A Rare African Bushman’s Tribal Poison Arrows and Tree Branch Leather Capped Quiver & Poison Stick

Acquired with, and displayed with, in the gallery, the poison stick, {picture 4 in the gallery} but the deadly poison stick we cannot sell with the bushman’s arrows and quiver. 5 arrows with iron heads with long hafts, two fire sticks and one poison stick***

Like the notorious and more well known South American Curare paralytic poison, { extracted from the plant Strychnos toxifera} the African poisons are similarly extremely effective in their task.

Along the Acokanthera sp. the most popular three types for the extraction of arrow poison were, A. oblongiflora, B. oppositifolia, and C. schimperi in general known as Bushman's poison, poison bush, poison tree or winter-sweet.

All parts of the plant can be used. Stems, roots, or even leaves, but wood chips are preferred, they are put in a large container, filled with water and boiled for up to 12 hours. Additional water is added in case the water evaporates before this time period is attained. Once all the water has evaporated, a thick sticky black substance is left in the container.

The plant parts are discarded. This substance is then cut into pieces, put into containers or wrapped and stored away from people where it can later be mixed with water or tree gum to form a thick paste which can be applied to the arrows. The poison paste type gum can them be applied to a poison stick and carried in the quiver and added to the arrow head when required. This poison stick has two such gum like deposits. One black the other paler brown. This would be for the bushman to know which poison was which, for different purposes and strengths for example. This poisons are extremely poisonous and can kill a 50 kg animal with ease in less than 20 minutes.

Although the Strophantus kombe (Zambezi tail flower or Poison Rope) was the most used of the species, Strophantus amboensis (Omuhundure), Strophanthus hispidus and Strophantus speciosus (Common Poison rope) was also used. The poison derived from S. hispidus was known as inee or onaye and was used mostly at the west coast of Africa (Senegal, Gambia, Guinea and Gabon), S. gratus in equatorial Africa, S. kombe was used mostly in central and east Africa as far south as the Zambezi, S. amboensis southern Angola and northern Namibia and S. speciosus in South Africa.

The seeds are collected, crushed and mix with saliva or other additives to form a paste, the paste was then left in strong sunlight for several hours before use. This poison can literally kill an average man in 5 to 10 minutes, a big animal in 20 minutes.

The Bushman would despatch his arrows with a basic stick bow which would effectively be disposable and easy to replace if lost or broken. Unlike the arrows, that require forged iron heads, and thus black-smithing.

An article from the New York Times, published March 15th 1964, un-edited;
If the victims can tell about it at all, they say that for a split second they heard a high, faint whistling, then felt a sharp, searing blow, as though struck by a hot blade. This is how a deadly arrow sounds and feels, and if the arrowhead is poisoned, the last moments can bring excruciating pain and sometimes madness.

In the past few weeks, the poisoned arrow had claimed a number of victims, including an American woman missionary, in the terrorized Kwilu Province of the Congo. Guerrilla rebels there killed the Congolese Army Chief of Staff himself with a poisoned arrow that sped out of the undergrowth and felled him as he led a column of reinforcements along a jungle road.

The reason weapons so primitive as bows and arrows survive in an age of light, efficient, rapid‐fire small arms is that they are ideally suited to the stealth of guerrilla warfare. (Some special United States troops are being taught jungle archery.) Both the bow and arrow and a sister weapon, the dart‐hurling blowpipe, are nearly silent and thus not only can take their victims by surprise but do not reveal their firing positions, as with shots discharged by explosives. Aimed by experts, poisoned arrows and darts can be as deadly as bullets and, depending on the poison, considerably less merciful.

POISONED arrows have been used principally by African and South American tribes, and poisoned darts by tribes of the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago. Poisoned arrows were not unknown to the North American Indian, however. The Osage tribesmen of what is now Missouri and Arkansas made poison by enticing a rattlesnake to bite a piece of liver which was then diced and pressed into clamshells for preservation. In wartime the shells were entrusted to the squaws, who carried them to the battlefield and helped the braves dip their arrows.
Compare this businesslike approach with the traditional rituals of African tribes preparing poison for war. Death was presumed wingless until a medicine man had reeled off incantations over simmering pots, though it may be noted that the men were careful to let the women have a major share of the work right from the start. It was said that the casualties among the women were more numerous than among the warriors on the battlefield.

THE kind of poison varied from tribe to tribe and from region to region. In less inhibited southern Africa, tribes made a fanciful poison of scor pions and spiders ground with lethal plant juice and snake venom, whereas in the more cultivated regions of the north, a vegetal poison was considered amply fatal. In between were other concoctions. Pygmies endorsed poisons derived from powdered red ants. The bushmen of Bechuanaland still favor a poison made by crushing the pupae of beetles found among the roots of infested marula trees.

Reference *Special Conservation* Item, see info page.

*** Despite being brought to the UK quite unknowingly several generations ago, the poison stick cannot be sold by us, and thus included with the arrows, for obvious health and safety reasons, as it is restricted for sale by the 'Poisons Act of 1972'  read more

Code: 24674

A Superb WW1 Machine Gunner's Collection, A Fabulous Original WW1 Gordon Highlander Machine Gun Corps Medals, Badges, Sporran, Glengarry & Gaiters of Gordon Highlander

British WW1 Machine Gun Corps medals and uniform kit is now some of the most desirable and collectible original artefacts of WW1. All these pieces were belonging, awarded, and worn by WW1 veteran, Pvt L. Jackson, of the Gordon Highlanders Machine Gun Corps. Comprising of his Glengarry cap with badge and tartan patch, his pair of WW1 service medals named, his sporran with belt, his pair of gaiters in canvas, shoulder titles both Gordons and Machine Gun Corps, his Machine Gun Corps cap badge and sock tassles. Photos for illustration only including a Gordon Highlanders machine gun corps, photographed in June 1914. Captain Hume Gore, who was later to lead George Ramage's platoon, is seated third from right in the front row. National Library of Scotland reference: Acc.7660 (part). The Regiment raised a total of 21 battalions and was awarded 57 battle honours, 4 Victoria Crosses and lost 8,870 men during the course of the war. The Gordon Highlanders was an Infantry Battalion that would have had an MG Section as part of its Battalion Headquarters. These weapons would have been brigaded when the Machine Gun Corps was formed in 1915. The guns, and crews, would have been formed into a Machine Gun Company.
The 1st Battalion landed at Boulogne-sur-Mer as part of the 8th Brigade in the 3rd Division in August 1914 for service on the Western Front; they suffered heavy losses at the Battle of Le Cateau in August 1914. The 2nd Battalion landed at Zeebrugge as part of the 20th Brigade in the 7th Division in October 1914 for service on the Western Front and then moved to Italy in November 1917.

Territorial Force

The 1/4th (City of Aberdeen) Battalion landed at Le Havre as part of the 8th Brigade in the 3rd Division in February 1915 for service on the Western Front. The 1/5th (Buchan and Formartin) Battalion landed at Boulogne-sur-Mer as part of the 153rd Brigade in the 51st (Highland) Division in May 1915 for service on the Western Front. The 1/6th (Banff and Donside) Battalion landed at Le Havre as part of the 20th Brigade in the 7th Division for service on the Western Front. The 1/7th (Deeside Highland) Battalion landed at Boulogne-sur-Mer as part of the 153rd Brigade in the 51st (Highland) Division in May 1915 for service on the Western Front.

New Armies

The 8th (Service) Battalion landed at Boulogne-sur-Mer as part of the 26th Brigade in the 9th (Scottish) Division in May 1915 for service on the Western Front.10 The 9th (Service) Battalion and the 10th (Service) Battalion landed at Boulogne-sur-Mer as part of the 44th Brigade in the 15th (Scottish) Division in July 1915 for service on the Western Front.

The folk singer and Scottish Traveller Jimmy MacBeath served with the regiment during the war . Just some of the engagements he may have taken part in with his regimental comrades; During 1916
The Battle of Albert, The Battle of Bazentin and the attacks on High Wood, The Battle of Delville Wood, The Battle of Guillemont, Operations on the Ancre. The attacks on High Wood, The Battle of the Ancre.
During 1917
The German retreat to the Hindenburg Line, The Battle of Polygon Wood, The Battle of Broodseinde, The Battle of Poelcapelle, The Second Battle of Passchendaele. The First and Second Battles of the Scarpe, The Battle of Pilkem Ridge, The Battle of Menin Road Ridge, The capture of Bourlon Wood, part of the Cambrai Operations.
Nov 1917 Moved to Italy to strengthen the Italian resistance.
04.11.1918The Battle of St Quentin, The Battle of Bapaume, The Battle of Estaires, The Battle of Hazebrouck, The Battle of the Tardenois, The Battle of the Scarpe, The pursuit to the Selle, The Battle of the Selle, Final Advance in Picardy.  read more

Code: 20851

An Original and Superb WW2 RAF Air Ministry Issue 'Scramble Bell', Cast Bronze With Turned Hardwood Handle On A Brass Socket Mount With Brass Ball Top. Interior Bears The AM Crown Mark of the Air Ministry Contract

An iconic centre piece of any collection from the most renowned and famed era of the British RAF. This would would make an amazing addition to any collection, or display, or a unique historic gift for any collector of aeronautica.

A most scarce, original, 'Battle of Britain' piece of original, RAF Air Ministry issue aeronautica, an original brass bracket mounted then hand-held 'scramble' bell, complete with its wooden handle, stamped AM Crown, marked with crown and initials AM, Used at an RAF air base. Made in the period when the RAF knew very well that war was imminent and very likely, and it was used throughout the entire war, right from the 'Battle of Britain' period. It’s diameter of the bell is 200 mm, and height 300 mm approx, it weighs, 3.15 kilos.

A very fine example, in super condition, of an original RAF scramble bell from a RAF base, such as RAF North Weald, as it likely came from that location area, another that came from RAF Debden, an airfield 3 miles south east of Saffron Waldon in Essex, was sold over six years ago for 2,500 at auction in New York.

This hand bell would have been rung when instructions came through from HQ of an imminent attack by the feared and deadly Luftwaffe Bombing Squadrons, in order to scramble the bravest of the brave, the frighteningly young, RAF, RAAF or RCAF pilots into the air. During the Battle of Britain and beyond the average age of the pilots was just 20 years old, of the 2,937 British and Allied aircrew. Britain aircrew were flying multiple sorties a day to intercept the relentless Luftwaffe raids over the British skies, Aircrew from sixteen nationalities flew and fought together against the Luftwaffe, who outnumbered the RAF in both aircraft and pilots.

Against all odds, the RAF defeated the Luftwaffe. Hitler was forced to abandon his plans to invade Britain.
544 aircrew were killed during the Battle of Britain. A further 422 aircrew were wounded. Almost a third of all the men that flew.

British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, famously expressed the incredible debt owed to the Battle of Britain aircrew:

“Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few.”

During WW2 the world's premier gallantry medals were granted to air Force personnel, 22 Victoria Crosses were awarded, and 2,001 Air Force Crosses were Awarded, 26 were awarded to the same recipient twice, and just 1 was awarded to the same man three times.

Throughout the summer of 1940, across England, on hundreds of grass makeshift runways, with young eager pilots that awaited in huts for the bell to be rung, then rushing ‘hell for leather’ to their fighter planes, in order to attack the German bomber and fighter formations descending on vulnerable Southern England. Such as RAF Debden, in Essex, that was built in April 1937, with the tarmac airstrip laid in 1940. It was a sector station for 11 Group RAF. Many British Hurricane and Spitfire squadrons were based at Debden, including number 17 squadron throughout the Battle of Britain. In September 1942, it was handed over to the USAAF, as part of British support for the American bombing campaign in Europe. The Battle of Britain (German: Luftschlacht um England, literally "The Air Battle for England") was a military campaign of the Second World War, in which the Royal Air Force (RAF) defended the United Kingdom (UK) against large-scale attacks by Nazi Germany's air force, the Luftwaffe. It has been described as the first major military campaign fought entirely by air forces. The British officially recognise the battle's duration as being from 10 July until 31 October 1940, which overlaps the period of large-scale night attacks known as the Blitz, that lasted from 7 September 1940 to 11 May 1941. German historians do not accept this subdivision and regard the battle as a single campaign lasting from July 1940 to June 1941, including the Blitz.

The primary objective of the German forces was to compel Britain to agree to a negotiated peace settlement. In July 1940 the air and sea blockade began, with the Luftwaffe mainly targeting coastal-shipping convoys, ports and shipping centres, such as Portsmouth. On 1 August, the Luftwaffe was directed to achieve air superiority over the RAF with the aim of incapacitating RAF Fighter Command; 12 days later, it shifted the attacks to RAF airfields and infrastructure. As the battle progressed, the Luftwaffe also targeted factories involved in aircraft production and strategic infrastructure. Eventually it employed terror bombing on areas of political significance and on civilians.

The Germans had rapidly overwhelmed France and the Low Countries, leaving Britain to face the threat of invasion by sea. The German high command knew the difficulties of a seaborne attack and its impracticality while the Royal Navy controlled the English Channel and the North Sea. On 16 July, Adolf Hitler ordered the preparation of Operation Sea Lion as a potential amphibious and airborne assault on Britain, to follow once the Luftwaffe had air superiority over the UK. In September, RAF Bomber Command night raids disrupted the German preparation of converted barges, and the Luftwaffe's failure to overwhelm the RAF forced Hitler to postpone and eventually cancel Operation Sea Lion. Germany proved unable to sustain daylight raids, but their continued night-bombing operations on Britain became known as the Blitz.

Historian Stephen Bungay cited Germany's failure to destroy Britain's air defences to force an armistice (or even outright surrender) as the first major German defeat in World War II and a crucial turning point in the conflict. The Battle of Britain takes its name from a speech by Winston Churchill to the House of Commons on 18 June: "What General Weygand has called The Battle of France is over. The Battle of Britain is about to begin." The scramble bell came three different forms, the larger mounted bell, with the same AM Air Ministry marks, but much heavier, so they had to be wall mounted, or on a free standing bracket, hanging outside of say, a hut, and this type the medium sized bracket mounted for hanging outside of a hut, but as this one with an added handle, which was naturally much somewhat portable, and ideal for emergency RAF bases and landing strips, created with makeshift or tented non-permanent buildings. And the smaller regular contract hand-bell was also ideal in those bases.  read more

Code: 25232

A Superb, German, WW1 Mauser Gew 98 'Butcher' Bayonet

Manufactured by Alex Coppel Solingen With traditional 'butcher' blade.

Designed to fit the Mauser Gew 98 rifle. The Seitengewehr 98/05 was introduced into the the Prussian army in late 1905, as a replacement for the 98/02 for engineers and pioneer troops, as the 98/02 was deemed to long and heavy for it's intended purpose. Initial production was in two versions, the first plain backed, and the second with 29 double teeth. The scabbard was leather with steel throat and chape mounts, later changed to all steel that was better for trench warfare combat. The bayonet as typical of German blades did not have more than a vestigial muzzle ring, relying on the length of the hilt mounting to fix the blade to its rifle. The plain back version was identified as the S98/05 or S98/05 o.S. (ohne Soge - without saw) and the saw back as the S98/05 S or m.S. (mit Soge - with saw). The overall condition is good, with wooden grips.
The Gewehr 98 (abbreviated G98, Gew 98, or M98) is a German bolt-action rifle made by Mauser, firing cartridges from a five-round internal clip-loaded magazine. It was the German service rifle from 1898 to 1935, when it was replaced by the Karabiner 98k, a shorter weapon using the same basic design. The Gewehr 98 action, using a stripper clip loaded with the 7.92×57mm Mauser cartridge, successfully combined and improved several bolt-action engineering concepts which were soon adopted by many other countries, including the United Kingdom, United States, and Japan.2 The Gewehr 98 replaced the earlier Gewehr 1888 as the main German service rifle. It first saw combat in the Chinese Boxer Rebellion and was the main German infantry service rifle of World War I. The Gewehr 98 saw further military use by the Ottoman Empire and Nationalist Spain.

14.5 inch blade
No scabbard  read more

Code: 25902

A Very Good, Antique Decorated Spanish Antique Albacete Fighting Knife, aka The Albacete Knife Plug Bayonet. With Pieced Blade & Dot Punched Decoration With A Brass and Carved Bone Hilt

Although frequently termed the plug bayonet knife, they were not actually used as bayonets as such, but, once the term was used it has remained in common parlance, even today.

A 19th Century Spanish Fighting knife; Albacete Spain; This knife measures 10.75 inches in length with a ornate double edged 6.75 inch blade. The blade has four pierced hole added for traditional decoration as well as pin point punch engraving decoration. The hilt is brass with carved bone. The bone has been fluted length ways and filled with decorative brass panels.

The term "Albacete plug bayonet" likely refers to the historical use of knives from Albacete, Spain, as the earliest form of plug bayonets. These daggers were inserted directly into a musket's barrel, creating a pike-like weapon but preventing the firearm from being used for shooting. While the specific term "Albacete plug bayonet knife" isn't a historical designation, it highlights the Spanish city's renowned knife-making tradition in the 16th and 17th centuries, which produced the raw materials for these early military bayonet  read more

Code: 25895

A Fine 1796 Infantry officer's Sword Of The Napoleonic Wars, From The Peninsular Campaign to Waterloo. With A Near Mint Mercurial Gilt & Silver Hilt.

Mercurial gilt hilt with double shell fold down guard and silver bound grip, and engraved blade with traces of the Royal cypher and crest, very bright polish. From the Napoleonic Wars, the Peninsular war, The War of 1812 in America, then in 1815 at Quatre Bras and Waterloo, and with around 95% of the gilt remaining on the hilt. A simply stunning sword in wonderful condition. British infantry officer's sword of the Napoleonic Wars. The Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) were a series of major conflicts pitting the French Empire led by Emperor Napoleon I against an array of European powers formed into various coalitions. They revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly owing to the application of modern mass conscription. The wars are traditionally seen as a continuation of the Revolutionary Wars, which broke out in 1792 during the French Revolution. Initially, French power rose quickly as the armies of Napoleon conquered much of Europe. In his military career, Napoleon fought about 60 battles and lost seven, mostly at the end. The great French dominion collapsed rapidly after the disastrous invasion of Russia in 1812. Napoleon was defeated in 1814, and then once more in 1815 at Waterloo after a brief return to power. The Allies then reversed all French gains since the Revolutionary Wars at the Congress of Vienna.

Before a final victory against Napoleon, five of seven coalitions saw defeat at the hands of France. France defeated the first and second coalitions during the French Revolutionary Wars, the third (notably at Austerlitz), the fourth (notably at Jena, Eylau, and Friedland) and the fifth coalition (notably at Wagram) under the leadership of Napoleon. These great victories gave the French Army a sense of invulnerability, especially when it approached Moscow. But after the retreat from Russia, in spite of incomplete victories, France was defeated by the sixth coalition at Leipzig, in the Peninsular War at Vitoria and at the hands of the seventh coalition at Waterloo.

The wars resulted in the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire and sowed the seeds of nationalism that would lead to the consolidations of Germany and Italy later in the century. Meanwhile, the global Spanish Empire began to unravel as French occupation of Spain weakened Spain's hold over its colonies, providing an opening for nationalist revolutions in Spanish America. As a direct result of the Napoleonic wars, the British Empire became the foremost world power for the next century, thus beginning Pax Britannica.

No consensus exists about when the French Revolutionary Wars ended and the Napoleonic Wars began. An early candidate is 9 November 1799, the date of Bonaparte's coup seizing power in France. However, the most common date is 18 May 1803, when renewed war broke out between Britain and France, ending the one-year-old Peace of Amiens, the only period of general peace in Europe between 1792 and 1814. Most actual fighting ceased following Napoleon's final defeat at Waterloo on 18 June 1815, although skirmishing continued as late as 3 July 1815 at the Battle of Issy. The Second Treaty of Paris officially ended the wars on 20 November 1815. Overall this battle cum dress sword is in fabulous condition, from a large former museum collection of original Napoleonic Battle of Waterloo swords

The last photo in the gallery shows a photograph of one section of the collection in the museum of Waterloo, taken in around 1900, showing all the weapons of Waterloo en situ, including all the protagonists {British, French, Prussian and Belgian muskets, swords, pistols, armour uniforms, etc}. The museum was founded and owned by a veteran of the 7th Hussars that fought at Waterloo. Light surface old pitting to the blade.

No scabbard.  read more

Code: 25896

A Very Good Victorian 2nd Foot Quilted Pattern Shako Plate c. 1861-69.

A brass, quilted (1861-69) pattern shako plate for the 2nd Foot (later 1st West Surrey Regiment) with two soldered lug fastenings (east and west).

The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) was a line infantry regiment of the English and later the British Army from 1661 to 1959. It was the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, behind only the Royal Scots in the British Army line infantry order of precedence.

The regiment was shipped to the Cape Colony during the Eighth Xhosa War in 1851. On 25 February 1852 a detachment of 51 men under the command of Ensign Boyland were aboard HMS Birkenhead travelling from Simon's Town to Port Elizabeth when the ship struck rocks. The troops were assembled on deck and remained at attention to afford the embarked women and children time to take their place in the lifeboats. Shortly after this the ship broke up and the vast majority of the troops on board were either drowned or fell victim to sharks. The bravery of the troops, made up of cadres from ten different regiments, led to the naming of the Birkenhead Drill. It once again became the 1st Battalion when the 2nd Battalion was reformed in 1857, and went to China in 1860 at the time of the Second Opium War, fighting at the Third Battle of Taku Forts and the capture of Beijing. It was stationed in the Imperial fortress colony of Bermuda from 1864 to 1866. Although too far North for yellow fever to establish itself in perpetuity, the disease was introduced to Bermuda several times during the 19th century by mail boats from the West Indies, causing endemics that resulted in many deaths, most particularly among members of the armed forces. Under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel F. L. O. Attye, the battalion arrived at the Royal Naval Dockyard, Bermuda (aboard HMS Orontes from Gibraltar, via Madeira) on 15 July 1864, in the midst of one of these epidemics and its losses in Bermuda included Assistant Surgeon James Murray Chalk at St. George's Garrison on 8 February 1865 and Douglas James Mounteny Rose, the five-year-old son of Lieutenant-Colonel Rose, who died the following day. The battalion lost fifty-two officers and men in the epidemic. The battalion departed Bermuda for Cork, Ireland, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Werge, aboard HMS Orontes on 3 November 1866.

The regiment was not fundamentally affected by the Cardwell Reforms of the 1870s, which gave it a depot at Stoughton Barracks in Guildford from 1873, or by the Childers reforms of 1881 – as it already possessed two battalions, there was no need for it to amalgamate with another regiment. Under the reforms it became The Queen's (Royal West Surrey) Regiment on 1 July 1881. In 1897–98, a battalion took part in the Tirah Expedition on the North-West Frontier.  read more

Code: 25897

A Very Good Service Issue 1856-8 Two Band Enfield Yataghan Blade Sword Bayonet. Used In The Opium War with the P1853 Enfields in The Late 1850's China and the American Civil War From 1861

Absolutely bright as a button, hand polished and conserved, for the next 200 years, in our workshop.

Original ordnance stamps and inspection marks abound, and regimental gun rack number on the hilt.

The rifle that this sword bayonet was designed for the P1853 two band Enfield rifle, and was the type used in the late Indian Mutiny at the "Seige and Relief of Lucknow". Chequered leather grip with rivets, and screw affixed retaining spring. Good, long, Yataghan blade in bright polish. Excellent leather. The regiments that used this bayonet sword took part in the Second Opium War, the Indian Mutiny and the Third Anglo-Burmese War, and tens of thousands of service issue rifles and bayonets were sold to America in the Civil war, purchased by both the North, and the South. See photos in the gallery of Union and Confederates with the Enfield rifles and their yataghan bayonets. After the Civil War thousands of Confederate purchased Enfields were sold to Japan's Tokugawa Shogunate, and used in the Boshin war and the Satsuma Rebellion.

A quote from a Confederate officer's diary,
"Every short two-band Enfield which came into possession of any of our men was taken away and given to these men sharpshooters ... But there were not enough and some of them had the common long Enfield."
It would appear that by mid-war in the Confederate Service, while the infantry was provided with the longer rifle-muskets where possible, the shorter rifles (US or Enfield) were preferred for use by the Cavalry:

Gen. Basil Duke noted of Morgan's Cavalry, they did not even like the American shorter carbine length muzzle loaders (musketoons):

"Morgan's Cavalry in the west preferred the British arm they called the "medium Enfield" the two band rifle. The short Enfield carbine they found convenient to carry, but deficient in range and accuracy. The long-Enfield (three band) they found inconvenient to carry, and difficult to use (as was sometimes necessary) on horseback. Regardless, in that command one company had the long Enfield, another the short, and another the medium.

We bought the entire small collection from the widow of a 'Best of British Empire Rifles and Bayonets, Both British and German' collector, who acquired them over the past 40 years, and only ever kept the very best he could afford to keep. Act fast they are selling really fast, three rifles and eight bayonets and a cutlass have sold in two days alone. Top quality and condition,19th and 20th century scarce British and German collectables are always the most desirable of all.

The Confederates imported more Enfields during the course of the war than any other small arm, buying from private contractors and gun runners and smuggling them into Southern ports through blockade running. It has been estimated that over 900,000 P53 Enfields were imported into America and saw service in every major engagement from the Battle of Shiloh (April 1862) and the Siege of Vicksburg (May 1863), to the final battles of 1865. The gun was highly sought after in the Confederate ranks. According to a survey taken by British officials during the early stages of war on the arms of the Western Confederate Forces, nearly 70% were armed with smoothbore arms, such as the Model 1842 Springfield. Later in the war the same survey was taken, they found that more than 75% had acquired a rifle, mainly the Pattern 1853 Enfield.

The P53 Enfields capabilities were largely lost by the lack of marksmanship training by both the Union and Confederacy. Most soldiers were not trained to estimate ranges or to properly adjust their sights to account for the "rainbow-like" trajectory of the large calibre conical projectile. Unlike their British counterparts who attended extensive musketry training, new Civil War soldiers seldom fired a single cartridge until their first engagement. After the end of the war, hundreds of formerly Confederate Enfield 1853 muskets were sold from the American arms market to the Tokugawa shogunate, as well as some prominent Japanese domains including Aizu and Satsuma. These units were later used in the Boshin War, and some remaining in Satsuma were also used by rebelling former samurai in the Satsuma Rebellion about a decade later.

Priced for UK mainland delivery only. For export delivery, please POA  read more

Code: 25898

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

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

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

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

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

Code: 25900

A Beautiful Noble's Early Antique Sinhalese Ceylonese Piha Kaetta Knife Dagger

A most engaging ornate pihas and likely made exclusively by the Pattal Hattara (The Four Workshops). They were employed directly by the Kings of Kandy. Kandy, the independent kingdom, was first established by King Wickramabahu (1357-1374 AD). The last Kandyan king was in the early 1800's, and the workshops are no longer in existence today.The simplest are of plain steel, but very graceful form, with wooden or horn handles, and carried in the belt, to lop off inconvenient branches as one passes through the jungle, or, to open coconuts, or cut jungle ropes. From these knives there are all transitions to the finest versions of nobles and princes, the most elaborate and costly of silver or gold inlaid and overlaid knives worn by the greatest chiefs as a part of their formal dress, and possibly never intended for regular use. The workmanship of many of these is most exquisite but this fine work is done rather by the higher craftsmen, the silversmiths and ivory carvers, than by the mere blacksmith. Many of the best knives were doubtless made in the Four Workshops, such as is this example, the blades being supplied to the silversmith by the blacksmiths.
"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. The Kottal-badda men in each district were under a foreman (mul-acariya) belonging to the Pattal-hatara. Four other foremen, one from each pattala, were in constant attendance at the palace.This beautiful noble's dagger is stunningly decorated with veka deka liya vela [double curve vine motif] and the flower motif sina mal, and a bold vine in damascene silver. The blade is traditonal iron and the hilt beautifully carved black coral  read more

Code: 14577