A Magnificent 18th Century Anglo French Indian War To Revolution Period All Silver Hilted Small Sword with Colichmarde Blade. Probably By William Kinman. A Stunning Museum Piece, A Near Pair to General George Washington's Sword in Amazing Condition

A combination of the finest 18th century artisan's skill of both a silversmith and bespoke swordsmith. Circa 1759 possibly by William Kinman of London. no silver hallmark was required due to The 'Act of 1738' the Plate Offences Act 1738, & the 1738 exemptions, which exempted the requirement of an assay mark for gold and silver mounts of swords, daggers, pistols and guns

General George Washington, later the first President of the United States, had a near identical sword that he used during his service as commander of the new American Army in the American War of Independance from 1776 onwards. Born in the Colony of Virginia, Washington became the commander of the Virginia Regiment during the French and Indian War (1754–1763). He was later elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses, and opposed the perceived oppression of the American colonists by the British Crown. When the American Revolutionary War against the British began in 1775, Washington was appointed commander-in-chief of the Continental Army. He directed a poorly organized and equipped force against disciplined British troops. Washington and his army achieved an early victory at the Siege of Boston in March 1776 but were forced to retreat from New York City in November. Washington crossed the Delaware River and won the battles of Trenton in late 1776 and Princeton in early 1777, then lost the battles of Brandywine and Germantown later that year. He faced criticism of his command, low troop morale, and a lack of provisions for his forces as the war continued. Ultimately Washington led a combined French and American force to a decisive victory over the British at Yorktown in 1781. In the resulting Treaty of Paris in 1783, the British acknowledged the sovereign independence of the United States. Washington then served as president of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, which drafted the current Constitution of the United States.

Ideal in its day for duelling or close quarter combat, as well as being a simply fabulous, finest quality sword of immense beauty.

Fine cast and chased silver hilt in the elegant rococo style with double shell guard single knucklebow and pas dans. The grip has silver banding interspersed with herringbone pattern twisted silver wire.

The guard has enchanting workmanship with a scrolling, pierced, rococo Arabesque pattern. Colishmarde blade with part bright steel finish.
The highly distinctive colishmarde blades appeared in 1680 and were popular during the next 40 years at the royal European courts. The colichemarde bladed swords had a special popularity with the officers of the French and Indian War period. Even George Washington had a very fine one just as this example.

The colichemarde sword descended from the so-called "transition rapier", which appeared because of a need for a lighter sword, better suited to parrying. It was not so heavy at its point; it was shorter and allowed a limited range of double time moves.The colichemarde in turn appeared as a thrusting blade too and also with a good parrying level, hence the strange, yet successful shape of the blade.

This sword appeared at about the same time as the foil. However the foil was created for practicing fencing at court, while the colichemarde was created for dueling. With the appearance of pocket pistols as a self-defense weapon, the colichemardes found an even more extensive use in dueling.
This was achieved thanks to a wide forte (often with several fullers), which then stepped down in width after the fullers ended. The result of this strange shape was a higher maneuverability of the sword: with the weight of the blade concentrated in one's hand it became possible to maneuver the blade at a greater speed and with a higher degree of control, allowing the fencer to place a precise thrust at his/her adversary. This sword is a true work of art, in it's beauty form, quality and balance. One photo in the gallery is of General Burgoyne surrendering his similar gilt sword after the Battle of Saratoga in October 1777. Another portrait of George Washington with his very similar solid silver sword sword. The 1767 Silver-Hilted Smallsword
One of Washington's most beautiful swords, this sword appears in many famous Washington paintings.  read more

Code: 24960

A Very Fine, Late Middle Ages, Early Hand-Bombard, Iron Mortar Cannon. The Earliest Form of Ignition Battle Weapon That Developed into The Hand Pistole & Blunderbuss

Used in both the field of combat or from a castle battlement. This fine piece would make a wonderful display piece, perhaps set on a small plinth. Ideal for a desk, bookshelf or mantle.

The weapon that provided the name to the Royal Artillery rank of bombardier, and the word 'bombardment'.

A hand bombard was the larger version of the handgonne or hand cannon, yes still a good size for handling.
Small enough and light enough to be manoeuvred by hand and thus then loosely fixed, or semi-permanently fixed, in either an L shaped wooden block and used like a mortar, or, onto a length of sturdy wooden haft, from three feet to five foot long to be used almost musket like and bound with wrought iron bands see illustration in the photo gallery of these medievil variations of mounting. The precursor to the modern day pistol and musket from which this form of ancient so called handgonne developed into over the centuries. It is thought that gunpowder was invented in China and found its way to Europe in the 13th Century. In the mid to late 13th Century gunpowder began to be used in cannons and handguns, and by the mid 14th Century they were in relatively common use for castle sieges. By the end of the 14th Century both gunpowder, guns and cannon had greatly evolved and were an essential part of fortifications which were being modified to change arrow slits for gun loops. Bombards and Hand cannon' date of origin ranges around 1350. Hand bombards and hand cannon were relatively inexpensive to manufacture, but the skill required to make them was considerable, but they were not that accurate to fire. Nevertheless, they were employed for their shock value. In 1492 Columbus carried one on his discovery exploration to the Americas.
Conquistadors Hernando Cortez and Francisco Pizzaro also used them, in 1519 and 1533, during their respective conquests and colonization of Mexico and Peru. Not primary arms of war, hand bombards and hand cannon were adequate tools of protection for fighting men.

See Funcken, L. & Funcken F., Le costume, l'armure et les armes au temps de la chevalerie, de huitieme au quinzieme siecle, Tournai,1977, pp.66-69, for reconstruction of how such hand cannons were used.
At the beginning of the 14th century, among the infantry troops of the Western Middle Ages, developed the use of manual cannons (such as the Italian schioppetti, spingarde, and the German Fusstbusse).

Photo of the hand bombard recovered from the well at Cardiff Castle, by Simon Burchell - Own work

External width at the muzzle 3.25 inches, length 8 inches. Weight 10.2 pounds  read more

Code: 25213

A Superb Original 12th Century Crusader Knights Templar Medieval Knight's Dagger, A Shortened Knightly Sword, with Crucifix Hilt. The Blade Bears The Remains of a Templar Cross, Inlaid, in Gold Alloy Latten, Upon One Blade Face Below The Hilt

Originally made for and used by a Knights Templar, Knight Hospitaller, in the early 12th century as a sword, then, in or around the the same century it was damaged, and reformed by a skilled sword smith, it was shortened and then used as a knightly dagger, very likely continually until the reign of King Henry Vth into the Battle of Agincourt era circa 1415.
Possibly damaged in the second crusade, retained as a family heirloom and historic treasure, to be used as a crucifix form hilted knightly dagger. A millennia ago it would have had a wooden handle but long since rotted away.
See photo 7 in the gallery to show a carved grave stone of a crusader knight who has a the same form of shortened sword cruciform hilted dagger upon his right thigh.

This wonderful original Medieval period antiquity would make a spectacular centre-piece to any new or long established fine collection, or indeed a magnificent solitary work of historical art, for any type of decor both traditional or contemporary. What a fabulous original ‘statement piece’ for any collection or decor. In the world of collecting there is so little remaining in the world from this highly significant era in European and British history. And to be able to own and display such an iconic original representation from this time is nothing short of a remarkable privilege. A wonderful example piece, from the ancient knightly age. Effectively, from this time of almost a thousand years ago, from a collectors point of view, little else significant survives at all, only the odd small coin, ring, or, very rarely seen, and almost impossible to own, carved statuary.

This fabulous dagger was reformed in the medieval crusades period by cutting down the upper third of the sword; the blade being broad, with shallow fuller and square shoulders, the guard narrow and tapering towards the ends; it bears a later formed 'acorn' style pommel. See Oakeshott, E., Records of the Medieval Sword, Woodbridge, 1991. 942 grams, 47cm (18 1/2"). From a private family collection; previously acquired from a collection formed before 1990; thence by descent. The weapon started life as a two-edged sword, probably of Oakeshott's Type XV with broad tang and narrow guard. There is a trace of crucifix, inlay, in latten, a gold-bronze alloy, below the shoulder to one face, which likely was a templar crucifix symbol. {see photo 9 in the gallery}

It is likely that the sword was damaged in combat at the time of the post Norman conquests of England, and thereafter, in the early second crusades, and using the damaged knight's long sword, probably in combat during the second crusade in the Holy Land, a large knightly dagger was created, by removing the unusable part, and re-pointing the shortened blade.
This superb piece could only be used by the rank and status of Templar Knight, or, such as Knight Hospitallar ,as the lower orders below knight, were not permitted the use or ownership of fine knightly form swords or daggers


The Knights Templar were an elite fighting force of their day, highly trained, well-equipped, and highly motivated; one of the tenets of their religious order was that they were forbidden from retreating in battle, unless outnumbered three to one, and even then only by order of their commander, or if the Templar flag went down. Not all Knights Templar were warriors. The mission of most of the members was one of support – to acquire resources which could be used to fund and equip the small percentage of members who were fighting on the front lines. There were actually three classes within the orders. The highest class was the knight. When a candidate was sworn into the order, they made the knight a monk. They wore white robes. The knights could hold no property and receive no private letters. They could not be married or betrothed and could not have any vow in any other Order. They could not have debt more than they could pay, and no infirmities. The Templar priest class was similar to the modern day military chaplain. Wearing green robes, they conducted religious services, led prayers, and were assigned record keeping and letter writing. They always wore gloves, unless they were giving Holy Communion. The mounted men-at-arms represented the most common class, and they were called "brothers". They were usually assigned two horses each and held many positions, including guard, steward, squire or other support vocations. As the main support staff, they wore black or brown robes and were partially garbed in chain mail or plate mail. The armour was not as complete as the knights. Because of this infrastructure, the warriors were well-trained and very well armed. Even their horses were trained to fight in combat, fully armoured. The combination of soldier and monk was also a powerful one, as to the Templar knights, martyrdom in battle was one of the most glorious ways to die.

The Templars were also shrewd tacticians, following the dream of Saint Bernard who had declared that a small force, under the right conditions, could defeat a much larger enemy. One of the key battles in which this was demonstrated was in 1177, at the Battle of Montgisard. The famous Muslim military leader Saladin was attempting to push toward Jerusalem from the south, with a force of 26,000 soldiers. He had pinned the forces of Jerusalem's King Baldwin IV, about 500 knights and their supporters, near the coast, at Ascalon. Eighty Templar knights and their own entourage attempted to reinforce. They met Saladin's troops at Gaza, but were considered too small a force to be worth fighting, so Saladin turned his back on them and headed with his army towards Jerusalem.

Once Saladin and his army had moved on, the Templars were able to join King Baldwin's forces, and together they proceeded north along the coast. Saladin had made a key mistake at that point – instead of keeping his forces together, he permitted his army to temporarily spread out and pillage various villages on their way to Jerusalem. The Templars took advantage of this low state of readiness to launch a surprise ambush directly against Saladin and his bodyguard, at Montgisard near Ramla. Saladin's army was spread too thin to adequately defend themselves, and he and his forces were forced to fight a losing battle as they retreated back to the south, ending up with only a tenth of their original number. The battle was not the final one with Saladin, but it bought a year of peace for the Kingdom of Jerusalem, and the victory became a heroic legend.

Another key tactic of the Templars was that of the "squadron charge". A small group of knights and their heavily armed warhorses would gather into a tight unit which would gallop full speed at the enemy lines, with a determination and force of will that made it clear that they would rather commit suicide than fall back. This terrifying onslaught would frequently have the desired result of breaking a hole in the enemy lines, thereby giving the other Crusader forces an advantage.

The Templars, though relatively small in number, routinely joined other armies in key battles. They would be the force that would ram through the enemy's front lines at the beginning of a battle, or the fighters that would protect the army from the rear. They fought alongside King Louis VII of France, and King Richard I of England. In addition to battles in Palestine, members of the Order also fought in the Spanish and Portuguese Reconquista.

According to author S.Tibble, and in his new book, Templars, the Knights Who Made Britain, he details a very convincing and gripping history, that the Templars, famous for their battles on Christendom’s eastern front, were in fact dedicated peace-mongers at home. They influenced royal strategy and policy, created financial structures, and brokered international peace treaties—primarily to ensure that men, money, and material could be transferred more readily to the east.

Charting the rise of the Order under Henry I through to its violent suppression following the fall of Acre, Tibble argues that these medieval knights were essential to the emergence of an early English state. Revealing the true legacy of the British Templars, he shows how a small group helped shape medieval Britain while simultaneously fighting in the name of the Christian Middle East

This dagger would have likely been used continually past the era of King Richard for another 200 years into to the 1400's, past the Battle of Crecy and into the Battle of Agincourt era, for knightly swords and daggers were extraordinarily valuable, and simply never discarded unless they were too damaged to use and beyond repair. From the time after Agincourt, knightly dagger patterns changed to become longer and much narrower, with considerably smaller guards. There were three main later dagger types then, called called rondel, ear and ballock. Almost every iron weapon that has survived today from this era is now in a fully russetted condition, as is this one, because only some of the swords of kings, that have been preserved in national or Royal collections are today still in a fairly good state of preservation and condition. This dagger is certainly in good condition for its age, it’s cross guard is, as usual, mobile, as organic wooden grips almost never survive in weapons of such great age.
Daggers bespoke made or adapted from earlier long swords of this form were clearly used well into the age of Henry Vth as carved marble and stone tombs, or monumental brasses, covering buried knights within churches and cathedrals are often adorned in full armour combined with such knightly daggers and swords, and they are also further depicted at the time in illuminated manuscripts or paintings of knightly battles such as of Crecy, Poitiers and Agincourt at the time.  read more

Code: 23420

A Beautiful Koto Wakazashi, In Superb Fully Original Edo Koshirae Including Goto Fittings in Gold & Shakudō (赤銅) Dragon Fuchigashira & Beautiful Tsuba Signed Omura Kanenori.

A beautiful blade with a charming gunome hamon and fine mokume hada which is basically itame hada which has been changed by using hammer blows of varying strength to produce the characteristic 'whorls'. Beautiful black silk tsuka-ito wrapped over shakudo and gold menuki of Samurai Helmets {kabuto} on traditional samegawa {giant ray-skin}. Fine original Edo saya with fine lacquer with a kozuka pocket containing a beautiful shakudo and gold kodzuka decorated with a prunus branch bearing birds perched and in flight over a nanako ground and gold overlaid rear plate engraved with a fallin rain pattern.

The Goto school was the official metalworking lineage for the Shogunate, famous for its strict, classical elegance. The Mino tradition (originating in Mino Province) was known for deep, energetic, and highly realistic carvings. "Mino-Goto" refers to works that combine the elite, formal composition of Goto with the dynamic carving techniques of Mino.These sets often utilize a fine, granular background known as nanako-ji (fish-roe pattern), where thousands of tiny dots are individually punched into the metal to create a dark, stippled texture that makes the central design pop.
Dragons (Ryu or Unryu—cloud dragons) are among the most revered motifs in samurai culture, symbolizing power, protection, and good fortune.

In Mino-Goto pieces, the dragons are usually carved in high relief (takabori), appearing to violently weave in and out of the metal. They are heavily embellished with gold accents (often using a thick foil technique called uttori) to highlight the scales, eyes, and claws against the black shakudo background.


Wakizashi have been in use as far back as the 15th or 16th century. The wakizashi was used as a backup or auxiliary sword; it was also used for close quarters fighting, and also to behead a defeated opponent and sometimes to commit ritual suicide. The wakizashi was one of several short swords available for use by samurai including the yoroi toshi, the chisa-katana and the tanto. The term wakizashi did not originally specify swords of any official blade length and was an abbreviation of "wakizashi no katana" ("sword thrust at one's side"); the term was applied to companion swords of all sizes. It was not until the Edo period in 1638 when the rulers of Japan tried to regulate the types of swords and the social groups which were allowed to wear them that the lengths of katana and wakizashi were officially set.

There are many reasons why people enjoy collecting swords. Some people are drawn to the beauty and craftsmanship of swords, while others appreciate their historical and cultural significance. Swords can also be a symbol of power and strength, and some collectors find enjoyment in the challenge of acquiring rare or valuable swords.

One of the greatest joys of sword collecting is the opportunity to learn about the history and culture of different civilisations. Swords have been used by warriors for millennia, and each culture has developed its own unique sword designs and traditions. By studying swords, collectors can gain a deeper understanding of the people who made and used them.

Another joy of sword collecting is the sheer variety of swords that are available. There are swords in our gallery from all over the world and from every period of history. Collectors can choose to specialize in a particular type of sword, such as Japanese katanas or medieval longswords, or they can collect a variety of swords from different cultures and time periods. No matter what your reasons for collecting swords, it is a hobby that can provide many years of enjoyment. Swords are beautiful, fascinating, and historically significant objects.

Every item is accompanied with our unique, Certificate of Authenticity. Of course any certificate of authenticity, given by even the best specialist dealers, in any field, all around the world, is simply a piece of paper,…however, ours is backed up with the fact we are the largest dealers of our kind in the world, with over 100 years and four generation’s of professional trading experience behind us read more  read more

Code: 26401

Probably The Rarest Polish Hero's Medal Group in The World. French Foreign Legion Group & Badge of the Bayonian Battalion,+ Dog Tag Bracelet. One of the Only 200 Polish Volunteers To Serve In The French Foreign Legion In WW1. Tragically 150 Were KIA 1915

Possibly one of of only a maximum of fifty groups of medals ever awarded to the surviving Heroic Polish volunteers, from this Polish Volunteer Legion, that survived up to the end of 1915, during WW1, and probably the only group still surviving today.
Between 1915, up to November 1918, how many of those 50 survivors, that transferred to the regular Polish Army, may well have also tragically perished in combat in those two years.

So just how few such groups survive till today is anyone's guess, but there only being a maximum of fifty surviving members of the volunteers by the end of 1915, less all the later casualties, it is possible this set is a unique survivor from the history of the National Hero's of the Polish French Foreign Legion Volunteers of WW1.
A plaque dedicated to these most heroic of men is upon the “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier” in Poland

A group of four World War One French Foreign Legion Polish volunteer’s military service medals, the Croix De Guerre and star, Croix du Combattant de 1914-1918, The 1914–1918 Commemorative war medal with foreign volunteer bar, French WWI Victory Medal, with a set of framed matching miniatures, plus the silver and enamel badge of the Polish Foreign Legion volunteers 'Bajończyk Battalion'.
Made of silver and enamel, it is in the form of a breast badge with a screw threaded mount made by the contract maker, B. Szulecki of Warsaw. With its original maker marked, domed, screw threaded mount.
The group, miniatures and badge is complete with the Polish French Foreign Legion Volunteer’s 'named' dog tag bracelet, made and issued in Paris in 1914, and mounted on a wrist bracelet. In October 1915 a Polish Periodical Newspaper Publication in Paris {Polonia : Revue Hebdomadaire Polonaise. A. 2, October 1915, issue no 40} mentions this Polish volunteer’s soldiers name, as he was a Polish Legion Volunteer, and made a listed donation of 5 Francs, on the fifth list of donations received by the administration of the Polonia magazine, for Polish Victims of War.

This group was colloquially called the Bayonian Legion. They formed the 2nd company of the 1st regiment of the Foreign Legion, which received its own banner with the image of an eagle. Command positions were filled by French officers, and some lower functions were in the hands of Poles from the Foreign Legion
Instead of the planned legion ( Legion Bayonne ), two units were formed from Polish volunteers recruited in Paris in August 1914: approximately 200 soldiers were sent to Bayonne for training , hence they were called Bayonians, and approximately 250 soldiers were sent to Rueil, hence their name - Rueilians . While the Bajonians remained a compact unit consisting of one company , the Rueilians were dispersed in various units of the 3rd Marching Regiment of the Foreign Legion. Further recruitment was suspended after a protest from the Russian embassy, ​​which feared that the legion would fight for Poland's independence.

Ultimately, the Bajonians were incorporated into the 2nd March Regiment (commander: Colonel Louis Pein) as part of the 1st Foreign Regiment - as the 2nd company of Battalion C (battalion commander - Major Gustave Alfred Noiré ). Among the volunteers was the son of the famous historian Józef Szujski - Władysław . Initially, Xawery Dunikowski was also a Bajończyk, who, together with Jan Żyznowski , designed the company's banner, presented to the Poles on September 21, 1914 by the mayor of the city, Joseph Garat. The remaining companies of this battalion were composed of Czechs (1), Belgians (3) and Italians (4). Initially, the Bajonians' company was commanded by Reserv. Julien Maxime Stephen "Max" Doumic (who died on November 11, 1914 near Sillery in the Marne department ), and after him by Capt. Juvénal Osmont d'Amilly (died on May 9, 1915 near Neuville-Saint-Vaast in the Pas-de-Calais department ).

The uniform of the Bajonians consisted of red trousers and a red hat, a navy blue sweatshirt and a blue coat . The unit's banner depicted a white eagle without a crown on a red background . Władysław Szujski served as the Bajoni's standard-bearer .

The company was sent to the front on October 22, 1914. Bajoons fought against the Germans on the Western Front in Champagne in 1914–1915. They served near Sillery from November 1914 to April 1915. Then they were sent to the town of Arras , where on May 9 they participated in the attack on the Vimy hills near Neuville-Saint-Vaast. They captured the German positions, at the cost of their success with heavy losses amounting to ¾ of the company's strength.

“The surviving soldiers of the division
were almost completely lost”. “The
commitment and sacrifice of this first rate unit was demonstrated in particular on 9 May 1915, when, placed at the head of the column attacking the “Ouvrages Blancs”, it distinguished itself brilliantly in
capturing enemy positions hitherto defended stubbornly, not stopping until it had fulfilled
its objectives, despite very heavy losses”, the
citation states in the military order of the day.

After this period, only about 50 Bajonians remained alive, and after resting on June 16, they were sent to German positions at the cemetery in Souchez, where other soldiers died, and therefore the unit was disbanded in the summer of 1915. a. On
16 June 1915, the “Bayonnais survivors”
attacked with bayonets to take the cemetery at Souchez.


Their heroism is still documented by the company banner with traces of 34 bullet holes, which is kept in the Polish Army Museum in Warsaw . Some former Bajon soldiers enlisted in French units or went to Russia to fight in Polish troops . The vast majority joined the Polish Army in France, organised since 1917 .

On June 10, 1922, the Minister of Military Affairs awarded the Cross of Valor for the first time "for the bravery and courage shown in the fights against the enemy of the Homeland" to the late. major of the French army Noiret (Noiré), late the captain of the French army, Ossman (Osmont d'Amilly) and three officers, ten non-commissioned officers and thirteen privates - soldiers of the former 1st Polish Division of the "Bajones" .

On September 27, 1922, the Commander-in-Chief and Chief of State Józef Piłsudski awarded the Silver Cross of the Order of Virtuti Militari No. 6155 to the banner of the "former 1st Polish Division in France (Bajones)" and awarded the order of the same class to 18 former soldiers of the Legion, including 6 officers and 12 privates


Bayonne Company

In 1914, Poland had been divided between Russia, Germany and Austria-Hungary for more than a century. At the outbreak of the war, Polish subjects largely expressed loyalty towards their relevant sovereigns. On 31 July 1914 – shortly before the outbreak of the war between Germany and France – Polish emigrants in Paris formed the “Committee of Polish Volunteers for a Service in the French Army”. Since the French authorities considered the Polish issue an internal Russian problem, they permitted the creation of Polish units exclusively within the Foreign Legion.

Although there were sufficient volunteers for two companies, only one – the Bayonneans – went to the front as a complete unit. The French decided to split the second company and allocated its soldiers to other formations. The Bayonneans suffered heavy losses, and in spring 1915 they were ordered to withdrew from the immediate front line.

Thanks to the efforts of the Polish community in France, a monument to the Bajone people was unveiled on the site of the Battle of Arras in La Targette on May 21, 1933. In Bayonne , on July 15, 1934, the "Aux Volontaires Polonaises" plaque was unveiled, and at the Notre-Dame de Lorette necropolis, a similar plaque "In Honor of Polish Volunteers" was unveiled, funded by the French Polish Congress in 1978. A number of names of Bayonians were engraved on the "L'Anneau de la Mémoire" monument. ” unveiled on November 11, 2014 next to the above-mentioned cemetery . In Poland, the Bajonians were commemorated with the inscription "Arras 9 May 1915" on the plaque of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw . On April 5, 1929, the Minister of Military Affairs gave the 43rd Infantry Regiment the name "43rd Infantry Regiment of the Bajonan Legion" , and on July 25, 1939, changed it to "43rd Rifle Regiment of the Bajonan Legion". Apart from the tombstones and names of the few Bajo people commemorated in cemeteries in France and Poland, the only monument outside the cemetery to a Bajoan, 2nd Lieutenant . Lucjan Malcza is located in his birthplace in the village of Olszowa .

Pictures in the gallery of the Polish Volunteers Bajonian French Foreign Legion
Dream of Polish volunteers in French army 1914

Wladyslaw Szujski death 1914  read more

Code: 25169

A Beautiful Quality 'Commercial' Walnut Gunstock For an Imperial German Luger Semi Auto Pistol, Likely the Long Barrel Navy or Artillery Luger. These Luger Accessories Are Now Pretty Rare & Turn Up Most Infrequently.

In fact , after a reasonable effort at research we could find no other quite like it for sale anywhere worldwide, even the regular flat sided military issue tupes are not to be seen at present, unless they were with a complete pistol. A super old piece of Luger pistol kit, to transfer the pistol into an effective carbine.

Overall in excellent condition, the steel locking bracket does has some old small pitting in small areas.

A usual example, the regular military type was thin slab sided walnut. This is a traditional full butt stock form example.

We have fitted it to some of our private collection Lugers and it fitted our long barrel artillery and navy Lugers butt stock mount well, and it fitted into the slots of all the Lugers perfectly, but on some WW2 lugers the locking latch was tight. This may well be that the old WW1 lugers had had their carbine stocks fitted frequently, and our WW2 Lugers may never have used the carbine stock option in service at all so had no internal slot wear at all to make a good fit.

The Pistole Parabellum or Parabellum-Pistole (Pistol Parabellum), commonly known as just the Luger or Luger P08, is a toggle-locked recoil-operated semi-automatic pistol. The Luger was produced in several models and by several nations from 1898 to 1949.

The design was patented by Georg Luger. It was meant to be an improvement of the Borchardt C-93 pistol, and was initially produced as the Parabellum Automatic Pistol, Borchardt-Luger System by the German arms manufacturer Deutsche Waffen- und Munitionsfabriken (DWM). The first production model was known as the Modell 1900 Parabellum. It was followed by the "Marinepistole 1904" for the Imperial German Navy.

At the beginning of World War I, not all units of the German Army had been equipped with the Luger, leading to an acceleration in production. Alongside the P08, Germany also developed the LP08, a version with a stock and longer barrel that could also accept drum magazines. The LP08 was used by the Luftstreitkräfte during the early days of the war, before planes were equipped with machine guns, although due to a lack of pre-war production, the LP08 was much less commonly used than the P08. The main user of the LP08 was the Army, who used its drum magazine to deliver a high rate of fire at a close range, a concept which would lead to the development of the Stormtroopers and the MP 18. After the end of the war, Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles, which restricted the size of their army – the treaty specified that the German Army could only have 50,000 pistols, and prohibited submachine guns and pistols with stocks altogether  read more

Code: 25861

A Beautiful, Edo Period, 18th Century Edo Period Hanbo, A Samurai Warrior's Face Armour Mask With Laced Neck Armour Lames

Black lacquer decor throughout, with vermillion lacquer interior. The expression is fierce/noble with protruding chin, the shape is elegant and very well refined. three lame yodarekake, with hooked standing cord pegs. Face armour, of this type is called hanbo.

They were worn with the Samurai's armours to serve as a protection for the head and the face from sword cuts. There are 4 types of face armour mask designs that came into general use in Japan: happuri (which covers the forehead and cheeks), hanbō (covers the lower face, from below the nose all the way to the chin), sōmen (covers the entire face) and the me-no-shita-men (covers the face from nose to chin). We can also classify those mask depending on their facial expressions, most of which derive from the theatre masks. It has an asenagashino ana a hole under the chin to drain off perspiration and orikugi two projecting studs above the chin to provide a secure fastening to the wearer. In the 16th century Japan began trading with Europe during what would become known as the Nanban trade. Samurai acquired European armour including the cuirass and comb morion which they modified and combined with domestic armour as it provided better protection from the newly introduced matchlock muskets known as Tanegashima. The introduction of the tanegashima by the Portuguese in 1543 changed the nature of warfare in Japan causing the Japanese armour makers to change the design of their armours from the centuries old lamellar armours to plate armour constructed from iron and steel plates which was called tosei gusoku (new armours). Bullet resistant armours were developed called tameshi gusoku or (bullet tested) allowing samurai to continue wearing their armour despite the use of firearms.


The era of warfare called the Sengoku period ended around 1600, Japan was united and entered a relatively peaceful Edo period. However, the Shoguns of the Tokugawa period were most adept at encouraging clan rivalries and conflicts and battles were engaged throughout the empire. This of course suited the Shogun very well, while all his subordinate daimyo fought each other they were unlikely to conspire against him. Samurai use continued to use both plate and lamellar armour as a symbol of their status but traditional armours were no longer necessary for war, but still for battle. The face armour was not designed to have any nose protection fitted, the lacquer is original Edo period throughout with vermilion red lacquer in the interior face portion, the exterior lacquer has a fair amount of age flaking over around 6-8% of the neck defence lames.  read more

Code: 23686

An Antique Indian Kulah Khud Helmet With Fully Etched and Engraved With Exotic Birds and Figures. Mounted With the Traditional Spike & Peacock Feather Plume Mounts

Just returned from two weeks cleaning, hand conservation, and hand polishing.

Khula Khud helmets of this design originated in Central Asia, and this form were worn by Persian Empire soldiers in the 18th and 19th Centuries.

Despite the similarity in their design, the Kulah Khud helmets were decorated with a wide degree of variations depending on the cultures from which they were created. Decorations often appeared in the skull and the nasal bar, which were often heavily decorated with patterned motifs of inlaid brass, silver or gold; or decorated with figurative images.
Some Mughal helmets feature calligraphic inscriptions from the Quran, supposedly to gain "Help from Allah and a speedy victory." Made of steel, these bowl-shaped helmets were designed as either low and flat, or high and pointed. They sometimes contained a spike socket such as this one, at the top of the helmet, which resembles a spearhead with a cross-like section.
Two or three plume holders were attached on either side of the skull, used to mount feathers from birds such as the egret or peacock.

As one can see their design was not only perfectly functional and effective for combat, but aesthetically, extraordinarily beautiful, and once fully armoured the Mughal warrior of the time would look incredibly impressive and remarkably intimidating.

The last picture in the gallery is a later interpretation of the legendary ruler Saladin, Sultan Salahuddin Ayyubi, wearing his version of the khula khud dome topped, chain mailed helmet.

“From his earliest days, Saladin exhibited qualities that would later define him as a leader. His upbringing introduced a strong sense of discipline, duty, and honor. The principles of martial ethics, integral to the Ayyubid household, became the pillars upon which his future actions would rest.
As he navigated the labyrinthine corridors of his youth in Tikrit, Saladin could not have known the extraordinary path that lay before him. It was a path carved by the hands of destiny; a journey that would see him rise from these modest beginnings to become a figure of global significance.
Saladin’s early life in Tikrit, steeped in the traditions of his Kurdish heritage and shaped by the legacy of his Ayyubid lineage, sowed the seeds of greatness. Little did he know that he would one day ascend to heights of power and leadership, leaving a permanent mark on the records of history. His journey was beginning, and the world would soon witness the remarkable destiny of Salah ad-Din Yusuf ibn Ayyub.”  read more

Code: 25926

Most Attractive, Cased, Warsaw Pact, Cold War Communist, Red Star, 'Outstanding Workers Medal'

A "Kiváló Műszaki Dolgozó" (Excellent Technical Worker) presentation medal set from the Communist-era Hungarian People's Republic. Issued primarily during the Kádár regime {1957} of the Cold War, this specific civilian award was part of the state-sponsored "socialist labour competition" designed to incentivise high productivity, workplace discipline, and loyalty to the regime among technical personnel and engineers

The medal typically features prominent socialist iconography including a red star, often alongside a hammer, sickle, or industrial motifs, and is finished in red, white, and green enamelling to mirror the Hungarian flag. Collector sets originally, and came cased in their original red presentation boxes, lined with velvet and cream satin, accompanied by a miniature lapel pin intended for everyday wear.

The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 (23 October – 4 November 1956; also known as the Hungarian Uprising, was an attempted countrywide revolution against the government of the Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989) and the policies caused by the government's subordination to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR).
The uprising lasted 15 days before being crushed by Soviet tanks and troops on 7 November 1956 (outside of Budapest, firefights lasted until at least 12 November 1956). Thousands were killed or wounded, and nearly a quarter of a million Hungarians fled the country.

The Hungarian Revolution began on 23 October 1956 in Budapest when university students appealed to the civil populace to join them at the Hungarian Parliament Building to protest the USSR's geopolitical domination of Hungary through the communist government of Mátyás Rákosi. A delegation of students entered the building of Magyar Rádió to broadcast their sixteen demands for political and economic reforms to civil society, but were detained by security guards. When the student protesters outside the radio building demanded the release of their delegation, a group of police from the ÁVH (State Protection Authority) fatally shot several of the students. The siege of the Radio building began shortly after midnight and ended around 8 a.m.
At that point, the revolutionaries broke into the building and captured the soldiers, officer cadets, and members of the universally hated ÁVH (State Protection Authority) and made them their prisoners.
ÁVH officer Major Fehér was executed with a shot to the back of the head.

The extreme public hatred exposed by these events forced the revolutionary government of Imre Nagy to officially dissolve the ÁVH shortly thereafter.  read more

Code: 26399

A Delightful & Beautiful Early to Mid Edo Period 1598-1863 Samurai War Arrow Yanone (Arrow), With Togari-ya (Pointed Head) of Yanagi-ha ("Willow-Leaf"). WithYadake Bamboo Haft & Sea Eagle Flights & Traditional Tamagahane, In Incredibly Rare Full Polish

It is most rare to find original, antique samurai war arrows {ya} that still have beautifully polished tamagahane steel blades, that they would all have had originally, that often show the traditional hamon, the same as a traditional samurai sword would have had.
Acquired by us by personally being permitted to select from the private collection one of the world's greatest, highly respected and renown archery, bow and arrow experts. Who had spent his life travelling the world to lecture on archery and to accumulate the finest arrows and bows he could find. .

With original traditional eagle feathers, probably the large edge-wing feathers of a Japanese sea eagle. The armour piercing arrow tip, that is swollen at the tip to have the extra piercing power to penetrate armour and helmets {kabuto}, is a brightly polished, traditional tamagahane steel hand made, by a sword smith, long arrow head, originally hand made with folding and tempering exactly as would be a samurai sword blade, possibly signed on the tang under the binding but we would never remove it to see. The Edo period early eagle feathers are now slightly worn. It is entirely indicative of the Japanese principle that as much time skill and effort be used to create a single 'fire and forget' arrow, as would be used to make a tanto or katana. A British or European blacksmith might once have made ten or twenty arrows a day, a Japanese craftsman might take a week to make a single arrow, that has a useable combat life of maybe two minutes, the same as a simplest British long bow arrow.

The Togari-Ya or pointed arrowheads look like a small Yari (spear) were pointed arrowheads were used only for war and are armour piercing arrows . Despite being somewhat of a weapon that was 'fire and forget' it was created regardless of cost and time, like no other arrow ever was outside of Japan. For example, to create the arrow head alone, in the very same traditional way today, using tamahagane steel, folding and forging, water quench tempering, then followed by polishing, it would likely cost way in excess of a thousand pounds, that is if you could find a Japanese master sword smith today who would make one for you. Then would would need hafting, binding, and feathering, by a completely separate artisan, and finally, using eagle feathers as flights, would be very likely impossible. This is a simple example of how incredible value finest samurai weaponry can be, items that can be acquired from us that would cost many times the price of our original antiques in order to recreate today. Kyu Jutsu is the art of Japanese archery.The beginning of archery in Japan is pre-historical. The first images picturing the distinct Japanese asymmetrical longbow are from the Yayoi period (c. 500 BC – 300 AD).
The changing of society and the military class (samurai) taking power at the end of the first millennium created a requirement for education in archery. This led to the birth of the first kyujutsu ryūha (style), the Henmi-ryū, founded by Henmi Kiyomitsu in the 12th century. The Takeda-ryū and the mounted archery school Ogasawara-ryū were later founded by his descendants. The need for archers grew dramatically during the Genpei War (1180–1185) and as a result the founder of the Ogasawara-ryū (Ogasawara Nagakiyo), began teaching yabusame (mounted archery) In the twelfth and thirteenth century a bow was the primary weapon of a warrior on the battlefield. Bow on the battlefield stopped dominating only after the appearance of firearm.The beginning of archery in Japan is pre-historical. The first images picturing the distinct Japanese asymmetrical longbow are from the Yayoi period (c. 500 BC – 300 AD).
The changing of society and the military class (samurai) taking power at the end of the first millennium created a requirement for education in archery. This led to the birth of the first kyujutsu ryūha (style), the Henmi-ryū, founded by Henmi Kiyomitsu in the 12th century. The Takeda-ryū and the mounted archery school Ogasawara-ryū were later founded by his descendants. The need for archers grew dramatically during the Genpei War (1180–1185) and as a result the founder of the Ogasawara-ryū (Ogasawara Nagakiyo), began teaching yabusame (mounted archery) Warriors practiced several types of archery, according to changes in weaponry and the role of the military in different periods. Mounted archery, also known as military archery, was the most prized of warrior skills and was practiced consistently by professional soldiers from the outset in Japan. Different procedures were followed that distinguished archery intended as warrior training from contests or religious practices in which form and formality were of primary importance. Civil archery entailed shooting from a standing position, and emphasis was placed upon form rather than meeting a target accurately. By far the most common type of archery in Japan, civil or civilian archery contests did not provide sufficient preparation for battle, and remained largely ceremonial. By contrast, military training entailed mounted maneuvers in which infantry troops with bow and arrow supported equestrian archers.

Mock battles were staged, sometimes as a show of force to dissuade enemy forces from attacking. While early medieval warfare often began with a formalized archery contest between commanders, deployment of firearms and the constant warfare of the 15th and 16th centuries ultimately led to the decline of archery in battle. In the Edo period archery was considered an art, and members of the warrior classes participated in archery contests that venerated this technique as the most favoured weapon of the samurai. In the gallery is from an Edo exhibition of archery that shows a tagari ya arrow pierced completely through, back and front, an armoured steel multi plate kabuto helmet. Another photo shows an unmounted arrow head with the considerable length of the tang that is concealed by the haft.
In the gallery is from an Edo exhibition of archery that shows a tagari ya arrow pierced completely through, back and front, an armoured steel multi plate kabuto helmet. Another photo shows an unmounted arrow head with the considerable length of the tang that is concealed by the haft.

Image in the gallery is our classic, original Japanese print 'The Last Stand of the Kusunoki Heroes at Shijo-Nawate 1851'. by Utagawa Kuniyoshi. The last original triptych example of this wonder that we had for sale sold for £3,450 {to a museum in the States}.

Please note, almost all the war arrows in the print are most similar to this one.

"The warrior in the vanguard of the three, Wada Shinbei Masatomo, is carrying a couple of decapitated heads – the one we can see so clearly is grinning even in death – swinging them out in front of him in a gesture of defiance. Their leader, Kusunoki Masatsura, the last of the three, pausing momentarily to lean against the corpse of a horse, is labouring under the weight of a dead body sprawled across his back, which may be that of his fallen younger brother. That corpse helps to shield him from the mighty, unstoppable spray of arrows. The central figure is driving forward beneath the inadequate protection of a woefully collapsing battle standard. Only the leader for the day forges ahead, eyes in a kind of trance-like engagement with those of the enemy, as he shakes those heads like a brandished fist."
Quoted from an article written in the Independant by Michael Glover May 2012

In the gallery is from an Edo exhibition of archery that shows a tagari ya arrow pierced completely through, back and front, an armoured steel multi plate kabuto helmet. Another photo shows an unmounted arrow head with the considerable length of the tang that is concealed by the haft.

Every item is accompanied with our unique, Certificate of Authenticity. Of course any certificate of authenticity, given by even the best specialist dealers, in any field, all around the world, is simply a piece of paper,…however, ours is backed up with the fact we are the largest dealers of our kind in the world, with over 100 years and four generation’s of professional trading experience behind us  read more

Code: 25843