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

A S98/05 S or m.S.'Sawback'. The Infamous German WW1 'Sawback' Mauser Butcher Bayonet. A Recovered Relic From The Somme. Only 6% Of The Mauser Bayonets Were Fitted With Sawback, and 99.9% Of Those Later Officially Removed in 1917

The Somme Offensive

The First Battle of the Somme (July 1 - November 18, 1916) was an Anglo-French offensive whose objective was to overstretch and wear down the German army on the Western Front. Originally, the French were to lead the attack, with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) providing support. Yet after the French army was devastated at Verdun, the British were left to take the principal role. British training was far from complete, and their strategy was also flawed; thinly spread artillery, defective munitions (largely British-produced), and inexperienced troops led to a disastrous initial British assault – some 57,000 casualties. In comparison, the French army, with plenty of combat experience from the engagements at Ypres and Verdun, took its objectives with 1,600 casualties. After a significant Allied advance followed by a period of stagnation in the face of strong German defensive positions, powerful and successive French and British offensives drove the German army back, but failed to break their lines. Only the coming of winter ended the offensive. In its incredible violence, The Somme came to represent the terror and senselessness of the Western Front. The German army suffered heavy losses: more than 500,000 casualties and a serious crisis of morale. The British suffered 420,000 and the French 202,000 casualties. Yet the battle ultimately provided Allied commanders with the strategic experience they needed in order to be successful in the future.

The Mauser Gew98 Sawback 'Butcher' bayonet was issued in WW1 but was soon altered by the German soldiers, by way of the removal of the sawback edge.
It was commonly alleged that a German soldier captured alive with his 'Sawback' intact would be immediately killed by his allied captors, as the gruesomeness of the bayonet was much resented by the allied soldiers. This bayonet however is completely unaltered and it's sawback is intact, despite being in relic condition.

Germany used a wide variety of bayonets on the Mauser Gew-8 and Kar-98 rifles. They entered World War 1 issuing the 1898/05 or ‘Butcher Blade’ model. As the war progressed the shorter blade types and the ersatz models were introduced.
A small percentage of German bayonets were made with a saw back. They were only to noncommissioned officers or pioneer troops.

The Seitengewehr 98/05 has a wood handle and swept back quillon. 14.5-inch single edge butcher blade, marker marked on the ricasso. Early versions have the saw back as does ours. The saw back was phased out during the war due to negative Allied propaganda. Most had the saw back ground off and re-issued. The first scabbards were leather with steel fittings, followed by all steel.

At the beginning of the Great War, the M1898/05 came with high ears and without flash guard. Pioneers and machine gunner crews used this version because of its suitability to chopping down bushes. The sawback was a favoured tool among German Military units.

The Seitengewehr 98/05 was introduced into 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 and one and a half times the length of the 1898/05. Initial production was in two versions, the first plain backed, and the second with 29 double teeth. 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 Säge - without saw) and the saw back as the S98/05 S or m.S. (mit Säge - with saw). About 6% of blades made were fitted with the saw back

At the beginning of WWI it was found that the S98/05 had a problem when used with the Karabiner 98 rifle, the shorter barrel on this model led to burning and damage to the grips as the barrel finished before the vestigial muzzle ring, so in1915 it was decided to fit a steel flash guard (Schutzbleche) to the back of the bayonet to protect the grips. The bayonet was modified by removing most of the muzzle ring remaining, reducing the back of the tang and adding the flash guard.

The sawback version of the bayonet soon became very unpopular on both sides of the frontline. When plunged into the enemy, this style of blade pulled out the victim’s insides when removed causing exceptional pain, suffering and inevitably death. It was communicated to the German army that French and British soldiers would torture and then killed their troops if found with a sawback blade on their bayonet. Therefore an order was issued in 1917 that all sawbacks be removed from service . A super rare piece.  read more

Code: 26407

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

An Excellent British Army WW2 Mills Bomb Grenade In Superb Condition With Fine Paint Green Stripe For Baratol or TNT and XXX Originally Meaning Primed and Ready. Made by ICI, Siebe Gorman & Thomas Adshead & Sons. Naturally it Is Empty and Safe now.

A fabulous and iconic collector's piece and souvenir of WW2. Made and marked by three main parts makers, Siebe Gorman, ICL. & T A & S. Likely impossible to find a better and finer condition example.

Siebe Gorman, Specialist Military Equipment makers; Designed the Amphibious Tank Escape Apparatus (ATEA) in 1943 for Duplex Drive (DD) tank crews during the D-Day landings

While the parent corporation is the famous Imperial Chemical Industries, the specific "L" in the "ICL" or "I.C.L." marking denotes their Linlithgow factory located in Scotland.

The maker code on the base plug is TA&S on British Mills hand grenades (such as the No. 36 and No. 36M variants used during World War I and World War II) stands for Thomas Adshead & Sons (also referenced as T. Adshead & Sons), based in Dudley, Worcestershire, England.

Baratol was composed of 25% to 33% TNT, high-density barium nitrate, and around 1% paraffin wax as a stabilizer, it features a slow detonation velocity (4,870 m/s). It was notably used in the explosive lenses of early nuclear implosion weapons (like the "Fat Man" bomb) to direct shockwaves inward and in British Mills hand grenades.

In excellent condition for age. Very nicely marked indeed. A super example of these interesting collectables

William Mills—a hand grenade designer from Sunderland—patented, developed and manufactured the "Mills bomb" at the Mills Munition Factory in Birmingham, England, in 1915.

The Mills bomb was adopted by the British Army as its standard hand grenade in 1915, and designated as the No. 5. It was also used by the Irish Republican Army. Inert and safe

The Mills bomb underwent numerous modifications. The No. 23 was a variant of the No. 5 with a rodded base plug which allowed it to be fired from a rifle. This concept evolved further with the No. 36, a variant with a detachable base plate to allow use with a rifle discharger cup. The final variation of the Mills bomb was the No. 36M, which was specially designed and waterproofed with shellac for use initially in the hot climate of Mesopotamia in 1917, but remained in production for many years. By 1918 the No. 5 and No. 23 were declared obsolete and the No. 36 (but not the 36M) followed in 1932.

The Mills was a classic design; a grooved cast iron "pineapple" with a central striker held by a close hand lever and secured with a pin. Although the segmented body helps to create fragments when the grenade explodes, according to Mills' notes the casing was grooved to make it easier to grip and not as an aid to fragmentation. The Mills was a defensive grenade: after throwing the user had to take cover immediately. A competent thrower could manage 30 metres (98 feet) with reasonable accuracy, but the grenade could throw lethal fragments further than this. It could be fitted with a flat base and fired with a blank cartridge from a rifle with a "cup" attachment, giving it a range of around 150 m.

At first the grenade was fitted with a seven-second fuse to accommodate both hand and rifle launch, but during combat in the Battle of France in 1940 this delay proved too long—giving defenders time to escape the explosion, or even to throw the grenade back—and was reduced to four seconds.

The heavy, segmented bodies of "pineapple" type grenades result in an unpredictable pattern of fragmentation. After the Second World War Britain and the US adopted grenades that contained segmented coiled wire in smooth metal casings. The No. 36M Mk.I remained the standard grenade of the British Armed Forces and was manufactured in the UK until 1972, when it was completely replaced by the L2 series. The 36M remained in service in some parts of the world such as India and Pakistan where it was manufactured until the early 1980s. That the Mills bomb remained in use for so many years says much about its effectiveness.

Deact safe and inert. Not suitable for export outside of the UK mainland  read more

Code: 26406

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

A Simply Stunning Edo Period Mighty Samurai Armour and Helmet Piercer Tanto, Around 250 Years Old. An Absolute Beautiful Example of Samurai Sword Artistry & Skill

The blade is utterly amazing, with a great gunome hamon, superb grain in the hada, and powerful blade designed to pierce the strongest kabuto, iron plate war helmet, or even the strongest part of any gosuko armour, being an incredible 8 mm thick at the habaki.
Fully mounted with all its original Edo fuchi kashira decorated with takebori rabbits and reeds. Pure gold and silver rabbits on a shakudo nanako ground, with pure gold reeds. Pure gold menuki of shi shi lion dogs, under original edo black silk tsuka-itol.

It has a kozuka decorated on shakudo and gold of a herd of frolicking ponies . Original Edo period urushi lacquer ishime style, stone finish, lacquer saya with polished carved buffalo horn fittings. The only signs of age wear is on the lacquer saya, with three or four very small surface dings and slight blistering by the mid section on one side. The habaki is superb in shakudo. The tsuba is an iron tetsu oval inlaid with puer gold, with surface decoration of stylized serpent like beasts with gold stars both large and small with a pair of gold fronted seppa.

This would make a fabulous addition to any fine collection of original antique samurai weaponry or armour

Rabbits are one of the signs of the Japanese zodiac. They are considered lucky as the Japanese kanji used to write the word rabbit is similar to the kanji meaning "get rid of " or "make vanish". People believe that rabbits will make bad luck disappear! Rabbits are also known for jumping high. They can leap over nine feet! Rabbits symbolize everything going up in your life - improvement and success.

THE LANES ARMOURY, THE PREMIER HOME OF ORIGINAL AND AFFORDABLE ANCIENT ANTIQUITIES & ANTIQUE COLLECTABLES IN BRITAIN.

The Lanes Armoury, is world renown as Britain's favourite specialist collectors shop, and also a font of historical and educational information that is detailed with every single item. We detail each piece alongside its historical context, either generic or specific, for those that may wish to read, learn, or be informed, as opposed to simply acquire collectable items. We are probably one of the oldest companies of our kind in the whole of Europe and we have been established through generations, as specialists in armoury, military antiques, militaria collectables, and specialist books, since the early 1900’s, and thus we have continued to be one of the largest in the world today. The current partners were set on this path by their great grandfather, who while intrigued by historic antique arms and armour, was woefully under capitalised for his dream profession, so much so that even when starting his very small business, just after the first world war, he still kept up his original working class pre war trade as a scaffolder as his safety net in case his dreams folded. Just as well for his succeeding generations, he didn’t fail. However, true to his very old-fashioned working class ethics, every subsequent generation had to follow their own path, with no financial assistance whatsoever, with his son, grandson and great-grandsons having to make their own way, on their own skill and merits, whatever they may be.
We are also very pleased to know we are also studied and read by academics and students from hundreds of universities around the world, by those that are interested in not only British but worldwide history. Of course we are not perfect and errors can and will be made, but thanks to our viewers and visitors, errors can be corrected, and learnt from.
Our sacred principle is that every single country's history ought to be studied, and passed down, however good, or bad some of it may be. All history is knowledge, good, bad or indifferent.

Everyday we are contacted by historians that wish to make contributions to our detailed information for our pieces, and to thus add to our constant dedication to impart historical knowledge, that may be unknown to many of our millions of viewers.

As once told to us by an esteemed regular visitor to us here in our gallery, in order to view and study our Japanese edged weapons and armour gallery, and the same words that are repeated in his book;

“In these textures lies an extraordinary and unique feature of the sword - the steel itself possesses an intrinsic beauty. The Japanese sword has been appreciated as an art object since its perfection some time during the tenth century AD. Fine swords have been more highly prized than lands or riches, those of superior quality being handed down from generation to generation. In fact, many well-documented swords, whose blades are signed by their makers, survive from nearly a thousand years ago. Recognizable features of the blades of hundreds of schools of sword-making have been punctiliously recorded, and the study of the sword is a guide to the flow of Japanese history.”
Victor Harris
Curator, Assistant Keeper and then Keeper (1998-2003) of the Department of Japanese Antiquities at the British Museum. He studied from 1968-71 under Sato Kenzan, Tokyo National Museum and Society for the Preservation of Japanese Swords

Blade 12 inches long  read more

Code: 24380

A Very Good & Beautiful Shinto Long Katana Signed Chikanobu. Very Good, Unique Matsushiro Sinano Sinchu & Silver Line Koshirae. Gold and Shakudo Dragon Clutching The Pearl Of Wisdom Menuki. Circa 1680.

All original Edo period mounts and lacquer saya. Fine iron tsuba. With a very beautiful choji hamon to the blade is an absolute beauty, and fully polished.
Long kissaki. Dark blue silk tsukaito over traditional giant rayskin with gold and bronze menuki of dragons. Fully matching suite of sinchu and contrasting silver line mounts to the tsuka and saya, of the Matsushiro Sinano school. A well hammered rough surface...smooth rim though, Saotome Tembo tsuba with kakine kokuin stamps, udenuki-ana, lead ume, uchikaeshi mimi rim, boars eye piercing.
The first master of the Saotome school was Nobuyasu of Shimotsuke. Nobuyasu moved to Odawara in Sagami were the Saotome school itself was founded. Some of the early Saotome makers were Nobuyasu, Iyenori, Iyetsugu, Iyetada and Iyesada although there is some disagreement on the lineage of the school. There were many other generations working well into the late Edo period. The Saotome School gave rise to the Tembo School of tsubako.

The Tembo School (also spelled Tempo, Tenpo or Tenbo) also worked well into the Edo Period. They are most noted for the use of kokuin (hot stamps) on their plates,

This unique original mounting is called “Matsushiro” koshirae which was specially made in Matsuro-han in Shinano (Nagano) province in the edo period.

The samurai were roughly the equivalent of feudal knights. Employed by the shogun or daimyo, they were members of hereditary warrior class that followed a strict "code" that defined their clothes, armour and behavior on the battlefield. But unlike most medieval knights, samurai warriors could read and they were well versed in Japanese art, literature and poetry.
Samurai endured for almost 700 years, from 1185 to 1867. Samurai families were considered the elite. They made up only about six percent of the population and included daimyo and the loyal soldiers who fought under them. Samurai means ?one who serves."

Samurai were expected to be both fierce warriors and lovers of art, a dichotomy summed up by the Japanese concepts of to stop the spear exanding into bushido (the way of life of the warrior) and bun (the artistic, intellectual and spiritual side of the samurai}. Originally conceived as away of dignifying raw military power, the two concepts were synthesized in feudal Japan and later became a key feature of Japanese culture and morality.The quintessential samurai was Miyamoto Musashi, a legendary early Edo-period swordsman who reportedly killed 60 men before his 30th birthday and was also a painting master. Members of a hierarchal class or caste, samurai were the sons of samurai and they were taught from an early age to unquestionably obey their mother, father and daimyo. When they grew older they were trained by Zen Buddhist masters in meditation and the Zen concepts of impermanence and harmony with nature. The were also taught about painting, calligraphy, nature poetry, mythological literature, flower arranging, and the tea ceremony.

As part of their military training, samurai were taught to sleep with their right arm underneath them so if they were attacked in the middle of the night and their the left arm was cut off the could still fight with their right arm. Samurai that tossed and turned at night were cured of the habit by having two knives placed on either side of their pillow.

Samurai have been describes as "the most strictly trained human instruments of war to have existed." They were expected to be proficient in the martial arts of aikido and kendo as well as swordsmanship and archery---the traditional methods of samurai warfare---which were viewed not so much as skills but as art forms that flowed from natural forces that harmonized with nature.
An individual didn't become a full-fledged samurai until he wandered around the countryside as begging pilgrim for a couple of years to learn humility. When this was completed they achieved samurai status and receives a salary from his daimyo paid from taxes (usually rice) raised from the local populace. Swords in Japan have long been symbols of power and honour and seen as works of art. Often times swordsmiths were more famous than the people who used them.
likely details on the Chikanori nobu. Slight name change here, he was then actually signing Chikanobu as he did on this blade, appears in kanji reference notes as nori, nobu is next to nori, and thus often confused . He also used to be known as Shigechika

Chikanobu, previously known as Shigechika, studied under 1st generation Aizu Kanetomo, circa 1660.

Chikanobu received the name nobu from Kanetomo as an honour to therefore thus change his name.

Kanetomo also used to be known as another name once, Kanenobu and thus passed the nobu name to Shigechika as an honour, who thus changed his name to Chikanobu  read more

Code: 23063