goods like fur, tusks and seal fat.

Spears in the Sagas
"Then Thorolf became so furious that he cast his shield on his back, and, grasping his spear with both hands, bounded forward dealing cut and thrust on either side. Men sprang away from him both ways, but he slew many."

- Egil's Saga, Chapter 53

"Gunnar clutches the spear with both hands, and turns on (Thorbrand) quickly and drives it through him, and hurls him down on the ground. Then up sprung Asbrand his brother. Gunnar thrusts at him with the spear, and he threw his shield before the blow, but the spear passed clean through the shield and broke both his arms, and down he fell from the wall."

- Njal's Saga, Chapter 76

"At this brunt Helgi, the son of Hardbien, rushed in with a spear, the head of which was an ell long, and the shaft bound with iron. When Bolli saw that he cast away his sword, and took his shield in both hands, and went towards the dairy door to meet Helgi. Helgi thrust at Bolli with the spear right through the shield and through him."

- The Laxdale Saga, Chapter 55

The spearheads were made of iron, and, like sword blades, were made using pattern welding techniques (described in the article on swords) during the early part of the Viking era . They could be decorated with inlays of precious metals or with scribed geometric patterns
After forming the head, the smith created the tang in the early period, such as for a javelin type spear, or in the later Viking mostly a socket fitting for a regular spear. Sometimes with holes for rivets to grip onto the haft.

However, there is little evidence that tells us the length of the shaft. The archaeological evidence is negligible, and the sagas are, for the most part, silent. Chapter 6 of Gísla saga tells of a spear so long-shafted that a man's outstretched arm could touch the rivet. The language used suggests that such a long shaft was uncommon.

Perhaps the best guess we can make is that the combined length of shaft and head of Viking age spears was 2 to 3m (7-10ft) long, although one can make arguments for the use of spears having both longer and shorter shafts. A strong, straight-grained wood such as ash was used. Many people think of the spear as a throwing weapon. One of the Norse myths tells the story of the first battle in the world, in which Odin, the highest of the gods, threw a spear over the heads of the opposing combatants as a prelude to the fight. The sagas say that spears were also thrown in this manner when men, rather than gods, fought. At the battle at Geirvör described in chapter 44 of Eyrbyggja saga, the saga author says that Steinþórr threw a spear over the heads of Snorri goði and his men for good luck, according to the old custom. More commonly, the spear was used as a thrusting weapon. The sagas tell us thrusting was the most common attack in melees and one-on-one fighting, and this capability was used to advantage in mass battles. In a mass battle, men lined up, shoulder to shoulder, with shields overlapping. After all the preliminaries, which included rock throwing, name calling, the trading of insults, and shouting a war cry (æpa heróp), the two lines advanced towards each other. When the lines met, the battle was begun. Behind the wall of shields, each line was well protected. Once a line was broken, and one side could pass through the line of the other side, the battle broke down into armed melees between small groups of men.

Before either line broke, while the two lines were going at each other hammer and tongs, the spear offered some real advantages. A fighter in the second rank could use his spear to reach over the heads of his comrades in the first rank and attack the opposing line. Konungs skuggsjá (King’s Mirror), a 13th century Norwegian manual for men of the king, says that in the battle line, a spear is more effective than two swords. In regards to surviving iron artefacts of the past two millennia, if Western ancient edged weapons were either lost, discarded or buried in the ground, and if the ground soil were made up of the right chemical composition, then some may survive exceptionally well. As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity. overall 10.25 inches long  read more

Code: 23709

A Most Impressive Original 16th -17th Century Nuremberg 'Black and White' Comb Morion Helmet, The Very Same Form of Helmet As Was Made Famous by the Spanish Conquistador’s in Their Conquest of Central America

A most similar morion, was in the great historical collection of arms armour from the armoury of Fortress Hohenwerfen near Salzburg, Austria, that was augmented by H.I.R.H. Archduke Eugen. A collection that was sold, and entered the collectors market and various museums, in 1927, which contained some Nuremberg and Augsberg 'black and white' morion helmets such as this. Morion is a type of open helmet used from the middle 16th to early 17th centuries, such as by the Munich Town Guard, usually having a flat brim and a crest from front to back. Its introduction was contemporaneous with the exploration of North, Central, and South America. Explorers like Hernando de Soto and Coronado may have supplied them to their foot soldiers in the 1540s. The iconic morion, though popularly identified with early Spanish explorers and conquistadors, was not in use as early as the conquest of Mexico by Hernan Cortez or Francisco Pizarro's conquest of the Incas in South America. Thirty to forty years later, it was widely used by the Spanish, but also common among foot soldiers of many European nationalities, including the English; the first English morions were issued during the reign of Edward VI. The crest or comb on the top of the helmet was designed to strengthen it. Later versions also had cheek guards and even removable faceplates to protect the soldier from sword cuts.

The morion's shape is derived from that of an older helmet, the Chapel de Fer, or "Kettle Hat." Other sources suggest it was based on Moorish armor and its name is derived from Moro, the Spanish word for Moor. The New Oxford American Dictionary, however, derives it from Spanish morrion, from morro 'round object'. The Dictionary of the Spanish Language published by the Royal Spanish Academy indicates that the Spanish term for the helmet, morrion, derives from the noun morra, which means "the upper part of the head". A somewhat similar example is in the Metropolitan Museum in New York accession number 14.25.508

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  read more

Code: 22718

A Superb Original Imperial Roman Legionary's "Whistling" Sling Bullet Circa 1st to 2nd century AD.

Identical to the few found at an archaeological dig at a Roman Fort site in southwestern Scotland a few years ago, and one of a very small collection of fine original sling bullets of antiquity we acquired.
Over 1,800 years ago, Roman troops used "whistling" sling bullets as a "terror weapon" against their barbarian foes, such as were in Scotland and the Celts in England, according to archaeologists who found the cast lead bullets at a site in Scotland.

Weighing about 1 ounce (30 grams), each of the bullets had been drilled with a 0.2-inch (5 millimeters) hole that the researchers think was designed to give the soaring bullets a sharp buzzing or whistling noise in flight.

The bullets were found recently at Burnswark Hill in southwestern Scotland, where a massive Roman attack against native defenders in a hilltop fort took place in the second century A.D. These holes converted the bullets into a "terror weapon," said archaeologist John Reid of the Trimontium Trust, a Scottish historical society directing the first major archaeological investigation in 50 years of the Burnswark Hill site.

"You don't just have these silent but deadly bullets flying over; you've got a sound effect coming off them that would keep the defenders' heads down," Reid told Live Science. "Every army likes an edge over its opponents, so this was an ingenious edge on the permutation of sling bullets."

The whistling bullets were also smaller than typical sling bullets, and the researchers think the soldiers may have used several of them in their slings — made from two long cords held in the throwing hand, attached to a pouch that holds the ammunition — so they could hurl multiple bullets at a target with one throw.

"You can easily shoot them in groups of three of four, so you get a scattergun effect," Reid said. "We think they're for close-quarter skirmishing, for getting quite close to the enemy." Onasandrius wrote the 1st C. BC, in his book "Strategy". "The Sling is the deadly weapon used by light infantry because lead is of the same colour as the air and therefore not visible, thus the impact is unexpected and not only smites hard, but the bullet penetrates deeply into the victims flesh". Used by Roman auxiliary troops like Greeks, Sicilians, North Africans, but after the Roman conquest of the Balearic Islands elite slingers were always the Balearic that fought in the legions of Julius Caesar.

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  read more

Code: 23794

A French Hussar's Light Cavalry Officer's Heavy Grade Sabre, Sabre de Hussard, Late 18th/Early 19th Century Ist Empire

A strong robust brass hilt (old bruising in places) with ovoidal langets, rear quillon with faceted button terminal, knuckle-guard with medial ridge, pommel and back-piece in one, and wire-bound leather-covered grip, With curved fullered blade double-edged towards the point and with Coulaux Freres Klingenthal manufactory details along the back at the forte, in original brass scabbard (with some old denting, predominantly up from the chape) lined in brown leather and open along each side at the top, steel shoe, and two rings for suspension
33.75 inch. blade.

The word “hussar” identifies the light horsemen and comes from the Hungarian “huszar”. The most famous hussar units were the French regiments of the Napoleonic era. They were employed for scouting and communication purposes, and to screen the movement of the Emperor's corps, like during the advance that allowed the French to flank the Austrian general Mack at Ulm in 1805. The hussars, such as of the 1st Hussars employed at Jena in 1806, are characterized by the ornate Hungarian style uniform, sabretache, sabre and carbine.

The hussars also played a prominent role as cavalry in the Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815), serving in campaigns in Austria (1804 & 1809), Prussia (1805 -1806), Poland (1806), Spain (1809 - 1813), Germany (1812), France (1814 - 1815), and Belgium (1815) before being disbanded by the Bourbon Restoration.
As light cavalrymen mounted on fast horses, they would be used to fight skirmish battles and for scouting. Most of the great European powers raised hussar regiments. The armies of France, Austria, Prussia, and Russia had included hussar regiments since the mid-18th century. In the case of Britain, four light dragoon regiments were converted to hussars in 1806–1807.

Hussars gained notoriety in the Grande Armée after the invasion of Egypt. At the Battle of Salalieh in August 1798, brigade commander Antoine Charles Louis de Lasalle fought "like a demon" and solidified his reputation as a maverick rider upon returning to France and receiving Weapons of Honour. At the ceremony (in a remark often mistakenly attributed to Napoleon), Lasalle quipped "Any hussar who isn't dead at age 30 is a layabout." The hussars of Napoleon's army created the tradition of sabrage, the opening of a champagne bottle with a sabre. Moustaches were universally worn by Napoleonic period hussars, the British hussars were the only moustachioed troops in the British Army – leading to occasional taunts of "foreigner" from their brothers-in-arms. French hussars also wore cadenettes, braids of hair hanging to either side of the face, until the practice was officially proscribed when shorter hair became universal. This sabre is from a private collection of one of the foremost experts and authors of swords in Scandinavia, and chairman of the the Norwegian Weapons Historical Society
A famous military commander in Bonaparte's army who began his military career as a hussar was Marshal Ney, who after being employed as a clerk in an iron works joined the 5th Hussars in 1787. He rose through the ranks of the hussars in the wars of Belgium and the Rhineland (1794–1798) fighting against the forces of Austria and Prussia before receiving his marshal's baton in 1804 after the Emperor Napoleon's coronation.

On the French Revolution, it was numbered as the 5th Hussar Regiment during the army reorganisation of 1 January 1791, as the fifth oldest cavalry unit in the French army, before being promoted to 4th Hussar Regiment in 1793 after the previous holder of that title. In 1814, just before the fall of the First French Empire, it was renamed the régiment des hussards de Monsieur, though it resumed the title of 4th Hussar Regiment during the Hundred Days before being disbanded on the Bourbon Restoration which followed. After Napoleon returned from exile and invaded Belgium, the 4th Hussar Regiment would enter combat at the final battles of Ligny, and Waterloo, in which Napoleon would be defeated.  read more

Code: 25354

A Fabulous, Circa 1804, Peninsular War & Waterloo British Light Dragoon Pistol From the Tower of London. GR Crown Tower Stamped Ordnance Issue, Superb Walnut Stock. Just Arrived Today & An Incredibly Inexpensive Light Dragoon Service Pistol

Traditional New Land pattern service issue brass mounts, trigger guard, side plate and skull crusher butt cap. Stunning piece with superb steel and amazing patination to the finest walnut stock. Converted and adapted in the 1830’s to the all new and improved percussion action system. A New Land pattern flintlock that was adapted and upgraded, for decades of future service, after around 20 years of prior service in the British Army front rank cavalry during the Napoleonic Wars, with a replacement self contained ram rod, and the new waterproof percussion action conversion.

There is an incredible saving of around £1000 to be made on this wonderful piece of original Tower of London issue British dragoon history.
This pistol was manufactured at the Tower armoury circa 1804, and its lock was inspected and stamped by Richard Duce, who was the official lock inspector from 1797 to 1818. His official ordnance stamp was the Crown over a broad arrow, alongside the regulation Crown GR mark and Tower. There are further ordnance stamps, such as a regulation GR stamped upon the finest walnut stock and its barrel tang. The barrel also has regulation proof stamps.

Introduced in the 1796 and in production by 1802, the New Land Cavalry Pistol provided one model of pistol for all of Britain's light cavalry and horse artillery.

The service of British Cavalry regiments, particularly the Light Dragoons, proved essential in the mastery of the Indian Subcontinent. The Duke of Wellington, then Arthur Wellesley, was primarily recognized for his military genius by his battles in India.

This fine pistol would have seen service in such as the 10th Light Dragoons aka 10th Hussars.
In 1806, the regiment was again re-designated, this time becoming a hussar regiment as the 10th (Prince of Wales's Own) Regiment of (Light) Dragoons (Hussars), and sailed for Corunna in Spain in November 1808. The regiment saw action at the Battle of Sahagún in December 1808 and the Battle of Benavente later in December 1808 during the Peninsular War. At Benavente the regiment captured General Charles Lefebvre-Desnouettes, the French cavalry commander.The regiment then took part in the Battle of Corunna in January 1809 before returning to England.

In 1813, having landed once more in Spain, the regiment fought at the Battle of Morales in June 1813.15 During the battle the regiment destroyed the 16th French Dragoons between Toro and Zamora, taking around 260 prisoners. The regiment also fought at the Battle of Vitoria later in the month while still in Spain and then, having advanced into France, fought at the Battle of Orthez in February 1814 and the Battle of Toulouse in April 1814. As part of the 6th Cavalry Brigade, the regiment charged the French cavalry and infantry at the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815

Cavalry was the 'shock' arm, with lances, pistols and sabres the principal hand weapons. The division between 'heavy' and light was very marked during Wellington's time: 'heavy' cavalry were huge men on big horses, 'light' cavalry were more agile troopers on smaller mounts who could harass as well as shock.
During the Napoleonic Wars, French cavalry was unexcelled. Later as casualties and the passage of years took their toll, Napoleon found it difficult to maintain the same high standards of cavalry performance. At the same time, the British and their allies steadily improved on their cavalry, mainly by devoting more attention to its organization and training as well as by copying many of the French tactics, organisation and methods. During the Peninsular War, Wellington paid little heed to the employment of cavalry in operations, using it mainly for covering retreats and chasing routed French forces. But by the time of Waterloo it was the English cavalry that smashed the final attack of Napoleon's Old Guard.
Small field service repair on the forward underside of the stock by the ramrod channel, with late replacement non swivel rammer, a nice strong main spring, and the action holds on one cocking action, likely due to slight age wear on the sear..

See picture 10 in the gallery; Another Reason To Visit Brighton-by-the-Sea This Summer. To Visit the Magnificent Pavilion Palace & View ‘The Encampment At Brighton’, a painting of British Light Dragoons on the hills at Brighton, by Francis Wheatley, RA, 1747-1801. Which We Were Most Proud To Assist & Enable Our Donation of the Painting to Brighton Museum 50 Years Ago

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  read more

Code: 25428

French 1822 Model Heavy Cavalry of the Line Sword, French Heavy Cavalry Sword of the Second Empire Period of Napoleon the Third.

A magnificent almost untouched example of this rare French Heavy Cavalry Sword. Very good French M1822 heavy cavalry sword ('bancal'), with four bar brass guard and pommel, good grip with partial original wire. The huge 38 inch blade in very good condition with light patina.
1822 French trooper's sword for Heavy cavalry called "bancal".
Four branch guard bears the Imperial French arms inspector stamp of Faisant Fonction de Directeur, Capitaine Louis Contante Balaran

It's was created between 1816 and 1822 and It's now use again in the Garde républicaine It was called Bancal, because the blade it's not straight and not really curved. With his steel scabbard that is blackened probably for dragoon troops. All in original all steel scabbard with two hanging rings as was correct for that period.

During the July Monarchy, the 2nd Dragoon Regiment dropped the name Doubs, and was among several that were favoured by Louis Philippe I, and called to the maneuvers and festivities at his camp at Compiègne every two years.19 In 1832, it participated in the suppression of the June Rebellion.20 Charles-Marie-Augustin de Goyon, who would be a senior general of the Second Empire, served as its colonel from 1846 to 1850. Under de Goyon, the regiment earned the nickname of "demoiselles de Goyon", owing to his high standards for drill and dress.21 During the 1848 Revolution, the officers of the regiment kept their men calm and disciplined, much to the relief of the citizens of its garrison town of Beauvais.22

Second Republic and Second Empireedit

The 2nd Dragoon Regiment in 1853
Following the establishment of the Second Republic, the regiment was ordered to Paris in May. There it helped protect the new government from working-class revolutionaries during the seizure of the Palais Bourbon in May and the June Days Uprising.22 During the Second French Empire, the 2nd Dragoon Regiment was given orange as a distinguishing colour, until all of the dragoon regiments lost their distinguishing colours in 1862.23 In January 1854, while the Crimean War was ongoing, a detachment of half a squadron of the 2nd Dragoons was sent to the Kingdom of Greece, where it attempted to control the local "bandits" for about a year.24 In 1865, Baron Joachim Ambert was appointed the colonel of the regiment, a role in which he served until 1873.25

During the Franco-Prussian War of 1870, the regiment was part of the 2nd Brigade of General of Division Georges Eugène Blanchard's III Corps.25 After its arrival at the front on 8 August, it protected baggage trains in the retreat to Metz following the Battle of Forbach-Spicheren, before serving in a reconnaissance role, and facing the Prussians at the battles of Borney–Colombey, Mars-la-Tour, and Noiseville. Most of the regiment was briefly taken prisoner by the Prussians on 29 October.2  read more

Code: 25425

A Beautiful 18th Century, London, 1770's Brass Flintlock Blunderbuss Pistol, All Brass Mounted

Royal Naval Captain's Pistol. The lock has a sliding safety is maker inscribed, and marked the top barrel flat at the breech end "LONDON" and made by a fine English maker, the left rear flat is marked with two regular crown over sceptre proofmarks. Fine quality rococo scroll floral engraving on the breech end of the barrel, trigger guard, buttcap and on the left side plate. All original wooden ramrod with swelled head and mounted with a full juglans regia walnut stock.
The brass has been lovingly polished over the past 250 years and has a superb and mellow natural age patina. There is light trace pitting on the frizzen. The stock has a similar fabulous naturally polished age patina, with a couple of very minor cracks on the rear of the lock. The markings are clear.

These kind of all brass pistols were the weapon of choice for naval officers and ship's captains in the 18th century for use at sea. This is a superb example. The muzzle (and often the bore) was flared with the intent not only to increase the spread of the shot, but also to funnel powder and shot into the weapon, making it easier to reload in haste. The flared swamped muzzle is one of the defining features of this fabulous pistol. Ship's Captain's found such impressive guns so desirable as they had two prime functions to clear the decks with one shot, and the knowledge to an assailant that the pistol had the capability to achieve such a result. In the 18th and 19th century mutiny was a common fear for all commanders, and not a rare as one might imagine. The Capt. Could keep about his person or locked in his gun cabinet in his quarters a gun just as this. The barrel could be loaded with single ball or swan shot, ball twice as large as normal shot, that when discharged at close quarter could be devastating, and terrifyingly effective. Potentially taken out four or five assailants at once. The muzzle was swamped like a cannon for two reasons, the first for ease of rapid loading, the second for intimidation. There is a very persuasive psychological point to the size of this gun's muzzle, as any person or persons facing it could not fail to fear the consequences of it's discharge, and the act of surrender or retreat in the face of an well armed pistol such as this could be a happy and desirable result for all parties concerned.
French court gunsmith Marin le Bourgeoys made a firearm incorporating a flintlock mechanism for King Louis XIII shortly after his accession to the throne in 1610. However, firearms using some form of flint ignition mechanism had already been in use for over half a century. The development of firearm lock mechanisms had proceeded from the matchlock to wheellock to the earlier flintlocks (snaplock, snaphance, miquelet, and doglock) in the previous two centuries, and each type had been an improvement, contributing design features to later firearms which were useful. Le Bourgeoys fitted these various features together to create what became known as the flintlock or true flintlock.

The new flintlock system quickly became popular, and was known and used in various forms throughout Europe by 1630, although older flintlock systems continued to be used for some time. Examples of early flintlock muskets can be seen in the painting "Marie de' Medici as Bellona" by Rubens (painted around 1622-25). These flintlocks were in use for alongside older firearms such as matchlocks, wheellocks, and miquelet locks for nearly a hundred years. The last major European power to standardize the flintlock was the Holy Roman Empire, when in 1702 the Emperor instituted a new regulation that all matchlocks were to be converted or scrapped. The action is good. 9 inch barrel 15 inches long overall  read more

Code: 23659

18th Century Ching Dynasty Chinese Matchlock Musket Powder Flask. Qianlong {aka Chien-lung} Period

Leather covered wood with iron spout. Wooden slide at the base of the spout for opening and closing the flask to release. Very scarce to find, somewhat crude in its manufacture but typical of the time and the region within which it was used in the North West province of China and the mountains of Tibet. Somewhat similar to examples from the old Ottoman Empire, but their versions tended to have leather tooling decor. How or why the two regional types were so similar is unknown, although possibly via the *Silk Road route. Which had been the origin of trade between the East and the West for almost 2000 years

Qianlong {aka Chien lung period}, used until the Boxer Rebellion. Most likely brought back to England by a British soldier that either served in the Opium War, or defended the legations at the siege in Peking.

China pioneered the use of gunpowder for fireworks and artillery in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Sophisticated firearms technology, however, developed more rapidly in Europe during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and was then introduced into China by merchants, diplomats, and missionaries during the seventeenth century. Improved designs for cannons and practical types of hand-held guns were eagerly promoted and officially adopted as regulation military equipment under the Qing emperors Kangxi (reigned 1662–1722) and Qianlong (reigned 1736–1795). In addition to mastering the use of bow and arrow and other weapons, both Kangxi and Qianlong owned and used guns, particularly for hunting. This was in keeping with their overall belief in the importance of martial training, which they encouraged by personal example.

Thomas Child spent from 1870 to 1889 in Beijing, and John Thompson traveled in northern China from circa 1869 to 1872. By this time period, observers noticed that soldiers were often equipped with older, antique guns. I tend to date this type to circa 1720 to the 1750’s.

The Qing dynasty (English pronunciation; Ching), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China (1636–1912) and the last imperial dynasty in Chinese history.
It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speaking ethnic group who unified other Jurchen tribes to form a new "Manchu" ethnic identity. The dynasty was officially proclaimed in 1636 in Manchuria (modern-day Northeast China and Russian Manchuria). It seized control of Beijing in 1644, then later expanded its rule over the whole of China proper and Taiwan, and finally expanded into Inner Asia. The dynasty lasted until 1912 when it was overthrown in the Xinhai Revolution. In Chinese historiography, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the Ming dynasty and succeeded by the Republic of China. The multiethnic Qing dynasty lasted for almost three centuries and assembled the territorial base for modern China. It was the largest imperial dynasty in the history of China and in 1790 the fourth-largest empire in world history in terms of territorial size. With 419,264,000 citizens in 1907, it was the most populous country in the world at the time.

*Silk Road, ancient trade route, linking China with the West, that carried goods and ideas between the two great civilizations of Rome and China. Silk went westward, and wools, gold, and silver went east. China also received Nestorian Christianity and Buddhism (from India) via the Silk Road. See image 6 in the gallery. The road inspired cellist Yo-Yo Ma to found the Silk Road Project in 1999, which explored cultural traditions along its route and beyond as a means for connecting arts worldwide across cultures.  read more

Code: 21273

A Very Rare Ching Dynasty Imperial Chinese Military Matchlock Musket Around 1750. The Long Octagonal Barrel Bears an Imperial Seal Stamp Beneath the Breech

Long fine stamped seal marked barrel, fine Chinese hardwood stock, with two engraved barrel bands. Iron matchlock ignition system. An arquebuss from China is very rare indeed in Europe as so few were brought back by the British and Europeans after the Opium War or the Siege of Peking period in the last Imperial Manchu era

Qianlong {aka Chien lung period}, used until the Boxer Rebellion. Most likely brought back to England by a British soldier that either served in the Opium War, or defended the legations at the siege in Peking.

China pioneered the use of gunpowder for fireworks and artillery in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Sophisticated firearms technology, however, developed more rapidly in Europe during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries and was then introduced into China by merchants, diplomats, and missionaries during the seventeenth century. Improved designs for cannons and practical types of hand-held guns were eagerly promoted and officially adopted as regulation military equipment under the Qing emperors Kangxi (reigned 1662–1722) and Qianlong (reigned 1736–1795). In addition to mastering the use of bow and arrow and other weapons, both Kangxi and Qianlong owned and used guns, particularly for hunting. This was in keeping with their overall belief in the importance of martial training, which they encouraged by personal example.

Thomas Child spent from 1870 to 1889 in Beijing, and John Thompson traveled in northern China from circa 1869 to 1872. By this time period, observers noticed that soldiers were often equipped with older, antique guns. I tend to date this type to circa 1720 to the 1750’s.

The Qing dynasty (English pronunciation; Ching), officially the Great Qing, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China (1636–1912) and the last imperial dynasty in Chinese history.
It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speaking ethnic group who unified other Jurchen tribes to form a new "Manchu" ethnic identity. The dynasty was officially proclaimed in 1636 in Manchuria (modern-day Northeast China and Russian Manchuria). It seized control of Beijing in 1644, then later expanded its rule over the whole of China proper and Taiwan, and finally expanded into Inner Asia. The dynasty lasted until 1912 when it was overthrown in the Xinhai Revolution. In Chinese historiography, the Qing dynasty was preceded by the Ming dynasty and succeeded by the Republic of China. The multiethnic Qing dynasty lasted for almost three centuries and assembled the territorial base for modern China. It was the largest imperial dynasty in the history of China and in 1790 the fourth-largest empire in world history in terms of territorial size. With 419,264,000 citizens in 1907, it was the most populous country in the world at the time.

The height of Qing glory and power was reached in the reign of the Qianlong Emperor (1735–1796). He led Ten Great Campaigns that extended Qing control into Inner Asia and personally supervised Confucian cultural projects. After his death, the dynasty faced foreign intrusion, internal revolts, population growth, economic disruption, official corruption, and the reluctance of Confucian elites to change their mindsets. With peace and prosperity, the population rose to some 400 million, but taxes and government revenues were fixed at a low rate, soon leading to fiscal crisis. Following China's defeat in the Opium Wars, Western colonial powers forced the Qing government to sign "unequal treaties", granting them trading privileges, extraterritoriality and treaty ports under their control. The Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864) and the Dungan Revolt (1862–1877) in Central Asia led to the deaths of over 20 million people, from famine, disease, and war. The Tongzhi Restoration in the 1860s brought vigorous reforms and the introduction of foreign military technology in the Self-Strengthening Movement. Defeat in the First Sino-Japanese War in 1895 led to loss of suzerainty over Korea and cession of Taiwan to Japan. The ambitious Hundred Days' Reform of 1898 proposed fundamental change, but the Empress Dowager Cixi (1835–1908), who had been the dominant voice in the national government for more than three decades, turned it back in a coup.

Pictured in the gallery is a Ching soldier bearing the very similar musket, wearing a bandolier of powder charges around his waist. The long cord tied around his finger is the lit smouldering cord called the 'match' that attaches at the other end to the trigger lever.

72 inches overall long  read more

Code: 25247