Antique Arms & Militaria

A Very Fine Original 16th Century Italian Field Armour Breast Plate Circa 1520

For field combat and with mountings for use in the tilt.

A very fine and original piece of finest Italian armour. Medially ridged breast plate with moveable gusset and roped arm and neck-openings. With two alligned holes for resting a lance for the tilt. The plate also has a key slot for an addition of reinforcing plate also for the tilt or joust. Jousting is a martial game or hastilude between two horsemen and using lances, often as part of a tournament. The primary aim is to strike the opponent with the lance while riding towards him at high speed, if possible breaking the lance on the opponent's shield or armour, or by unhorsing him.

Jousting emerged in the High Middle Ages based on the military use of the lance by heavy cavalry. It transformed into a specialised sport during the Late Middle Ages, and remained popular with the nobility both in England and Germany throughout the whole of the 16th century (while in France, it was discontinued after the death of king Henry II in an accident in 1559). In England, jousting was the highlight of the Accession Day tilts of Elizabeth I and James I, and also was part of the festivities at the marriage of Charles I. The medieval joust took place on an open field. Indeed the term joust meant "a meeting" and referred to arranged combat in general, not just the jousting with lances. At some point in the 14th century, a cloth barrier was introduced as an option to separate the contestants. This barrier was presumably known as tilt in Middle English (a term with an original meaning of "a cloth covering"). It became a wooden barrier or fence in the 15th century, now known as "tilt barrier", and "tilt" came to be used as a term for the joust itself by ca. 1510. The purpose of the tilt barrier was to prevent collisions and to keep the combatants at an optimal angle for breaking the lance. This greatly facilitated the control of the horse and allowed the rider to concentrate on aiming the lance. The introduction of the barrier seems to have originated in the south, as it only became a standard feature of jousting in Germany in the 16th century, and was there called the Italian or "welsch" mode. Dedicated tilt-yards with such barriers were built in England from the time of Henry VIII.

Specialized jousting armour was produced in the late 15th to 16th century. It was heavier than suits of plate armour intended for combat, and could weigh as much as 50 kg (100 lb), compared to some 25 kg (50 lb) for field armour; as it did not need to permit free movement of the wearer, the only limiting factor was the maximum weight that could be carried by a warhorse of the period

The suit of armour in the collection shown in the gallery, with a most similar breastplate, from the same period and country of origin, was manufactured in Italy around 1540. It would have been used in tournaments or battles fought on horseback. The armour is made of steel and also includes a tournament helmet, forged from a single piece. A holder for the kind of lance used in tournaments is bolted to the breastplate.  read more

Code: 22317

A Scarce Large Antique Bali & Lombok Loncengan Hilt High Born Warriors Kris or Keris. With A Spectacular, Serpentine, 15 Luk {Curves} Blade

From the Bali or Lombok island of Indonesia. The very fine blade being also very finely polished likely leans towards Bali. Most keris or kris from other islands have course blades that are not meant to be highly polished as is this fine sword.

The Dutch first visited Lombok in 1674 and settled the eastern part of the island, leaving the western half to be ruled by a Hindu dynasty from Bali. The Sasaks chafed under Balinese rule, and a revolt in 1891 ended in 1894 with the annexation of the entire island to the Netherlands East Indies. This is a beautiful and scarce Kris with bound grip typically indicative of Lombok Keris,
Because some kris are considered sacred and believed to possess magical powers, specific rites needed to be completed to avoid calling down evil fates which is the reason warriors often made offerings to their kris at a shrine. There is also the belief that pointing a kris at someone means they will die soon, so silat practitioners precede their demonstrations by touching the points of the blades to the ground so as to neutralise this effect.

Reference; a Lanes Armoury *Special Conservation* Item, restored and conserved in our workshop, see info page for details on our conservation principles.

Painting in the Royal Collection by Frans Francken the Younger in the gallery, photo 10, painted in 1617, titled 'Cabinet of a Collector', clearly shows, top left, a 16th century Kris dagger, Even as early as the 16th century, awareness and collectability of the Indonesian kris had reached far into Europe.

The kris or keris is a distinctive, asymmetrical dagger from Indonesia. Both weapon and spiritual object, the kris is considered to possess magical powers. The earliest known kris go back to the tenth century and most probably spread from the island of Java throughout South-East Asia.

Kris blades are usually narrow with a wide, asymmetrical base. The sheath is often made from wood, though examples from ivory, even gold, abound. A kris’ aesthetic value covers the dhapur (the form and design of the blade, with some 40 variants), the pamor (the pattern of metal alloy decoration on the blade, with approximately 120 variants), and tangguh referring to the age and origin of a kris. A bladesmith, or empu, makes the blade in layers of different iron ores and meteorite nickel. In high quality kris blades, the metal is folded dozens or hundreds of times and handled with the utmost precision. Empus are highly respected craftsmen with additional knowledge in literature, history and occult sciences.

Kris were worn everyday and at special ceremonies, and heirloom blades are handed down through successive generations. Both men and women wear them. A rich spirituality and mythology developed around this dagger. Kris are used for display, as talismans with magical powers, weapons, sanctified heirlooms, auxiliary equipment for court soldiers, accessories for ceremonial dress, an indicator of social status, a symbol of heroism, etc. 19.5 inch blade, overall 24.75 inches.
No scabbard  read more

Code: 24676

A Sublime Napoleonic Ist Empire French Superior Officer’s Blue & Gilt Officer’s Sword in the Mameluke Style, With Finest Deluxe Grade Chiselled Decor. We Always Try Our Utmost To Offer The Finest or Most Intriguing Pieces We Can From History

With copper mercurial gilt hilt and chequered polished horn grip original gilt scabbard with helmeted Minerva head mounts, twin ring belt fittings with its original, multi looped hanging belt chains, with spring catches.
Finely engraved blue and gilt blade.

Napoleon's Egypt Campaign, that ended in 1801, many Napoleonic officer's adopted the so-called oriental mounted swords, modelled on the Mameluke taken by him from Murad Bey, commander of the Mamelukes, which he holds in his Egypt portrait captured from the Egyptian Marmalukes {see gallery} that eventually became part of Napoleons Imperial Garde.
These swords, in their turn, were captured by the British and similarly adopted as a form of highly favoured officers sword. In fact the mamaluke sabre became the British General's pattern sword that is still in use today. Several of these specific swords were part of a Sotheby's Napoleonic Wars auction in Monaco in 1990, titled "Belles Armes Anciennes Casques et Objects Militaires". The last photo in the gallery is of Joachim Napoleon Murat, King of Naples, brother of Napoleon's Mameluke sword, somewhat similar to our sword, and all based on the sword of Napoleon from Murad Bey.

In May of 1804 Napoleon established the French Empire and with it he brought back the title of Marshal of France, also known as Marshal of the Empire at this time. Abolished by the National Convention in 1793, the title of Marshal of France was officially a civilian appointment but reserved for experienced generals. It was an honor to become a marshal and the marshals received higher pay and privileges. Napoleon wished to gain legitimacy in the eyes of Europe since other nations had the rank of field marshal, and he wished to reward and ensure the loyalty of the generals to his empire and thus they wore such swords of this quality and beauty.

One of his greatest marshals to wear such a sword was Marshal
Marshal of the Empire
Étienne Macdonald
duc de Tarente
Étienne Jacques-Joseph-Alexandre Macdonald. During the spring of 1810, Marshal Macdonald was sent to Spain to take command of the Army of Catalonia. While there he won at Ververa, but in 1811 he fell ill and returned to Paris again. In 1812 Macdonald was given command of the X Corps of the Grande Armée for the campaign against Russia. Macdonald's corps missed most of the fighting of 1812 due to being ordered to hold the left flank, but also due to his command being primarily composed of Prussian and German soldiers, with only his headquarters staff being French. Macdonald's corps laid siege to Riga in August, but they lifted the siege in December during the retreat, just in time for the majority of his force to defect away from the French side due to Prussian nationalism.

Napoleon needed experienced commanders for the campaigns of 1813, and in April of that year Macdonald was given command of the XI Corps. He won at Mersebourg and then commanded the right at the Battle of Lützen. Macdonald continued to lead his men into action, winning at Bischofswerda and then commanding the right at the Battle of Bautzen. That August he was placed in charge of multiple army corps but was then beaten by General Blucher at the Katzbach. Nevertheless, Macdonald continued to serve, and he fought at Leipzig , where after the bridge was blown early he had to swim the Elster River to escape capture. After surviving that escape unlike his fellow marshal Poniatowski, Macdonald resumed his command and then fought at Hanau.

Marshal Macdonald served during the defense of France of 1814, initially defending the Rhine but then being forced to fall back to Meaux. That February he fought at Mormant and Ferté-sur-Aube and then in March he fought at Provins and Saint-Dizier. By Napoleon's side, Macdonald along with Marshal Ney convinced Napoleon that he should give up the war and abdicate in favor of his son, Napoleon II. Macdonald, Ney, and Caulaincourt were then sent to negotiate with the Allies, but ultimately they were unable to secure the throne for Napoleon's son. When Macdonald returned to Napoleon to deliver the terms of surrender, Napoleon gave him the sword of Murad Bey, the Mameluke leader that he had defeated in Egypt.

Minerva, whose helmeted face is depicted and seen on the scabbard mounts, is the Roman goddess of wisdom, justice, law, victory, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy. Minerva is not a patron of violence such as Mars, but of strategic warfare.

The blades scabbard has some inside denting at the base, and the blade has some natural age wear to the blue and gilt. Of course this sword’s original owner is now unknown, as none of its history was recorded or saved, however, once accurately known, a sword such as this could be valued anything from treble, to one hundred times its current price, simply depending on how famed he was then or now, or, how important he was to Napoleon and his campaigns. Marshal Nay’s sword for example could easily be valued from one to several million pounds.  read more

Code: 25207

Around 6000 Year Old, A Fabulous Neolithic Period Stone-Age Polished Hand Axe. A truly Beautiful Example That Is Amazingly Tactile

Some of the most fascinating, interesting and intriguing hand made tools and weapons come from a time so far distant to us, it was thousands of years before history was ever recorded, yet they can be extraordinarily affordable. So beautiful and tactile, in fact as much an object d’art as an implement.
To hold within ones hands an implement that was last used by a person up to 4000 years before Julius Caesar even set foot upon this land with his cohorts of Roman Legionaries is simply awe inspiring. It is extraordinary that we have a remarkable knowledge about how they lived, farmed and thrived upon the earth, but not the remotest clue about how they spoke, what form of language they used, and even remotely how it might have sounded. Yet here one can be, holding a piece of amazing hand crafted Neolithica, a tool and vital artefact of person who had hopes, dreams, desires, fears, wants and needs just as we do, but not having the faintest clue how they thought, or communicated them, or even expressed them vocally to others. Ironically from a period around 4600 before the era known to the British as the Dark Ages, due to so precious little is known about British history between when the Roman’s left our shores and the Anglo Saxons ruled this land.

Mankind has effectively long past created a time machine, it is, simply, language, but only when combined with the ability to set it down, to be visually communicated from one to another, albeit on rock or stone, slate tablets, scrolls, parchment vellum or paper. That way once it can be understood, translated if you like, can we communicate with the past by knowing what they had recorded about their time. This is why the printed word, and not electronic data, is so absolutely vital to the continuation of humanity. Imagine, just, say 50 years into the future, it is possible that by then all recorded information around the world will be by electronic data alone, then imagine the simplest possibility of all electronic data being lost or inaccessible, by say an electro magnetic pulse. If that occurred 200 years in the future, without those 150 years being saved in print, we would have a new Dark Age, simply by not having any form of a hand held viewable and readable record.

Around 4,000-2,500BC, In the later Neolithic period, (known as the later stone age) people started to settle down and start farming. At places such as Springfield Lyons, these early settlements have been identified. It was also at this time when stone tools, which up until this point had been purely functional, started to take on a more symbolic meaning. Polished stone axes and other tools that were never used have been found across the county, showing changes in social hierarchy and possibly even the development of religion. The Neolithic also known as the "New Stone Age", the final division of the Stone Age, began about 12,000 years ago when the first development of farming appeared in the Epipalaeolithic Near East, and later in other parts of the world. The division lasted until the transitional period of the Chalcolithic from about 6,500 years ago (4500 BC), marked by the development of metallurgy, leading up to the Bronze Age and Iron Age. In Northern Europe, the Neolithic lasted until about 1700 BC, while in China it extended until 1200 BC. Other parts of the world (the New World) remained in the Neolithic stage of development until European contact.

The Neolithic comprises a progression of behavioral and cultural characteristics and changes, including the use of wild and domestic crops and of domesticated animals.

The term Neolithic derives from the Greek neos and lithos "New Stone Age". The term was coined by Sir John Lubbock in 1865 as a refinement of the three-age system2.5 inches long As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity.  read more

Code: 22388

A Rare, Original, Ancient Viking Iron Battle Axe-Hammer. Around 1100 to 1200 Years Old. Almost Every Viking Warrior Used the Axe or Spear As Their Primary Combat Weapon. Swords Were the Prerogative of Kings or Earls {Jarls}

A most unusual and intriguing feature, it had an iron strenthening band that affixed to the axe haft, but when the haft rot away over the past millennia that it was buried, it left behind the iron band that welded itself obliquely within the axe's socket.

Renown scholar Alcuin of York was back at Charlemagne's court by at least mid-792, writing a series of letters, regarding the brutal Viking raid at Lindisfarne, to Æthelred, to Hygbald, Bishop of Lindisfarne, and to Æthelhard, Archbishop of Canterbury in the succeeding months, dealing with the Viking attack on Lindisfarne in July 793. These letters and Alcuin's poem on the subject, "De clade Lindisfarnensis monasterii", provide the only significant contemporary account of these events. In his description of the Viking attack, he wrote: "Never before has such terror appeared in Britain. Behold the church of St Cuthbert, splattered with the blood of God's priests, robbed of its ornaments.

The Vikings began arriving en masse with armies intent on conquest. These armies were led by Ivar the Boneless, Halfdan, and Ubba, three of the sons of Ragnar Lodbrok, who had been killed by the Northumbrian King Ælla. The first English city to fall to the invaders was York, conquered in 866. The Northumbrians tried in vain to retake the city, and King Ælla was killed in the process. One-by-one, other Saxon realms capitulated until virtually all of north and eastern England was under the direct control of the Danes.

At this point, the strongest Anglo-Saxon kingdom was Wessex, and upon the death of its king Æthelred, Alfred succeeded the throne and took the fight to the Vikings in England, who had begun annexing huge chunks of Mercia, an ally of Wessex. Alfred’s initial campaign against the Vikings was, however, a complete failure. Anglo-Saxon military tactics and defenses were incapable of dealing with Viking raids, and Alfred was eventually forced into hiding in the Somerset Marshes. The Vikings in England had succeeded in opening up the whole of Anglo-Saxon England to their mercy.
In 878, King Alfred came out of hiding and met with the lords still loyal to his cause. During his time in the Somerset Marshes, he had carefully planned a major counter-offensive against the Danish Viking army under Guthrum. Alfred’s campaign was successful, and Guthrum’s army was beaten, first in the field at Edington and then starved into submission at Chippenham. Several years later, a boundary was established, dividing England in two, with one half under Anglo-Saxon control and the other half, known as the Danelaw, under the control of the Vikings.

King Alfred organized better defenses, as well as a powerful free-standing army better equipped to deal with Viking tactics. As a result, subsequent raids and a major invasion attempt were thwarted. The Vikings who were part of this invasion attempt either ended up settling in Danelaw or sailing to Normandy and settling there.
Beyer, Greg. "The Vikings in England (Or were they Danes?)" TheCollector.com, March 11, 2023, https://www.thecollector.com/danes-or-vikings-in-england/

Title page of a late manuscript of the Prose Edda written by Snorri Sturluson (13th century), showing the Ancient Norse Gods Odin, Heimdallr, Sleipnir, and other figures from Norse mythology, plus the legendary axe hammer.

6.25 inches x 2 inches wide at the socket, approx 2 inches blade edge

The Tjängvide image stone with illustrations from Norse mythology
By Berig - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=3682858
Showing axe hammers in combat and a Viking longship read more  read more

Code: 25874

A Simply Wonderful Original Trojan War Period Full Length Bronze Sword Blade 28.75 Inches Long Circa 1200 B.C.Archean Greeks, the Mycenean Greeks, The Trojans & The Hitites. From The Warring Times Of Menalaus King of Sparta & King Agamemnon

2nd millennium BC. A bronze sword with tapering long multi fullered blade, flat, tapered tang originally fitted with a likely organic hilt of possibly ivory or carved horn or wood. A sword that would have been traded with the Archean Greeks, the Mycenean Greeks the Trojan peoples and The Hitites.

The trade of Bronze Age weaponry followed trade routes that started in the the Assyrian Empire, East of Babylon, right through to the Mediterranean region, and all of empires and kingdoms in between. Also, all manner of Bronze Age utilitarian wares, personal adornments, and tools came from this famed bronze smithing region and their trading merchants.

In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and has been narrated through many works of Greek literature, most notably Homer's Iliad. The core of the Iliad (Books II – XXIII) describes a period of four days and two nights in the tenth year of the decade-long siege of Troy; the Odyssey describes the journey home of Odysseus, one of the war's heroes. Other parts of the war are described in a cycle of epic poems, which have survived through fragments. Episodes from the war provided material for Greek tragedy and other works of Greek literature, and for Roman poets including Virgil and Ovid.

The ancient Greeks believed that Troy was located near the Dardanelles and that the Trojan War was a historical event of the 13th or 12th century BC, but by the mid-19th century AD, both the war and the city were widely seen as non-historical. In 1868, however, the German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann met Frank Calvert, who convinced Schliemann that Troy was a real city at what is now Hisarlik in Turkey. On the basis of excavations conducted by Schliemann and others, this claim is now accepted by most scholars.

Whether there is any historical reality behind the Trojan War remains an open question. Many scholars believe that there is a historical core to the tale, though this may simply mean that the Homeric stories are a fusion of various tales of sieges and expeditions by Mycenaean Greeks during the Bronze Age. Those who believe that the stories of the Trojan War are derived from a specific historical conflict usually date it to the 12th or 11th century BC, often preferring the dates given by Eratosthenes, 1194–1184 BC, which roughly correspond to archaeological evidence of a catastrophic burning of Troy VII, and the Late Bronze Age collapse. Legend has it that the war originated from a quarrel between the goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, after Eris, the goddess of strife and discord, gave them a golden apple, sometimes known as the Apple of Discord, marked "for the fairest". Zeus sent the goddesses to Paris of Troy, who judged that Aphrodite, as the "fairest", should receive the apple. In exchange, Aphrodite made Helen, the most beautiful of all women and wife of Menelaus of Sparta, fall in love with Paris, who quit Sparta with her and returned to Troy. Menelaus's brother Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, led an expedition of Achaean troops to Troy and besieged the city for ten years because of Paris' insult. After the deaths of many heroes, including the Achaeans Achilles and Ajax, and the Trojans Hector and Paris, the city fell to the ruse of the Trojan Horse. The Achaeans slaughtered the Trojans (except for some of the women and children whom they kept or sold as slaves) and desecrated the temples, thus earning the gods' wrath. Few of the Achaeans returned safely to their homes and many founded colonies in distant shores. The Romans later traced their origin to Aeneas, Aphrodite's son and one of the Trojans, who was said to have led the surviving Trojans to modern-day Italy.

Most of our antiquities and artefacts are from 200 year past souvenir accumulations from British ‘Grand Tours’. Beautiful Items and antiquities were oft acquired in the 18th and early 19th century by British noblemen and women touring battle sites in Northern France and Italy, in fact most of Europe and the Middle East, on their so-called ‘Grand Tour’. They were often placed on display upon their return home, within the family’s ‘cabinet of curiosities’, within their country house. Some significant British stately homes had entire galleries displaying the treasures and artefacts gathered and purchased on such tours, and some tours lasted many years, and the accumulated souvenirs numbered in their hundreds or even thousands

As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity.  read more

Code: 24764

Roman 1st century, Large, Lead Sling Bullet, Acquired Near Camulodunum-Colchester-In the 1820's

From part four of our original ancient arrow heads, spears, lead sling bullets, antiquities and rings from an 1820 Grand Tour Collection. The Battle of Camulodunum, also known as the Massacre of the Ninth Legion, was the major military victory of the Iceni and their allies over an organised Roman army during the revolt of Boudica against the Roman occupation of Britain. A large vexillation of the Legio IX Hispana were destroyed by the rebels. While attempting to relieve the besieged colonia of Camulodunum (Colchester, Essex), legionaries of the Legio IX Hispana led by Quintus Petillius Cerialis, were attacked by a horde of British tribes, led by the Iceni. Possibly 80% of the Roman foot-soldiers were killed in the battle. The event is recorded by the historian Tacitus in his Annals. The Iberian auxiliaries or legionaries were the most famous of the Roman 'slingers' in the roman armies.In AD 60 or 61, the southeastern area of the island rose in revolt under Boudica, while the Roman governor, Gaius Suetonius Paulinus, was campaigning in Wales. The Iceni were joined by the Trinovantes, and their first target was Camulodunum, formerly the Trinovantian capital, now a colonia or settlement of discharged Roman soldiers. Tacitus reports it was poorly defended, and archaeology confirms its former military fortifications had been levelled by this time. The colonists appealed for aid to the procurator, Catus Decianus, who sent only two hundred auxiliaries. Camulodunum was burned, and the temple, where the last of the defenders took refuge, fell after a two-day siege. The defenders were massacred.
The Ninth Legion, commanded by Quintus Petillius Cerialis, attempted to relieve the siege. It is unlikely that the entire legionary strength of some 5,000 men was involved in the battle. Detachments of the legion were spread out across a network of small forts; on short notice, Cerialis was likely able to call on only the first cohort, possibly two others, auxiliary infantry, and a unit of some 500 cavalry - a total of perhaps 2,500 men. Cerialis set out from his base in Lindum Colonia (Lincoln). From Lindum, it was a distance of at least 110 miles. They may have taken the Roman road to Camulodunum from Durovigtum (Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire), a march of some 75 miles which would have taken three days.

However, they arrived too late to relieve the colonia. The British tribes had gathered a considerable force by the time Cerialis and the Ninth approached Camulodunum. They overwhelmed the detachment in the field and defeated it, routing the Romans. Tacitus says their entire infantry strength was wiped out, with only Cerialis and his cavalry able to retreat to their fortified camp. According to George Patrick Welch, "In the initial contact and later rear-guard actions he lost about 2,000 men, or one-third of his infantry strength."
Slingers wore three slings. A large one tightened to the waist (to be used in distances of more than 60 metres.), a small, one tightened around his forehead (range 20-25 metres.) and a medium size one always on the hand (with a range up to 60 mts.). They carried the bullets in a goat fur bag hanging from the shoulder. With the large one they could launch 500 grams stones (like a tennis ball) that were able to destroy shields and wood defences. With the small and medium size slings the lead bullets could perforate at short distances (up to 60 metres.) thin armours and helmets. The sling as a weapon was widely used not only by Balearic warriors but by other Iberian warriors and also 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. Bullets are usually found on the known battle fields of the Roman conquest.


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

This bullet weighs 62.5grams, and is 48mm long.  read more

Code: 23804

A Fabulous Original Knights Templar Cross Antiquity, 12th Century, Hammered Gold Covered Bronze, Between 800 to 900 Years Old,

This is an original gold and bronze Knights Templar cross patee within a circle. The original surface of thin hammered gold is very worn to expose the bronze and the engraving, but gold can still be seen in areas. It was obviously once an important piece of Templar symbolism, and may well have been a central mount for the lid of a Templar treasure casket, or a Knights Templar Holy Reliquary casket [see a similar casket, photo 8, in the gallery, of a 13th century reliquary casket now in Germany. Note the applied golden disc plaques, the same size as this one].

This is still very impressive and an absolute iconic example of the Knights Templar cross symbol, the same symbol as worn, for example, upon their tabards, shields and ship's sails, and chisseled on tombs or templar buildings. Photos in the gallery of two carved Templar Crosses, one Templar Cross, perhaps, is an indication of the church's connection with the Knights Templar in the 12th century. Photo of St Mary's Church, Temple Guiting, Gloucestershire. another an stone carving, at Borthwick Church, Midlothian, Scotland. Burial place of a Knight, and Lord Borthwick and his lady.
The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and of the Temple of Solomon also known as the Knights Templar, or simply the Templars, was a Catholic military order founded in 1118, and were headquartered on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem through 1128 when they went to meet with Pope Honorius II. They were recognised in 1139 by the papal bull Omne datum optimum of Pope Innocent II. The order was active until 1312, when it was perpetually suppressed by Pope Clement V by the bull Vox in excelso.

The Templars became a favoured charity throughout Christendom, and grew rapidly in membership and power. Templar knights, in their distinctive white mantles with a red cross, were amongst the most skilled fighting units of the Crusades. They were prominent in Christian finance, non-combatant members of the order, who made up as much as 90% of their members,managed a large economic infrastructure throughout Christendom.They developed innovative financial techniques that were an early form of banking, building its own network of nearly 1,000 commanderies and fortifications across Europe and the Holy Land,

The Templars were closely tied to the Crusades; With its clear mission and ample resources, the order grew rapidly. Templars were often the advance shock troops in key battles of the Crusades, as the heavily armoured knights on their warhorses would set out to charge at the enemy, ahead of the main army bodies, in an attempt to break opposition lines. One of their most famous victories was in 1177 during the Battle of Montgisard, where some 500 Templar knights helped several thousand infantry to defeat Saladin's army of more than 26,000 soldiers, When the Holy Land was lost, support for the order faded. Rumours about the Templars' secret initiation ceremony created distrust, and King Philip IV of France, while being deeply in debt to the order, took advantage of this distrust to destroy them to erase his debt. On Friday the 13th of October 1307, he had many of the order's members in France arrested, tortured into giving false confessions, and burned them at the stake.

Pope Clement V disbanded the order in 1312 under pressure from King Philip. The abrupt reduction in power of a significant group in European society gave rise to speculation, legend, myth, and legacy through the ages.


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.  read more

Code: 23984

An Original Ancient Egyptian Shabti, An Afterlife Tomb Figure Servant of An Egyptian Mummy, Pale Blue-Glazed Faience 664 to 332 BC

A stunning Grand Tour artefact.
Much of our Grand Tour historic artefacts were originally acquired by a noble Scottish family in the 1820's while on a Grand Tour of the Middle East and the Holy Land, plus Anglo French battle sites within Northern & Western France from Azincourt, in the Pas-de-Calais, to Poitiers in Aquitaine. And the great classical battle sites of Ancient Rome and Greece.

We also had {now sold} the swordstick of the Scottish 10th Duke of Hamilton, the world renown Grand Tour collector, especially of ancient Egyptian pieces. He was the Ambassador to Catherine the Great as well as being Lord High Steward to both King William IV and Queen Victoria. He was so enamoured with his devotion to his collection of antiquities, he was mummified after his death, and buried in an ancient Egyptian sarcophagus within his family tomb.

From the 25th dynasty to the Late Period. One of a group of fine small tomb pieces we acquired. A shabti (also known as shawabti or ushabti) is a generally mummiform small figurine found in many ancient Egyptian tombs. They are commonly made of blue or green glazed Egyptian faience, but can also consist of stone, wood, clay, metal, and glass. The meaning of the Egyptian term is still debated, however one possible translation is ‘answerer’, as they were believed to answer their master’s call to work in the afterlife. Since the Fourth Dynasty (2613–2494 BC), for instance, the deceased were buried with servant statuettes like bakers and butchers, providing their owners with eternal sustenance. after the death of Cleopatra in around 37 b.c. and the close of the Ptolomeic Dynasty, no shabti were produced for service in Egyptian mummy's tombs. A spell was oft written on the shabti so that it would awaken as planned, this is the 'shabti spell' from chapter six of the Book of the Dead and reads as follows:

"O shawabti, if name of deceased is called upon,
If he is appointed to do any work which is done on the necropolis,
Even as the man is bounden, namely to cultivate the fields,
To flood the river-banks or to carry the sand of the East to the West,
And back again, then 'Here am I!' you shall say"

The “Shabti Spell” from Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead. This spell gives the ushabti the power to complete tasks (farming, manual labour, etc) for the deceased in the Field of Reeds . People of rank could be buried with at least 365 ushabti figures – one for each day of the year

Piye established the Twenty-fifth Dynasty and appointed the defeated rulers as his provincial governors. He was succeeded first by his brother, Shabaka, and then by his two sons Shebitku and Taharqa. The reunited Nile valley empire of the 25th Dynasty was as large as it had been since the New Kingdom. Pharaohs of the dynasty, among them Taharqa, built or restored temples and monuments throughout the Nile valley, including at Memphis, Karnak, Kawa, and Jebel Barkal. The 25th Dynasty ended with its rulers retreating to their spiritual homeland at Napata. It was there (at El-Kurru and Nuri) that all 25th Dynasty pharaohs were buried under the first pyramids to be constructed in the Nile valley in hundreds of years

The Late Dynasty Period era;

The Twenty-Eighth Dynasty consisted of a single king, Amyrtaeus, prince of Sais, who successfully rebelled against the Persians, inaugurating Egypt's last significant phase of independence under native sovereigns. He left no monuments with his name. This dynasty reigned for six years, from 404 BC–398 BC.

The Twenty-Ninth Dynasty ruled from Mendes, for the period from 398 to 380 BC. King Hakor of this dynasty was able to defeat a Persian invasion during his reign.

The Thirtieth Dynasty took their art style from the Twenty-Sixth Dynasty. A series of three pharaohs ruled from 380 to 343 BC. The first king of the dynasty, Nectanebo I, defeated a Persian invasion in 373 BC. His successor Teos subsequently led an expedition against the Achaemenid Empire in the Near East. The expedition was beginning to meet with some success. unfortunately for Teos, his brother Tjahapimu was plotting against him. Tjahapimu convinced his son Nectanebo II to rebel against Teos and to make himself pharaoh. The plan was successful and the betrayed Teos had no alternative but to flee and the expedition disintegrated. The final ruler of this dynasty, and the final native ruler of Egypt, was Nectanebo II who was defeated in battle leading to the re-annexation by the Achaemenid Empire.

31st Dynasty
Main article: Thirty-first Dynasty of Egypt
The Second Achaemenid Period saw the re-inclusion of Egypt as a satrapy of the Persian Empire under the rule of the Thirty-First Dynasty, (343–332 BC) which consisted of three Persian emperors who ruled as Pharaoh - Artaxerxes III (343–338 BC), Artaxerxes IV (338–336 BC), and Darius III (336–332 BC) - interrupted by the revolt of the non-Achaemenid Khababash (338–335 BC). Persian rule in Egypt ended with the defeat of the Achaemenid Empire by Alexander the Great, who accepted the surrender of the Persian satrap of Egypt Mazaces in 332BC, and marking the beginning of Hellenistic rule in Egypt, which stabilized after Alexander's death into the Ptolemaic Kingdom.

Photo in the gallery of an ushabti of Khabekhnet and its box in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in America  read more

Code: 25104

Antique 17th-18th century Sinhalese Nobleman's Dagger Piha Kaetta, With Fabulous Carved Black Coral Grip, and Very Unually With its Original Scabbard.

A single edged robust steel blade with fuller along the back edge. The forte and spine of the blade are heavily encrusted in silver with scrolling foliage, encased on each side with chased silver alloy bolster panels, over the base, decorated with finely chased floral and vine scrolling foliage, with finely carved black coral grip.The hilt is finely carved and detailed with aliya-pata pattern hilt. The end is encased in a broad rounding of metal that has been chased in high relief with particularly fine Ceylonese scrolling foliage and flower motifs. From this is emitted a rounded tang button. In its wood scabbard with fluted finish and small wood part lacking.

These elaborately decorated knives are usually the product of the Pattal-hatara (four workshops), the blades being supplied by smiths. This was a mainly hereditary corporation of the best craftsmen who worked exclusively for the king in Kandy. Originally there was only one pattala but this was subsequently divided into sections which included a Randaku pattala (golden sword armoury or workshop). As well as being worn by courtiers, these knives were given by the king to nobles and to the temples. "The best of the higher craftsmen (gold and silversmiths, painters, and ivory carvers, etc.) working immediately for the king formed a close, largely hereditary, corporation of craftsmen called the Pattal-hatara (Four Workshops). They were named as follows; The Ran Kadu Golden Arms, the Abarana Regalia, the Sinhasana Lion Throne, and the Otunu Crown these men worked only for the King, unless by his express permission (though, of course, their sons or pupils might do otherwise); they were liable to be continually engaged in Kandy, while the Kottal-badda men were divided into relays, serving by turns in Kandy for periods of two months.
A related but less ornate example but without a scabbard currently is on display in London’s Victoria & Albert Museum. Another example is in the Clive Collection (see Archer, 1987, p. 45 for an illustration.). The Clive example was first mentioned in inventories in 1775.
References
Caravana, J. et al, Rites of Power: Oriental Weapons: Collection of Jorge Caravana, Caleidoscopio, 2010.
Hales, R.,
Islamic and Oriental Arms and Armour: A Lifetime’s Passion, Robert Hale CI Ltd, 2013.

De Silva, P.H.D.H & S. Wickramasinghe,
Ancient Swords, Daggers & Knives in Sri Lankan Museums, Sri Lanka National Museums, 2006.

Weereratne, N.,
Visions of an Island: Rare works from Sri Lanka in the Christopher Ondaatje Collection, Harper Collins, 1999.  read more

Code: 20007