An Edo Japanese Kayakuire Teppo Musket Powder Flask

Kayakuire (Powder Flask) is an essential element of the Teppo Tai (Japanese Samurai Gunners or Riflemen). The kayaku is the flask used to contain the main powder charge, when there was no hayago (fast-loading tube). The gunpowder in the kayakuire was poured down the teppo canon, followed by a wadding, iron ball, and then hit with the karuka (ramrod). The Samurai's teppo has been used in Samurai Warfare since their introduction to the Samurai, in 1543, by the Portuguese.

Much of Japan was involved with internecine wars during the Sengoku period (1467-1603), as feudal lords vied for supremacy. Matchlock guns were introduced midway through the period and saw extensive use in the later years of the conflict, playing a decisive role on the battlefield. In 1549, Oda Nobunaga ordered 500 guns to be produced for his armies at a time when the benefits of firearms over traditional weapons were still relatively questionable to other daimyo.

The Japanese soon worked on various techniques to improve the effectiveness of their guns. They developed a staggered firing technique to create a continuous rain of bullets on the enemy. They also developed larger caliber barrels and ammunition to increase lethality. Protective boxes in lacquerware were invented to fit over the firing mechanism so it could still fire while it was raining, as were systems to accurately fire weapons at night by keeping fixed angles thanks to measured strings. Another development would be the hayago, a bamboo cartridge used to facilitate faster reloading. A hollow tube open on the both ends, the hayago contained gun powder, wadding, and a bullet. Upon tearing open the tube's paper seal at the bottom, a soldier could quickly use it to pour the necessary powder into his weapon before placing over the barrel and using his rammer to load both wadding and bullet into the barrel at the same time. After use, the hayago could be kept for repacking or discarded. One significant place to see other original Samurai Tanegeshima in present day Japan is in Matsumoto Castle, within their armoury. Particular importance in the collection are the Tanageshima, which played an important role during the massive battle for Osaka Castle in 1615. The main articles in the collection are matchlocks manufactured in the period from 1543 (when guns were introduced by the Portuguese through Tanegashima island) through to the late Edo period during the long Tokugawa peace. In total there are 141 guns of different design, caliber and period, and 230 pieces of armor. All of the weapons were made in Japan during a century in which enormous changes took place, both in Japan's social and political organization and modernisation prior to the closing of the country and 250 years of relative isolation. Matsumoto Castle was built some 50 years after the introduction by Portuguese traders of firearms into Japan. For this reason the walls of the turrets (Nurigome-zukuri) are thick enough to withstand bullets, and the defences were built in depth. As firearms were also used to defend the castle, the donjon has 55 square holes called teppozama, from which matchlock muskets (and in some cases small cannon) could bring fire to bear on an assaulting force.  read more

Code: 23210

A Beautiful 18th to 19th Century Ottoman Shamshir. With Traditional Carved Horn Hilt

A form of sword that is actually known around the world by at least three different names, the kilij, shamshir and mamaluke. Picture in the gallery of Napoleon in Egypt carrying his identical form of kilij/shamshir. A sturdy curved single edged steel blade of kilij form. A hilt comprised of a grip with horn grip-scales rising to a bulbous pommel in a characteristic Turkish Ottoman style, set with rivets and enclosed by fluted brass straps, with a gilt metal crossguard. The wooden scabbard is covered in leather stamped with geometric patterning/

The horn grip is very good and, the scabbard is good with impressed patterning.

Many old Turkish and Mameluke blades were constantly remounted and used for a few hundred years and were passed from father to son and were used by the next generations, hence swords made earlier were still used after hundreds of years. The overall length with the scabbard is approximately:


Examples of similar forms of Ottoman swords can be seen in the Topkapi Sarayi Museum Istanbul and also in the Askeri Museum Istanbul Turkey. The kilij sword was mainly favoured by the famous Turkish Ottoman elite cavalry Sipahi, but was also very popular in many Balkan states and some Eastern European countries such as Poland, Ukraine, and Hungary and parts of the Russian Empire.

See Islamic Swords and Swordsmiths by Unsal Yucel, "Les armes blanches du monde islamique" by Alan Jacob and "Armies of the Ottoman Turks 1300-1774" by David Nicolle. Mamelukes are members of a former military caste originally composed of slaves from Turkey, that held the Egyptian throne from the mid thirteenth century to the early 1500s. They remained strong until 1811.

Regency fashion took inspiration from everything Mameluke, from swords to clothing. Many British generals and admirals took to wearing the Kilij or mamluke, and in France, Napoleon's general's did very much the same. The origins of the Mamluke originate from the slave soldiers who converted to Islam and served the Muslim caliphs and the Ayyubid Sultans during the Middle Ages. Over time, they became a powerful military caste often defeating the Crusaders. On more than one occasion, they seized power for themselves; for example, ruling Egypt in the Mamluk Sultanate from 1250–1517.Initially the Mamelukes were mostly Qipchaq Turks from the steppe lands north of the Black Sea but from 1382 onwards the rulers were mostly Circasians from the Caucasus. Though Mameluke politics were marked by intrigue and violence, the regime was very successful. Militarily they were the only power able to defeat the Mongols, at the battle of Ain Jalut in 1260, and they put an end to the crusader occupation of the Holy Land with the conquest of Acre in 1291. Both economically and culturally, Mameluke rule was the most successful period in the history of medieval Egypt. The Mamelukes remained a force to be reckoned with until their defeat by Napoleon at the battle of the Pyramids in 1798.

34.75 inches long in scabbard
Sword 34 inches long.  read more

Code: 25291

A Hugely Impressive & Beautiful, Gothic, Medieval Form Pole Or Tiller Gun, Light Cannon Size Yet Hand Portable.

1.25 inch bore iron 'cannon form' barrel, with a carved hardwood tiller, probably later, bearing a beautifully carved Tudor rose. Probably a 17th century gun, and during it's later working life it has been stored in the 18th to 19th century in the armoury of the Maharajah of Jaipur and bears the Maharajah’s armoury storage marks stamped thereon.

This type of gun is typical of many surviving from the period 1420 to around 1480. It’s a most sturdy and massive forged iron barrel made by a armoury blacksmith, mounted with a wooden pole or tiller. Some version might have had a hook on the bottom of the barrel as does this, which could be used to hook the barrel over the top of a wall or shield, or as a close-quarters weapon.

The the late medieval term used was arquebus or harkbuss meaning a hand fired gun..

This gun can be fired by a single person if it is hooked over a wall, or more easily by two people, a gunner and a calinator due to it’s weight. The earlier weapons all rely on putting a lighted match into the touch-hole by hand. The matchlock gun represented a real advance. It held the lighted match on a pivoted trigger lever (known as a serpentine). This allowed the gunner to look at his target where aiming.

This style of gun was the highest technology of the medieval era, not widespread until after 1450, and continuing until perhaps 1550, when it grew in length and became the familiar musket of the English civil wars in the 1700’s.

Barrel 31.5 inches long, barrel muzzle 2.5 inches across, tiller 18 inches, and overall 50 inches. As with all our antique guns no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables, barrel bore bears old tamper obstruction.  read more

Code: 20331

A Superb 16th Century Italian Glaive Polearm, Used in the 1500's

Also known as a fauchard. 34.5 inch head. glaive is a European polearm weapon, consisting of a single-edged blade on the end of a pole. It is similar to the Japanese naginata, the Chinese guandao, Russian sovnya and Siberian palma

Typically, the blade was from around 45 cm (18 inches) long, on the end of a pole 2 m (6 or 7 feet) long, and the blade was affixed in a socket-shaft configuration similar to an axe head, rather than having a tang like a sword or naginata. Occasionally glaive blades were created with a small hook on the reverse side [such as this one] to better catch riders on horseback. Such blades are called glaive-guisarmes.

According to the 1599 treatise Paradoxes of Defence by the English gentleman George Silver, the glaive is used in the same general manner as the quarterstaff, half pike, bill, halberd, voulge, or partisan. Silver rates this class of polearms above all other individual hand-to-hand combat weapons.
The Maciejowski Bible (Morgan Bible) depicts an example of a two-handed glaive used on horseback. Two images in our gallery are taken from the Morgan Bible (Folio 10 Verso - top). Notice the Warbrand in the forefront slicing into a mounted soldier with his glaive. Another early engraving of a knight with a glaive, and a group of men behing the king all with forms of glaive.
The contemporary term for this weapon may have been faussart, which was used for a variety of single-edged weapons seen as related to the scythe (along with terms such as falchion or falcata derived from falx, the Latin term for "scythe"). 96.75 inches long overall [haft is so long it would need to be expertly but only temporarily halved by our workshop for shipping] This superb glaive was formerly part of the Higgin's Collection and exhibited in the wonderful Higgins Museum Collection in Massachusetts for many decades, and it still bears, for its provenence, its original Higgins Armoury museum collection label.  read more

Code: 22579

A Fabulous Piece Of Napoleonic Wars Maritime History. Hand Written Napoleonic Wars Royal Naval 'Secret Intelligence' Report 1809

A secret intelligence report regarding Capt Beresford's observations of the enemy ship numbers off L'Orient and the Rochefort ships. Hand written and triple folded on laid paper bearing the watermark of the Prince of Wales Feathers, a monogram, MJL, and dated 1806. Paper makers Molineux Johnston and Lee of Lewes Sussex, cut and gilt edges.
This is the very same laid paper, by MJL, that was used in personal correspondence by Percy Bysshe Shelley, whose family home was near Lewes, and is duly recorded in the Bodlean at Oxford. Naturally, for a Naval Intelligence secret report it is unsigned, but one must sumise it would have been composed by an naval intelligence agent, such as the fictional ship's surgeon, Stephen Maturin, a physician, and intelligence agent in the nautical and historical novels by Patrick O'brian.

The Battle of the Basque Roads, also Battle of Aix Roads was a naval battle during the Napoleonic Wars off the Island of Aix. On the night of 11 April 1809 Captain Lord Cochrane led a British fireship attack against a powerful French force anchored in the Basque Roads. In the attack all but two of the French ships were driven ashore. The subsequent engagement lasted three days but failed to destroy the entire French fleet. Capt Beresford was part of the British squdron on HMS Theseus.

Cochrane accused the British commanding officer, Admiral James Gambier, of being reluctant to press the attack. Gambier demanded a court-martial, and was duly exonerated; Cochrane's career in the Royal Navy ended. The French Navy continued to operate against the British from the Basque Roads until the end of the Napoleonic Wars. Written side only 7 x 4.5 inches, opens to 9 x 4.5, fully folded 3 x 4.5 inches.

This fine original historical piece of Royal naval history would look absolutely superb suitably mounted and bespoke framed.  read more

Code: 20235

A Very Good, Rare, 1910-1918 Historically Significant General's WW1 Austrian Kepi Service Cap

In superb condition. Photos in the gallery of Archduke Franz Ferdinand wearing his identical general's cap. An Austrian general's cap for a general that was serving at the time that Archduke Ferdinand was assassinated that ultimately was the direct cause of WW1.
It is even feasible he may have been on the Arch Duke's staff when he was killed.
Austro-Hungary was the dominant junior partner of the Central Powers, controlled by Imperial Germany and the Kaiser in WW1. With leather peak and bullion cockade and bullion trim. Maker label marked. It was the assassination of Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand heir to the throne of the Austro Hungarian Empire in Serbia that was the cause for the greatest conflict known to man, The Great War or WW1 as it is known today. Franz Ferdinand (18 December 1863 - 28 June 1914) was an Archduke of Austria-Este, Austro-Hungarian and Royal Prince of Hungary and of Bohemia, and from 1896 until his death, heir presumptive to the Austro-Hungarian throne.

His assassination in Sarajevo precipitated Austria-Hungary's declaration of war against Serbia. This thus caused the Central Powers (including Germany and Austria-Hungary) and the Allies of World War I (countries allied with Serbia or Serbia's allies) to declare war upon each other, thus started, World War I.
After the death of Crown Prince Rudolf, Franz Joseph's nephew, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, became heir to the throne. On 28 June 1914, Franz Ferdinand and his morganatic wife, Countess Sophie Chotek, were assassinated on a visit to Sarajevo. When he heard the news of the assassination, Franz Joseph said that
"one has not to defy the Almighty. In this manner a superior power has restored that order which I unfortunately was unable to maintain."

While the emperor was shaken, and interrupted his vacation in order to return to Vienna, he soon resumed his vacation to his imperial villa at Bad Ischl. With the emperor five hours away from the capital, most of the decision-making during the "July Crisis" fell to Count Leopold Berchtold, the Austrian foreign minister, Count Franz Conrad von H?tzendorf, the chief of staff for the Austrian army, and the rest of the ministers. On 21 July, Franz Joseph was apparently surprised by the severity of the ultimatum that was to be sent to the Serbs, and expressed his concerns that Russia would be unwilling to stand idly by, yet he nevertheless chose to not question Berchtold's judgment. A week after the ultimatum, on 28 July, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, and two days later, the Austro-Hungarians and the Russians went to war. Within weeks, the French and British entered the fray. Because of his age, Franz Joseph was unable to take as much as an active part in the war in comparison to past conflicts. On 28 July, the Austro-Hungarians fired the first shots in preparation for the invasion of Serbia.
As Russia mobilised, Germany invaded neutral Belgium and Luxembourg before moving towards France, leading Britain to declare war on Germany. After the German march on Paris was halted, what became known as the Western Front settled into a battle of attrition, with a trench line that would change little until 1917. Meanwhile, on the Eastern Front, the Russian army was successful against the Austro-Hungarians, but was stopped in its invasion of East Prussia by the Germans. In November 1914, the Ottoman Empire joined the war, opening fronts in the Caucasus, Mesopotamia and the Sinai. Italy and Bulgaria went to war in 1915, Romania in 1916, and the United States in 1917.

The war approached a resolution after the Russian government collapsed in March 1917, and a subsequent revolution in November brought the Russians to terms with the Central Powers. On 4 November 1918, the Austro-Hungarian empire agreed to an armistice. After a 1918 German offensive along the western front, the Allies drove back the Germans in a series of successful offensives and began entering the trenches. Germany, which had its own trouble with revolutionaries, agreed to an armistice on 11 November 1918, ending the war in victory for the Allies.
A group photo in the gallery of men wearing similar helmets probably belong to the k.u.k. Husarenregiment Graf von Hadik Nr. 3, which was founded in 1703. The men of this unit came from Hungary, Romania, Serbia and Croatia. This unit was based in Sopron (today in Hungary), where this picture was taken. Another very similar cap is worn by Frederic de Teschen, Arch Duke of Austria, Duc de Teschen.  read more

Code: 22599

A Beautiful & Fine Quality Early Post Medieval to Early 17th Century Renaissance Wrought Iron Chest or Door Lock, German

From a Norman or Gothic carved wooden chest. Superbly crafted and engraved. We show in the gallery the types of chest to which it could have been fitted in order to make them secure. The decoration of Gothic iron locks and keys was often elaborate and of the highest standard of workmanship. The motifs were frequently drawn from Gothic architecture, reproducing on a miniature scale complicated tracery patterns and even tiny statuettes. A number of these tiny locks were compound, with some of the mechanisms concealed from view, and required two or even three keys used in sequence to open them. It has been suggested that the greatly expanded use of locks on doors, or coffrets and other types of storage chests was a result of the increasing urbanization of life and the new emphasis on material wealth and private ownership which developed in the late Middle Ages. From the 15th century on, locksmiths gained a privileged status in society. They had advanced technical skills and were master craftsmen in decoration techniques. Their main clients were town burghers, the clergy, nobility who built castles and other large residences, and the Royal Family. Ever since the Viking era (the 9th to the 11th centuries), chests and small boxes have been important personal storage places in all levels of Swedish society – from the common people to the royal families. Locks made storage more secure. The Oseberg ship was discovered and excavated in the early 1900s in Vestfold, Norway. The ship was built in the first half of the 9th century. Many items were found on board – including storage chests. Chests were generally used by the crews of the Viking ships, who sat on them to row, as well as storing things in them.

In 1936, a Viking wooden tool chest was discovered during the plowing of a field at Mästermyr on Gotland. Over two hundred iron objects were found inside and around the chest, which is 90 cm long and 24 cm high. Of particular interest in the present context is the fact that these objects included blacksmith tools as well as two large keys, lock parts, other lock hardware and three small padlocks.

King Louis XVI of France proved to be a man of very few interests and pleasures in the midst of the whirlwind of entertainment that was Versailles. One was the hunt and the other was his amateur blacksmithing.

A small forge was installed above his private library to indulge the King in his pursuit of this particular hobby. Here there were two anvils and every tool that could possibly be needed was available. As it happened, locks were of a particular interest to Louis. The room was filled with all kinds of locks: common locks, hidden locks and elaborately gilded locks. The château's blacksmith by the name of Gamin was employed to teach the King all he knew - probably in all secrecy . When he was not with the King he was in charge of all the locks at Versailles. From him we know that Louis was eager to conceal this hobby from his courtiers and his Queen which resulted in the two coming up with countless stratagems for removing and bringing in the anvils. Sadly, Gamin would eventually betray Louis during the revolution.

The court was not very approving of their King's hobby. It was thought to be a profession for the lower classes - not a a hobby for a King. Even Marie Antoinette had the occasional complain about this hobby but for a far more practical reason: the work left the King's hands blackened and he would often visit her without washing them first much to the damage of her furniture.
Louis XVI seemed to have paid them little mind. Instead, he agreed with Rousseau that every man should know a manual craft. Meanwhile, the pamphleteers had a field day making the King's interest in keys and locks a fitting symbol of his ... marital problems. This would look stunning mounted or framed. Size 22.5 x 20 cm some photos appear to show its colour as greenish, this is a photographic lighting optical illusion it is in fact blackened with age  read more

Code: 23389

A WW2 MK 1 British Army Bren Gun, Made After Dunkirk In Order To Restock Britains Armoury Stock After The Disaster of Dunkirk. The Type Used by The Desert Rats in 1942/3 Against Rommel

Made in 1942. Very good condition and good markings. Fully operational action. The most accurate and easy to operate light machine gun made, in fact so accurate, a slight inaccuracy was purposely built into it's design in order that rounds did not pass through the same entry hole. No film ever made about the British and Allies in WW2 fails the show the amazing Bren in action, from the Desert Rats combat against the Afrika Corps under Rommel, to the fateful Dieppe raid, the campaigns in Italy, the Normandy landings, the Parachute regiments action into Arnham, and against the fearsome SS Panzer divisions right across France, Belgium, The Netherlands and into the heart of the 3rd Reich in Germany itself.

The world renown Bren Gun was the most faithful servant of the British Tommy, and one that he regarded as the finest of arms a soldier could be given to fight a most powerful, determined and fanatical foe. It is impossible to calculate the incredible loss of life the British and Allies forces would have suffered without the magnificent services of this amazing gun. At Dunkirk we lost tens of thousands of the pre 1941 manufactured Brens leaving us with only around 2300 to defend Britain. All the captured Brens were re-issued by the Third Reich to the German Wehrmacht such as their falshirmjager, the Afrika Korps and even the French most ardent Nazi volunteers in the Melice, and Vichy. See photos in the gallery. Thus re-armament using our factories around the commonwealth was a priority and vital. A statistic that is not discussed today is that the survival rate of the inmates of the 15 French Nazi Concentration camps was near nil, apart from POW detainees.

Sights were a bladed foresight with an aperture rear sight. System feed was a vertical box magazine of 30 round capacity (usual practice was to only fill to 28 in order to prolong the spring's life); each magazine weighed 17oz (0.48kg) empty and 2lb 12 oz (1.25kg) full.

The Bren was first produced at the RSAF Enfield in 1937.
Each gun weighed 22lb 2oz (10kg), was 45.5 in. (1155 mm) long and had a rate of fire of 500 rounds per minute. It fired the .303 in (7.7 mm) standard British rifle round.

Non EU {ie British} sales Only. Can be re-deactivated to EU/ UK spec, if required but not if not. Deactivated .303 Light Machine Gun.

The Bren was a modified version of a Czechoslovak-designed light machine gun, the ZB vz. 26, which British Army officials had tested during a firearms service competition in the 1930s. They were loved by the troops who used them as they rarely went wrong and withstood all conditions equally well. They were very accurate and because they could fire in semi auto, they were often used to pick off long range targets. It was such an effective design that in modified form, it served in the British armed forces until very recently. They can still be found in Africa and work perfectly well to this day.

Photo in the gallery of the WW2 French Milice, the German falschirmjager, and the Afrika Korps. The Milice participated in summary executions and assassinations, helping to round up Jews and résistants in France for deportation. It was the successor to Darnand's Service d'ordre légionnaire (SOL) militia (founded in 1941). The Milice was the Vichy régime's most extreme manifestation of fascism, and force of around 30,000 strong.

Any deactivated weapons sold by The Lanes Armoury are deactivated in the United Kingdom and hold London or Birmingham proof marks and a certificate stating that the weapon has been deactivated correctly. Can be re-deactivated to EU/ UK spec.  read more

Code: 25288

An Incredibly Rare French Naval, Sabre D'Officier De Marine Model Prairelle An XII 1804. Officer's Sword, Most Likely Surrendered or Captured At Trafalgar in 1805. Possibly Even From the Redoutable or Bucentaure

Overall in very good condition for age, very tight and sound with no looseness, yet with commensurate wear for its age, considering its use as a hand to hand combat sword in the service of their emperor Napoleon Bonaparte.

It has a very finely engraved blade with feint traces of blue and gilt, and usual age and surface wear overall.
Almost all of the senior French naval officers at Trafalgar could have carried a sword just as this, and this sword may even have been likely surrendered at Trafalgar itself. Its official title is; Sabre d'officier du Marine, modele de Prairal an XII of 1804. Scabbard throat mount beautifully decorated with a Mermaid, with two tails and modest skirt, as was the identifying feature on a naval officer's sabre of the prairial model. The reverse side of the scabbard has a design of a pattern of the constellation of the stars.

It was by formal decree, dated the 7th of Prairial of the year XII May 28, 1804, that the French First Consul Napoleon Bonaparte approved the creation of the model of this stunning sabre. This is such a rare sword they are almost impossible to find, even in museums.

This French naval officer's combat sword is a stunningly beautiful sabre, and so very rare, as so many warships of the French Napoleonic navy, and their officer's and crew, were captured or destroyed so precious few survive. The British equivalent is the rare 1805 pattern Royal Naval officer's sword, which Nelson also took to at Trafalgar, but the French surviving equivalent, this sword, is at least 100 times the rarer sword. The last known example, of a surrendered French ship's captain's sword, we sold here over 5 years ago.

Sabre naval officer model of the 1st Prairial Year XII, guard a brass branch chiselled and gilded, bow body adorned with an anchor resting on two flags, half round langets chiselled with a radiant head, fluted ebony grip with carved grooves; flat-backed blade, one hollow pan and lateral throat, traces of blue and gilded in the third; leather scabbard with seam, two gilded brass fittings, the throat is provided with two long side hooks for the wearing of the sword with a belt or the harness, it is decorated with a mermaid with two tails, finely engraved with reeds; dart shaped shell;

Prairial was the ninth month in the French Republican Calendar. This month was named after the French word prairie, which means meadow. It was the name given to several ships.
Prairial was the third month of the spring quarter.
The Battle of Trafalgar (21 October 1805) was a naval engagement fought by the British Royal Navy against the combined fleets of the French and Spanish Navies, during the War of the Third Coalition (August–December 1805) of the Napoleonic Wars (1796–1815).

Twenty-seven British ships of the line led by Admiral Lord Nelson aboard HMS Victory defeated thirty-three French and Spanish ships of the line under French Admiral Villeneuve. The battle took place in the Atlantic Ocean off the southwest coast of Spain, just west of Cape Trafalgar, near the town of Los Caños de Meca. The Franco-Spanish fleet lost twenty-two ships and the British lost none.

The victory confirmed the naval supremacy Britain had established during the course of the eighteenth century and it was achieved in part through Nelson's departure from the prevailing naval tactical orthodoxy of the day. Conventional practice at the time was for opposing fleets to engage each other in single parallel lines, in order to facilitate signalling and disengagement, and to maximise fields of fire and target areas. Nelson instead arranged his ships into two columns to sail perpendicularly into the enemy fleet's line.


During the battle,Victory locked masts with the French Redoutable, whose crew, including a strong infantry corps (with three captains and four lieutenants), gathered for an attempt to board and seize Victory. A musket bullet fired from the mizzentop of Redoutable struck Nelson in the left shoulder, passed through his spine at the sixth and seventh thoracic vertebrae, and lodged two inches below his right scapula in the muscles of his back. Nelson exclaimed, "They finally succeeded, I am dead." He was carried below decks.

Victory's gunners were called on deck to fight boarders, and she ceased firing. The gunners were forced back below decks by French grenades. As the French were preparing to board Victory, Temeraire, the second ship in the British windward column, approached from the starboard bow of Redoutable and fired on the exposed French crew with a carronade, causing many casualties.

At 13:55, the French Captain Lucas of Redoutable, with 99 fit men out of 643 and severely wounded himself, surrendered. The French Bucentaure was isolated by Victory and Temeraire, and then engaged by HMS Neptune, HMS Leviathan, and Conqueror; similarly, Santísima Trinidad was isolated and overwhelmed, surrendering after three hours.
Nelson was shot by a French musketeer As Nelson lay dying, he ordered the fleet to anchor, as a storm was predicted. However, when the storm blew up, many of the severely damaged ships sank or ran aground on the shoals. A few of them were recaptured, some by the French and Spanish prisoners overcoming the small prize crews, others by ships sallying from Cádiz. Surgeon William Beatty heard Nelson murmur, "Thank God I have done my duty"; when he returned, Nelson's voice had faded, and his pulse was very weak. He looked up as Beatty took his pulse, then closed his eyes. Nelson's chaplain, Alexander Scott, who remained by Nelson as he died, recorded his last words as "God and my country." It has been suggested by Nelson historian Craig Cabell that Nelson was actually reciting his own prayer as he fell into his death coma, as the words 'God' and 'my country' are closely linked therein. Nelson died at half-past four, three hours after being hit, before the battle ended. Villeneuve was captured, along with his ship Bucentaure. He later attended Nelson's funeral while a captive on parole in Britain. Admiral Federico Gravina, the senior Spanish flag officer, escaped with the remnant of the fleet. He died five months later from wounds sustained during the battle. The battle resulted in 10 French ships captured,
one ship destroyed,
3,373 dead,
1,155 wounded,
over 4,000 men captured
Spain:
11 ships captured,
1,022 dead,
1,386 wounded,
3 to 4,000 captured
Total: about 15,000

It would be wonderful to know for certain that this sword was surrendered by such as a senior officer of the Redoutable or Bucentaure , and although it is certainly possible it may have been, in fact we can't say it wasn't, but in reality it is a speculation that may never be satisfied.

The sword is 36.5 inches long overall in its scabbard. The carved ebony grip has one slight split on one side, but still as tight as a drum, the leather scabbard has had a contemporary field service leather repair near the chape.  read more

Code: 25277

Was This Once The 2500 Year Old Sword of an Ancient Chinese King of Yueh One Of the Nine Kings of Yueh . It Is So Similar To The Sword of Goujian, King of Yueh, As to Be Remarkable

This fabulous treasure is so similar to another, that is now determined to have been made for one of the nine Kings of Yue, Goujian, discovered in a waterlogged tomb in the 1960's. Ours is likely a combat fighting sword {as opposed for ceremonial dress, due to it's width of the blade at the ricasso}.

Now known as 'The Sword of Goujian'. The sword in the museum in China, has superbly chiselled or cast patterning at the forte of the blade that still contains some blue crystals and tortoise. Our sword has near identical stunning patterning {made by chiselling or casting} but our sword also has chiselling on the two grip rings and the pommel, that undoubtedly once contained the same crystals and turquoise inlays, but are no longer present.

With help from Wu's enemy Chu, Yue won after several decades of conflict. The famous Yue King Goujian destroyed and annexed Wu in 473 BC. During the reign of Wuqiang (無彊), six generations after Goujian, Yue was partitioned by Chu and Qi in 306 BC.
During its existence, Yue was famous for the quality of its metalworking, particularly its swords. Examples include the extremely well-preserved Swords of Goujian and Zhougou.

The King's Sword of Goujian still has, remarkably, all its original pure gold decor to the blade, ours has some remaining as well, but much less so.

The king's sword is also still amazingly sharp, just as is ours. The exquisitely forged blade was made primarily of copper, but the edges likely have a higher tin content, making them harder and able to keep a sharper edge.

The Sword of Goujian still has its bird-worm script in gold engraved upon the blade face, and that script has been translated and thus after extensive research, has determined its ownership by the king, Goujian, ours may have indeed had such script, some of which is visible, possibly naming another such king, but no longer.

The Goujian King's sword, currently in Hubei Museum, has a total length of 22 inches, with a 3.3-inch hilt. The exquisitely forged blade was made primarily of copper, but the edges have a higher tin content, making them harder and able to keep a sharper edge. Both sides of the blade are decorated with a repeating rhombi pattern, their dark lines standing out from the sword’s overall golden hue. The guard, meanwhile, is inlaid with blue crystals and turquoise.

On one side of the blade are eight characters engraved in what is known as bird-worm seal script. Six of these ancient characters have been deciphered. The script reads: “King of Yue” and “made this sword for his personal use.” The other two characters could not be identified, but analysts believe that they state the name of the aforementioned King of Yueh.

These intriguing details provoked much debate as to the owner of the sword. Nine kings had ruled Yue during the period attributed to the sword, making identifying one as the true owner no easy task. But after studying both the sword and the tomb for many months, archaeologists, historians and Chinese linguists came to a consensus: The sword belonged to Goujian, who ruled the Kingdom of Yueh from 496 to 465 BC.

The earliest swords in China date back to the Bronze Age, around 1600 BC. This was a critical period in the development of ancient Chinese civilization. It was during this time that metalworking techniques were first developed and applied to the creation of weapons, swords included.

The earliest known examples of hand-forged bronze swords date back to the Shang Dynasty, and they were primarily used for ceremonial and symbolic purposes, rarely seeing real combat. The very first variations were quite simple, featuring a straight blade, some of which were single-edged and others were double-edged, as well as no guard or handle.

It wasn’t until the rise of the Zhou Dynasty that swords started becoming a lot more intricate. The blades of these swords were typically quite heavy and were often decorated with intricate patterns and designs to symbolize the prestige of the owner. Swordsmiths also began implementing a guard to their designs, as a means of protection for the wielder’s hand.

Goujian (句踐) (reigned 496–465 BC) was the king of the Kingdom of Yue (越國, present-day northern Zhejiang) near the end of the Spring and Autumn period (春秋). He was the son of Marquis Yunchang.

Goujian's reign coincided with arguably the last major conflict of the Spring and Autumn period, the struggle between Wu and Yue, wherein he eventually led his state to victory, annexing the rival. As such, King Goujian is sometimes considered the last of the Five Hegemons.

The war between Wu and Yue comprised several separate phases. It began when a Yue princess, who was married to one of the princes of the neighboring state of Wu, left her husband and fled back to the State of Yue. This became the spark for the war to come. Also, as Yunchang developed Yue's strength, he came into conflict with King Helü of Wu, causing a feud between the two states.

Upon the death of Yunchang and the accession of Goujian, Helü seized the opportunity and launched an attack on Yue. At the Battle of Zuili (槜李之战), however, Yue defeated Wu, and King Helü was mortally wounded. Before his death, he instructed his son, the later King Fuchai of Wu, "Never forget Yue!" Yue would be defeated three years later by a resurgent Wu, and Goujian captured, to serve as Fuchai's servant for three years before he was eventually allowed to return to his native state.

Upon resuming his rule, King Goujian quickly appointed skilled politicians as advisors, such as Wen Zhong and Fan Li, to help build up the kingdom. During this time, his ministers also worked to weaken the State of Wu internally through bribes and diplomatic intrigue.

Whilst ruling his kingdom, Goujian never relished kingly riches, but instead ate food suited for peasants, as well as forcing himself to taste bile, in order to remember his humiliations while serving under the State of Wu. The second half of a Chinese idiom, wòxīn-chángdǎn (臥薪嚐膽, "sleeping on sticks and tasting gall"), refers to Goujian's perseverance.

After ten years of economic and political reforms, the last phase of the war began, by which time the State of Yue had come a long way from its previous defeat; as described in the Shiji, Ten years of reforms; the state is rich, the warriors well-rewarded. The soldiers charge in the face of arrows like thirsty men heading for drink... (修之十年，國富，厚賂戰士，士赴矢石，如渴得飲).

Taking advantage of Fuchai's expedition to his north to defeat Qi, Goujian led his army and successfully attacked the Wu capital, killing the Wu crown prince, You. In the 24th year of his reign (473 BC), Goujian led another expedition against Wu, laying siege to the capital for three years before it fell. When a surrender from Fuchai was refused, Fuchai committed suicide and Wu was annexed by Yue. After his victory, Goujian ruthlessly killed Fuchai's scholars, even those who helped him (including Bo Pi), not allowing himself to make the same mistake Fuchai had made by sparing the lives of his enemies. However, Goujian would not stop there; he would later force Wen Zhong to commit suicide; Fan Li, knowing that Goujian was a man who can share woe but not wealth together, left Goujian after the defeat of Wu.

King Goujian's army is known for a common misconception: scaring its enemies before battle with a front line formed by criminals sentenced to death who committed suicide by decapitating themselves. However, in the passage, "越王句踐使死士挑戰，三行，至吳陳，呼而自剄。", the literal translation of "死士" is "soldiers (who are) willing to die", not "criminals sentenced to death". "自剄" means to "commit suicide by cutting one's throat," which was a common way to end one's own life in Ancient China

In the gallery, photograph 2 shows our sword in the middle, to its left is the sword of Gujian, and to its right, a sword in the Metropolitan Museum. all incredibly similar, but in different stages of preservation. Photo 3 in the gallery is our sword's hilt on the left, and the Sword of Goujian on its right. the similarity is amazing. Photo 4 in the gallery is a close up of our blade sections that shows the original surface of gold, with what appears to be what remains of archaic script characters, possibly, one could speculate, it was the name of the king for whom it made and thus belonged. Photo 8 shows our sword's hilt and another, very similar, now in a Paris museum, the Musee Guimet. The Paris sword hilt still has its turquoise and enamel inlay still present and in place.

From a large collection of antiquities, swords daggers that recently arrived, many pieces sold for the part benefit of the Westminster Abbey fund, and the Metropolitan Museum fund

This is from part two of a stunning collection of original archaic bronze age Zhou dynasty weaponry . Many are near identical to other similar examples held in the Metropolitan in New York, the British royal collection, and such as the Hunan Provincial Museum, Hunan, China.
From the Tony Dove F.S.A. Collection, formed circa 1970's, one of England’s most revered and respected collectors, especially early silver, & he was a past honorary President of London’s Silver Spoon Society, and learned joint contributor to many scientific appraisals on ancient Chinese swords

Sword total length 20 1/4 inches long, 4 inch hilt

Ref; SOME OBSERVATIONS ON EARLY CHINESE BRONZE SWORDS
By
Anthony Dove, and Alan Williams {The Wallace Collection} 65 publications  read more

Code: 24846