A Wonderful, Original, German 'Zweihander' Great Sword, 16th Century. Probably The Most Impressive And Largest Sword Ever Used in Historic Warfare. Following the Form of Sword Made Famous By The Scots in The Time Of Sir William Wallace

This Spectacular Original Great Sword, just a half inch under six feet long, is a simply stunning original antique artefact of history, that is also a remarkable 'statement' piece. It is taller than the average man, and worthy of a primary display position in any noteworthy location, wether albeit in a castle, an armoury, museum or a private home, this piece displays its dramatic form with grandeur and nobility alongside great beauty.

We consider ourselves very lucky indeed if we are able to acquire such a fabulous type of sword available on the collectors market today

Around 500 years old, this ‘Great Sword’ is a later example of their earliest most famous appearance in the great wars in Scotland against the English, during the reign of Edward Ist, the principle of the original design and use of the ‘Great Sword’ remained the same for around 300 years.

Effectively it is the weapon of the so called ‘berserker’ warrior, who was skilled at running full pelt at the enemy positions, with the spinning great sword rotating above his head, terrifyingly clearing a way through defensive pikemen and the such, in order for the offensive charge of his fellow infantry and cavalry warriors behind him to breakthrough the defensive enemies ranks.

This is a most incredible and stunningly beautiful example of its type, with a long early straight double-edged blade, tapering to a sharp point and formed with a pair of near full length fullers on each face, struck with a brass inlaid running wolf mark on one face (with small hairlines and overall a natural russetted surface) rectangular ricasso with engraved border, struck with a series of armourers' marks on each side including a Pi and cross and orb, and crowned head with running wolf in gold. The armourer’s mark representing the blade work of Johannes Wundes, and all of these armourers marks are indicative of his fine work. The sword is fitted with a later crescentic defensive hooked, iron cross-guard, comprising pair of drooping quillons with tightly scrolling terminals each with an additional lug front and back, formed en suite. An inner and outer ring-guard each filled with a fleur-de-lys, fluted globular pommel, decorated throughout with scrolls, and designed for the Landsknecht Mercenary Foot Knights, for use as a hugely effective, offensive sword, and, as we previously described, swung around the head in a fast rotational movement [in essence, just like a helicopter blade] to create a twelve foot circle of terror and destruction.

An experienced Landsknecht warrior could be designated a Doppelsoldner, an armoured foot soldier who served as the backbone for the armed formation in battle (and was paid double for it) and also, in addition to being armed with the pike, as more recent recruits, they could also be alternatively employed wielding a 6-to-8-foot-long (1.8 to 2.4 m) halberd or partisan, or, more famously, a Zweihander (literally: "Two-hander") such as this sword, a two-handed sword as long as 180 cm (6 ft). These great war swords could be swung in a great circular arc [somewhat akin to a helicopter motion] and thus, incredibly effectively, used to knock the forward pointed long pikes, held by enemy pikemen, aside, that were wielded by a phalanx of pikemen, thus creating disorder among the tightly-arranged enemy pikemen in order to break through their lines.

However, another primary use of the two-handed sword, would be to serve as the 'guard' for the standard bearer, for it is a weapon that allows for a few to oppose many.
The Swiss adversaries to the Landsknechts had specifically attempted to prohibit the use of these swords during the late 15th century, as they deemed them unsuitable for the constricted manner of pike warfare.

The handle grip, is now in appearance, showing just the narrow all steel blade tang, but, would originally been leather bound, over partial wood, and leathered right down to the cutting edge of the blade. The original leather and wooden grip would never survive intact for 500 years, being organic it has little ability to last for so many centuries.
52 1/8 in blade, 71.5 inches long overall  read more

Code: 21508

A Very Fine 18th Century Royal Naval Officer’s Sword of Hunting Sword Type

Gilt brass hilt with fluted wooden grip and finely engraved blade with maker mark and Solingen, and hunting scenes. Quillon block decorated with relief hunting horn and hunting devices. Acorn finials and fluted brass pommel.In the days of the early Royal Navy, officers carried short swords in the pattern of hunting swords, with both straight or curved blades, fancy brass mounted single knucklebow hilts with principally stag horn or reeded ebony grips. Although initially designed to protect the huntsman from a close quarter predatory attack, they were far more popular in England for use as naval officers swords, not as their initial design intended, as Britain had far fewer great wild beasts that might threaten a huntsman.
There are numerous portraits in the National Portrait Gallery and The National Maritime Musuem that show British Admirals [such as Benbow and Clowdesly Shovel] holding such swords, often originally made on the continent. 24.5 inches long overall.  read more

Code: 22526

A Fabulous & V.Rare Example of Original Large Art Deco Art. 1929 Original Movie Poster. of "The Lost Zeppelin". The Hollywood Production, Original Swedish Language Version Poster,

In superb condition, a stunning example of original, 1920's Art Deco Hollywood movie artistry. This stunning piece would look amazing in any location.

The Lost Zeppelin [Den Forsvunna Zeppelinaren] Tiffany-Stahl Productions (Los Angeles)

This film, had the association with Frank Capra, and directed by Edward Sloman, distributed by Tiffany productions is based on the crash of the airship Italia, flown by Umberto Nobile, around May 25, 1928 near the North Pole, and the international rescue effort that cost early polar explorer Roald Amundson his life. The pilot who rescued Nobile also crashed when returning to rescue more survivors and had to be rescued himself.

This movie was starring major leading Hollywood stars in their time, including Conway Tearle, who was considered the highest paid Hollywood movie star, during his prime, for several years

Conway Tearle as Commander Donald Hall
Virginia Valli as Miriam Hall
Ricardo Cortez as Tom Armstrong
Duke Martin as Lieutenant Wallace
Kathryn McGuire as Nancy
Winter Hall as Mr. Wilson
Richard Cramer as Radio Announcer (voice)
Ervin Nyiregyhazi as Pianist (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien as Radio Operator (uncredited).

Virginia Valli was an established star at the Universal studio by the mid-1920s. In 1924 she was the female lead in King Vidor's southern gothic Wild Oranges, a film now recovered from film vault obscurity. She also appeared in the romantic comedy, Every Woman's Life, about "the man she could have married, the man she should have married and the man she DID marry."[citation needed] Most of her films were made between 1924 and 1927, and included Alfred Hitchcock's debut feature, The Pleasure Garden (1925), Paid to Love (1927), with William Powell, and Evening Clothes (1927), which featured Adolphe Menjou. In 1925 Valli performed in The Man Who Found Himself with Thomas Meighan.[citation needed]

Her first sound picture was The Isle of Lost Ships with Jason Robards Sr. and Noah Beery Sr. in 1929. Her last film was in Night Life in Reno, in 1931

Conway Tearle turned to Hollywood in 1914 where he would find considerable success playing romantic leads. His first film was The Nightingale, a story by Augustus Thomas about a slum girl (Ethel Barrymore) who rose to be a great opera star.[9] His last was in a 1936 film adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet with John Barrymore. Tearle appeared in some 93 films over his career and at one point was thought to be the highest-paid actor in America. On December 16, 1931, Conway appeared with co-star Kay Francis at the grand opening of the Paramount Theater in Oakland, California, which hosted the premiere of their film The False Madonna, released by Paramount Pictures.

The following year Tearle scored a major hit on Broadway in the original 1932 production of Dinner at Eight, creating the role of fading screen idol Larry Renault, a role that would later be played on film by John Barrymore. His last two Broadway appearances were in short productions of Living Dangerously in 1935 and Antony and Cleopatra two years later

Ricardo Cortez appeared in over 100 films. He began his career playing romantic leads, and when sound cinema arrived, his strong delivery and New York accent made him an ideal heavy. While his main focus was character acting, he occasionally was able to play leading men. He played opposite Joan Crawford in Montana Moon (1930), and was the first actor to portray Sam Spade in the original pre-Code version of The Maltese Falcon (1931); the latter film was later overshaded by the 1941 remake with Humphrey Bogart in the lead. He co-starred with Charles Farrell and Bette Davis in The Big Shakedown (1934), and with Al Jolson and Dolores del Río in Wonder Bar (1934). In 1936, Cortez replaced Warren William as Perry Mason in The Case of the Black Cat.

We never normally comment on the investment potential of any collectable, but the potential for all movie posters is now huge.This early 1920s original poster represents, potentially, incredibly good value. For example an original 1933 poster for King Kong can today command a price in excess of $244,500 [the last example sold for this was in 1999] and the previous record for the most valuable poster sold at auction was held by a movie poster of the 1931 film 'Dracula', which was sold for US $525,800.The current record-holder, the “international” version of the Metropolis poster – the same Heinz Schulz-Neudamm design as number 3 minus the German writing. The clean lines and delicate shading make this a wonder to behold. It sold for $690,000 in 2005 allegedly by Leonardo diCaprio A one-sheet poster for the 1931 Frankenstein, starring Boris Karloff, which went for a then-record of $198,000 in 1993. the Fred Astaire-Ginger Rogers dance film Flying Down to Rio from 1933, which fetched $239,000 in 2008. The Bride of Frankenstein from 1935, which fetched $334,600 in 2007, The Mummy from 1932 and when it sold for $435,500 in 1997

Sotheby's Auctioneers, have a current poster auction. Here are a few estimated price examples; Lawrence of Arabia poster estimated as £8,000 to £12,000, a French version of Dr No poster is £5,000 to £8,000, Star Wars £7,000 to £10,000, The Danish language version poster of the Invisible man [1935] £4,000 to £6,000 King Kong re-Release poster 1956 £5,000 to £,8,000, Breakfast At Tiffanys 1961 £5,000 to £8,000, the Dutch language poster of Flying Down to Rio 1933 £7,000 to £10,000, The French Re-Release poster, 1931 of Buster Keaton's The Navigator £5,000 to £8,000, and Kill Bill Vol 2 [2004] £2,000 to £3,000.

We show in the gallery another current record holder for the movie poster of Metropolis this one was bought for $690,000 in 2005. Another of the same sold in 2012 for $1.2 Million

Our poster is sold unframed for delivery, for collection though it has a very good frame at present. Some reflections in the photos are due to the glass in the current frame]

Poster size approx 29 x 42 inches  read more

Code: 24615

A Wonderful, & Most Rare New Zealand Maori Jade Large Hand Axe 13th-17th Century Pounamu Toki

Some of the most fascinating objects in British museum collections come from many far flung places all over the world. They arrived in their collections due to the explorers and travellers gathering trinkets and objects of curios during the 19th century. One such object is this Pounamu Toki or the Greenstone Axe from New Zealand. These axes were used as a tool for daily work as well as being employed in ceremonial form.

We have had several over the past 50 years but unfortunately, none of them have ever had their handles remaining. They retain considerable meaning for the Maori, as Greenstone is known as the God Stone, and to the Europeans, Jade. They are imbibed with mysticism and sacred power to the Maori. Greenstone is a sacred material and most rare. It occurs naturally in the South island of New Zealand and is found in several areas and has been discovered in rivers as boulders or pebbles or washed up on the coast.

Maori myth and legend is attached to the greenstone and its origins. The Ngati Waewae tribe tells of a legend about a fearsome Taniwha (sea monster) and a beautiful princess kidnapped by the Taniwha. The princess eventually gets turned to greenstone on the riverbed. This myth tells how the greenstone was created. 6.25 inches long x 3.5 inches wide.  read more

Code: 21861

Good Heavy Original Italian Infantry Papal Army Helmet Cabasset c.1570 From The Papal Armoury

Good Heavy Italian Infantry Helmet Cabasset c.1570, hammered steel raised from a single plate, medial ridge with pear stalk finial, border retains its original brass rosettes (2 missing) each embossed with a ring of 6 stars, stepped flared brim with turned over edge, retaining original linen lining band inside. 19cms tall. Good condition. Provenance: The
Papal Armoury; and London dealers Fenton & Sons Ltd. Fenton and Sons, Antique Arms and Armour, traded in London from 1894-1927. and supplied, amongst others, the British Museum. [Interesting aside, we used to supply them, [Fentons] in the 1920's]. This and a few others were acquired by Fentons in 1919 and were listed in their catalogue. They were all from the Papal Armoury in Rome made for the Barberini family.
The Barberinis supplied the armour and cabassets for the papal army in the late 16th century, a period fraught with anarchy and bandits and direct attacks on papal territories by Parma. The close association led to Maffeo Barberini becoming Pope Urban VIII. His brother Taddeo was made Supreme Commander of the Papal Army. The helmets, including this one, were from the papal armoury and served through the papal wars. It is estimated that about 4500 men served the papal army and most would have worn cabassets, making the original number of the group well over 4000. Others from the group are now in the Musio Storico Vaticano the Old Papal armoury now in the Vatican Historical Museum in the Lateran Palace, Rome. The Papal Army was the loosely-construed army of volunteers and mercenaries in the service of the Italian Papal States, active from the 8th century until the capture of Rome by Italy in 1870. The Papal States maintained a sizeable military during the Middle Ages, using it to fight against the Holy Roman Empire and its Ghibelline allies. During the 1300s, the Papal States began to employ the services of condottieri, mercenaries who sold their services to the extremely wealthy Catholic Church. These forces would be instrumental to the defence of the Pope during the Italian Wars of the 15th and 16th centuries, with Cesare Borgia leading the Papal Army on a campaign of conquest that added several new city-states and regions to the Papal States' territories. Painting in the gallery of the Massacre of San Bartolome in the Catholic-Protestant Religious Wars, where the French crown aided by Queen Catherine de Medici, mother of the French King, with the Pope's blessing, slaughtered ten of thousands of Huguenots what is considered the second deadliest religious war in European history (surpassed only by the Thirty Years' War, which took eight million European lives) The pope was so delighted with the massacre he ordered a Te Deum to be sung as a special thanksgiving (a practice continued for many years after) and had a medal struck with the motto Ugonottorum strages, (Latin: " slaughter of the Huguenots 1572"  read more

Code: 23583

A Most Charming Napoleonic Wars King George IIIrd Royal Scot's Greys Officer's Carved Horn, Campaign Drinking Cup

In carved horn used from the 1790's by a British Napoleonic Wars officer in the Royal Scot's Greys, then by his grandson in the Crimean war. A super Napoleonic Wars collectable.

Campaign furniture is an umbrella term for the portable items of furniture used by the military in the eighteenth, nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. It is comprised of a huge number of objects, from leatherwork, knives and forks, flasks, drinking vessels, chairs to chests, wardrobes to washstands and games tables to camp beds. from chairs to chests, wardrobes to washstands and games tables to camp beds. A number of celebrated British furniture makers created pieces of campaign furniture, elevating it beyond its roots in functional, army-based design to desirable, collectable decor that continues to add a beautiful, innovative touch to homes today.  read more

Code: 14799

A Most Scarce and Beautiful African Congo Tribal Warrior's Shield, of the Mongo Tribe.

Long ovoid form shield with stunning geometric pattern decoration. Carved wood with rattan bound edging.

The Mongo are one of the Bantu groups of Central Africa, forming the second largest ethnic group in the Democratic Republic of Congo. They are a diverse collection of peoples living in the equatorial forest, south of the main Congo River bend and north of the Kasai and Sankuru Rivers. This area is in the south of the province of Equateur and the north of Bandundu Province.

The Mongo speak either the Mongo language (also called Nkundo) or one of the related languages in the Bantu Mongo family. The Lingala language, however, often replaces Mongo in urban centers. Along with the Luba and the Kongo, they are the three largest ethnic groups in the country.

The Mongo ethnic group is divided into several tribes including Bolia, Bokote, Bongandu, Iyaelima, Konda, Mbole, Nkutu, Ntomba, Sengele, Songomeno, Dengese and Tetela-Kusu, Bakutu, Boyela.

Antique & Vintage original African tribal art is now some of the most desirable and sophisticated decor for national and international interior decorators.

Fine tribal artefacts have always been highly popular and in regards to interior decor, the height of sophistication, but recently it has become absolutely 'the' collectable art of the moment. As to be seen from far afield interiors such as in the 8th Arrondissement, in Paris particularly Avenue Montaigne, to Park Avenue New York, to Kensington Palace Gardens in London or the Piazza di Spagna, Via Condotti and Via del Babuino in Rome. All of the above we have had clients for such African tribal art and weaponry, as a statement focal point for their interior decor.

Super colour contrasts and design incorporating red ochre, cobalt blue, black and white. Red ochre is one of the very earliest pigments used by man, dating back to prehistoric times where it’s use is the basis of many Stone Age cave paintings

Overall in very good condition for age.

16 inches x 35 inches  read more

Code: 18653

A Beautiful Pair of Original & Extraordinarily Beautiful Antique American Wild West Frontier Riding Gauntlets. Made for The Settlers and Trade Market of The American Frontiersmen, Such As Army Scouts, Pony Express Riders & Buffalo Hunters.

A stunning pair of simply captivating gauntlets, of the 19th century, from the early 'Wild West Frontier' period.

Likely traditional North American Indian brain tanned and smoked leather to enable the surface to be more waterproof. To ensure a long-lasting resilience of the leather, it was traditionally stored in a special tent over wood smoke, which gave the skin a darker brown tone and also made it waterproof, thus achieving better protection. Without this process, the leather turns out to be whitish and water-sensitive

All the embroidery is incredibly technical micro stitching of amazing beauty and intricacy. These stunning and fringed gauntlets are beautifully embroidered with flowers, florid patterns and a western monogram. They were possibly traded in the 1840's from the Cree, or the Lakota Sioux tribes of North and South Dakota, but theirs is often decorated with beadwork as opposed to this very fine stitched embroidery, which may better indicate Huron or [according to a most kind lady from the region who knows tribal art very well] Metis craftsmanship.

The most famous members of the Lakota Sioux were Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. In yellow hide [likely deer buckskin] with typical long fringing. Excellent condition, with a small split in base of one finger. The style of Gauntlets worn by 'Kit Carson' and his contemporaries. Superbly beautiful, charming and highly collectable pieces from the old, American, Wild West Frontier.

Gauntlets are protective gloves that distinctively have a flared protective cuff. For centuries, these cuffs protected European and Asian bow hunters and military archers from being snapped on the wrist by their bowstrings. Medieval soldiers and knights began wearing chain-mail gauntlets during the 1300s, and armoured gauntlets appeared in Europe during the 1400s. Four hundred years later and halfway around the world, leather gauntlets appeared in the American West as military uniform accessories. They were soon appropriated by Indian artists, embellished with diverse ornaments, and incorporated into the civilian wardrobe. Here they became intrinsically linked with Western people, history, and landscape, and a symbol of the frontier. The original European form was reworked with a wild American veneer. Former mountain men -- Jim Bridger and Kit Carson among them -- occasionally worked guiding emigrant trains and military units through little-known country. They also helped track renegades of diverse stripes. These scouts were colourful characters, highly skilled, and not required to maintain a military dress code. Their attire was subsequently functional, comfortable, and drawn from a variety of media and cultural sources. By the 1870s, long and abundant fringe was in style and pinked edges provided decorative flair to leather clothing that was by nature quite showy. A similar pair of gauntlets [though later] of the Lakota Sioux can be seen in the Eugene and Clare Thaw Collection of American Indian Art in the Fenimore Art Museum NY.

The inner lining of our gauntlets is some kind of fine quilted cloth.

These stunning gauntlets would superbly compliment any Wild West collection of original American revolvers, and would look amazing case framed. We offer a highly recommended bespoke case framing service accomplished by one of our local expert artisans.

Such original and rare items of Native American art and artefacts are new very rare in Europe, and thus most valuable to collectors, as they are almost always not permitted to be exported from North America any longer

The last photo in the gallery is of the Teton Sioux Lakota gauntlets in the Fenimore Museum, however, the embroidery on our gauntlets is very much like earlier Huron work  read more

Code: 20890

The Lanes Armoury & Bookshop. Military Based Books, Historical, Biographical, Reference, & Fictional. From Ancient to Modern 1st Editions & Autographed. We Are Now The Last, Original, Antique Bookshop in Brighton.

Since the very sad closure, after too many decades to recall, of our friend and colleague’s antique and secondhand bookshop Colin Page, just around the corner in Duke St. we are one of last of our kind, selling antique and modern books locally.
Although, fortunately, there are still just a few new, vintage and as new bookshops [and one comic shop] still remaining. We specialise in Ist Editions by such as Charles Dickens, Winston Churchill, Charles Darwin, John Le Carre, Ian Fleming, and Rudyard Kipling.
With or without dust jackets, autographed copies especially desired. We have £25,000 awaiting for another Signed Ist Edition Charles Dickens Christmas Carol. We regularly stock thousands of books, but as they are our largest individual selling item, many under just £10 to £50, they come and go so fast that individual listing is too impractical. But we do list on this website a good selection of our 1st Editions and specialist books.

If you require a military, or historical book, either antique or modern, please email a request, stating; title, author, and publisher [if known].

Large quantity book purchases [over 30 volumes] can attract discounts wherever possible. We specialise in hardbacks, both for reference or the study of history, and 'coffee table' books. We also specialise in rare medieval books, leaves from the versions of illustrated Book of Hours, signed Ist Editions, autographed books and manuscripts, and Incunabula [ volumes printed before 1501]

During lockdown we offered a unique drop off and sell and drop in and collect no contact service at our farm. It was incredibly popular many driving from as far north as Birmingham. It was easily our most popular trade during those months, showing just how eager those isolated could reward themselves with an ample supply of well needed reading material. Some buying or selling up to 50 books at a time.  read more

Code: 22457

A Most Rare British Empire Raj Period XII Frontier Force Regt. Silver Cap or Turban Badge

Cast low grade silver, for NCO or officer, with needle pin fixing, which often indicates for wear on a puggaree or a turban. The King Emperor crown of King George, and a crossed pair of choora knives or Afghan Khyber knives. So far we can find no other example, and it is the first we have seen. The more commonly known 12th Frontier Force Regiment in the Indian Army was a Light Infantry regiment, with a bugle badge, so we don't know if this was their first and earliest badge, that was potentially replaced around 1922, or, another XIIth Frontier Force regiment altogether. Either way it is a most fine and intriguing authentic British Empire Raj period piece, but, surrounded by an element of mystery [to us at least]. The armies of the East India Company were recruited primarily from Muslims in the Bengal Presidency, which consisted of Bengal, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, and high caste Hindus recruited primarily from the rural plains of Oudh. Many of these troops took part in the Indian Mutiny, with the aim of reinstating the Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah II at Delhi.

The meaning of the term "Indian Army" has changed over time, initially as an informal collective term for the armies of the three presidencies–the Bengal Army, Madras Army and Bombay Army–between 1858 and 1894. In 1805, the Indian Army began its formal existence and was the "army of the government of India", including British and Indian (sepoy) units; this arrangement lasted until 1902.

Then in 1903, Lord Kitchener became the Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army, his tenure continued until 1909. He instituted large-scale reforms, the greatest of which was the merger of the three armies of the Presidencies into a unified force. He formed higher level formations, eight army divisions, and brigaded Indian and British units. Following Kitchener's reforms, terminology used for military forces in India was altered, with the Indian Army referring to "the force recruited locally and permanently based in India, together with its expatriate British officers." Whereas the British Army in India referred to the British Army units posted to India for a tour of duty, and which would then be posted to other parts of the Empire or back to the UK. Comparatively, the term 'Army of India', meant the combined forces of both the Indian Army and the British Army in India. Militaria from the British Empire Indian Raj period over the past 30 years has become, extremely collectable, highly prized and most valuable. In many cases the rarer the better  read more

Code: 23703