A Spectacular & Most Rare 1928, Original 'Zeppelin' Issue Airship Cocktail Shaker & Travelling Bar. An Amazing Example of Art Decor Functional Object D'art. The Last Example of This Wonderful & Rare Aeronautica That We Found, Sold For $23,000

Only the second we have had since 1930, and we have only ever seen one or two others in the States

A jolly rare piece of superb and unique Third Reich period Art Deco German craftsmanship, DRGM register stamped beneath the cocktail shaker body, with its serial number '11'. Only the second we have had in the past 18 years. Stunning, original Art Deco piece, almost certainly by J.A. Henkels Twin Works of Germany. DRGM stamped and further marked, Made in Germany on the base. Made for, used and sold aboard the Graf Zeppelin Air Ship and later, the Hindenberg Air Ship. There are 14 pieces, in this set including; the gondola, four stacking cups, a corkscrew and cover, a gin tankard flask, a full shaker, with lid, and condiment container { tail fin section}
.
All pieces are plated on their interior in 24k gold. It's brilliantly engineered and constructed, the pieces fitting together to form a Zeppelin Airship model, with hand-in-glove precision.LZ 129 Hindenburg (Luftschiff Zeppelin 129; Registration: D-LZ 129) was a German commercial passenger-carrying rigid airship, the lead ship of the Hindenburg class, the longest class of flying machine and the largest airship by envelope volume. It was designed and built by the Zeppelin Company (Luftschiffbau Zeppelin GmbH) on the shores of Lake Constance in Friedrichshafen, Germany, and was operated by the German Zeppelin Airline Company (Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei). It was named after Field Marshal Paul von Hindenburg, who was President of Germany from 1925 until his death in 1934.

LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin was a German-built and -operated, passenger-carrying, hydrogen-filled, rigid airship which operated commercially from 1928 to 1937. When it entered commercial service in 1928, it became the first commercial passenger transatlantic flight service in the world. It was named after the German pioneer of airships, Ferdinand von Zeppelin, who was a count (Graf) in the German nobility. During its operating life, the airship made 590 flights covering more than 1.7 million kilometers (over 1 million miles). It was designed to be operated by a crew of 36 officers and men. The LZ 127 was the longest rigid airship at the time of its completion. The creation of the DZR as successor to DELAG occurred for both political and business reasons. Luftschiffbau Zeppelin (LZ) chairman Hugo Eckener, who had intended to run against Hitler in the 1932 presidential election, was already disliked by the Nazis. When Eckener later resisted the new Nazi government's efforts to use zeppelins for propaganda purposes, Reich Minister of Aviation Hermann Goring insisted that a new agency be created to extend Party control over LZ Group. A personal rivalry between Goring and Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels also played a role. To complicate matters further, the Luftschiffbau was a loss-making concern and needed cash investment, in particular to complete construction of the Hindenburg.

Deutsche Zeppelin-Reederei was therefore incorporated on 22 March 1935 as a joint venture between Zeppelin Luftschiffbau, the Ministry of Aviation, and Deutsche Lufthansa. The LZ Group's capital contribution came primarily from its two airships LZ 127 Graf Zeppelin and LZ 129 Hindenburg, the latter of which was not yet complete on the date of incorporation.
Overall length of the portable cocktail bar is 12 inches. This example is in superb original condition. The nickel finish is fully original but worn. "The Zeppelin Airship cocktail shaker and traveling bar"
Circa. 1928 {not the commonly found 1960's copy, with DRGM marked gondola} silver-plated brass 4 inches wide x 12 inches high. Just lacking 4 spoons that fit in the gondola however, the spoons should be relatively easy to replace I cup is an original period replacement.
A near identical example, by the same maker, made in the the same year, was sold at auction. It was an identical, but a complete eighteen-piece set with four spoons including the four nesting spoons, four nesting cups, removable flask, and with an original, leather case. Signed the same with the impressed manufacturer mark to underside: Germany D.R.G.M. with serial number 11. Signed with impressed Germany. Estimated 7,000 to 9,000 dollars, that example sold for $23,750 dollars US. In Wrights Modern And Contemporary Design Auction, in Illinois October 2012.
DRGM; Deutsches Reich Gebrauchs Muster

Provenance: Private collection, Los Angeles
Literature: Modernism: Modernist Design 1880-1940, Duncan, pg. 187. Link to the $23,000 auction example; copy and paste
https://www.wright20.com/auctions/2014/12/important-design/177  read more

Code: 21160

Great Britain's Favourite Armoury Antiques & Collector's Shop . A Most Scarce Original Late 14th Century Crossbow Bolt Quarrel. From the Reign of King Henry Vth and the Battle of Agincourt in 1415

Part of our wondrous, new, historical, and original Ancient Roman, Ancient Greek, Viking, Crusaders, and Medeavil battlefield antiquities and artefacts, another fabulous museum grade collection that has arrived with us .

Heavy diamond form steel bolt head, and its almost complete socket

Much of it acquired by a family in the 1820's while on a Grand Tour of Anglo French battle sites within Northern & Western France from Azincourt, in the Pas-de-Calais, to Poitiers in Aquitaine.

Although the English and Welsh Longbowmen that fought at Agincourt are incredibly famous, the crossbow was used predominantly by the French army, yet some English, plus, some mounted knights used crossbows as well, as longbows were incredibly impractical if not impossible for use on horseback

Much of it acquired by a family in the 1820's while on a Grand Tour of Anglo French battle sites within Northern & Western France from Azincourt, in the Pas-de-Calais, to Poitiers in Aquitaine.

After several decades of relative peace, the English had renewed their war effort in 1415 amid the failure of negotiations with the French. In the ensuing campaign, many soldiers perished due to disease and the English numbers dwindled, but as they tried to withdraw to English-held Calais they found their path blocked by a considerably larger French army. Despite the disadvantage, the following battle ended in an overwhelming tactical victory for the English.

King Henry V of England led his troops into battle and participated in hand-to-hand fighting. The French king of the time, Charles VI, did not command the French army himself, as he suffered from severe psychotic illnesses with moderate mental incapacitation. Instead, the French were commanded by Constable Charles d'Albret and various prominent French noblemen of the Armagnac party.

This battle is notable for the use of the English longbow in very large numbers, with the English and Welsh archers forming up to 80 percent of Henry's army. The decimation of the French cavalry at their hands is regarded as an indicator of the decline of cavalry and the beginning of the dominance of ranged weapons on the battlefield.

Agincourt is one of England's most celebrated victories. The battle is the centrepiece of the play Henry V by Shakespeare. Juliet Barker in her book Agincourt: The King, the Campaign, the Battle ( published in 2005) argues the English and Welsh were outnumbered "at least four to one and possibly as much as six to one". She suggests figures of about 6,000 for the English and 36,000 for the French, based on the Gesta Henrici's figures of 5,000 archers and 900 men-at-arms for the English, and Jean de Wavrin's statement "that the French were six times more numerous than the English". The 2009 Encyclopædia Britannica uses the figures of about 6,000 for the English and 20,000 to 30,000 for the French. Part of an original medieval collection we have just acquired, of Roman, Greek, Assyrian, Celtic, Viking and early British relics of warfare from ancient battle sites, much of it recovered up to 220 years ago.

Richard Lassels, an expatriate Roman Catholic priest, first used the phrase “Grand Tour” in his 1670 book Voyage to Italy, published posthumously in Paris in 1670. In its introduction, Lassels listed four areas in which travel furnished "an accomplished, consummate traveler" with opportunities to experience first hand the intellectual, the social, the ethical, and the political life of the Continent.

The English gentry of the 17th century believed that what a person knew came from the physical stimuli to which he or she has been exposed. Thus, being on-site and seeing famous works of art and history was an all important part of the Grand Tour. So most Grand Tourists spent the majority of their time visiting museums and historic sites.

Once young men began embarking on these journeys, additional guidebooks and tour guides began to appear to meet the needs of the 20-something male and female travelers and their tutors traveling a standard European itinerary. They carried letters of reference and introduction with them as they departed from southern England, enabling them to access money and invitations along the way.

With nearly unlimited funds, aristocratic connections and months or years to roam, these wealthy young tourists commissioned paintings, perfected their language skills and mingled with the upper crust of the Continent.

The wealthy believed the primary value of the Grand Tour lay in the exposure both to classical antiquity and the Renaissance, and to the aristocratic and fashionably polite society of the European continent. In addition, it provided the only opportunity to view specific works of art, and possibly the only chance to hear certain music. A Grand Tour could last from several months to several years. The youthful Grand Tourists usually traveled in the company of a Cicerone, a knowledgeable guide or tutor.

The ‘Grand Tour’ era of classical acquisitions from history existed up to around the 1850’s, and extended around the whole of Europe, Egypt, the Ottoman Empire, and the Holy Land

As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity  read more

Code: 25550

A Beautiful Greco-Persian Wars Bronze Age Long Dagger Around 2500 Years Old. Such as From The Battles of Marathon, Thermopylae and Plataea

Approximately 2500 years old, Achaemenid Empire era, 550 bc to 330 bc From the the Greco-Persian War, such as includes the iconic battles of Marathon, Thermopylae and Plataea, up to the time of Alexander the Great. This wonderful antiquity, from one of the most eventful and ground breaking periods of classical history, is in amazing condition and beautifully decorated 6th-4th century BC. A bronze long dagger with narrow lentoid-section blade, collared grip with crescentic ears to the pommel. By the 7th century BC, the Persians had settled in the south-western portion of the Iranian Plateau in the region of Persis, which came to be their heartland. From this region, Cyrus the Great advanced to defeat the Medes, Lydia, and the Neo-Babylonian Empire, establishing the Achaemenid Empire. The Ionian Greek Revolt in 499 BC, and associated revolts in Aeolis, Doris, Cyprus and Caria, were military rebellions by several regions of Asia Minor against Persian rule, lasting from 499 to 493 BC. At the heart of the rebellion was the dissatisfaction of the Greek cities of Asia Minor with the tyrants appointed by Persia to rule them, along with the individual actions of two Milesian tyrants, Histiaeus and Aristagoras. In 499 BC, the then tyrant of Miletus, Aristagoras, launched a joint expedition with the Persian satrap Artaphernes to conquer Naxos, in an attempt to bolster his position in Miletus (both financially and in terms of prestige). The mission was a debacle, and sensing his imminent removal as tyrant, Aristagoras chose to incite the whole of Ionia into rebellion against the Persian king Darius the Great. In 490 BC the Persian forces were defeated by the Athenians at the Battle of Marathon and Darius would die before having the chance to launch an invasion of Greece. The Battle of Marathon took place in 490 BC, during the first Persian invasion of Greece. It was fought between the citizens of Athens, aided by Plataea, and a Persian force commanded by Datis and Artaphernes. The battle was the culmination of the first attempt by Persia, under King Darius I, to subjugate Greece. The Greek army decisively defeated the more numerous Persians, marking a turning point in the Greco-Persian Wars. Xerxes I (485–465 BC, "Hero Among Kings"), son of Darius I, vowed to complete the job. He organized a massive invasion aiming to conquer Greece. His army entered Greece from the north, meeting little or no resistance through Macedonia and Thessaly, but was delayed by a small Greek force for three days at Thermopylae. A simultaneous naval battle at Artemisium was tactically indecisive as large storms destroyed ships from both sides. The battle was stopped prematurely when the Greeks received news of the defeat at Thermopylae and retreated. The battle was a strategic victory for the Persians, giving them uncontested control of Artemisium and the Aegean Sea.

Following his victory at the Battle of Thermopylae, Xerxes sacked the evacuated city of Athens and prepared to meet the Greeks at the strategic Isthmus of Corinth and the Saronic Gulf. In 480 BC the Greeks won a decisive victory over the Persian fleet at the Battle of Salamis and forced Xerxes to retire to Sardis. The land army which he left in Greece under Mardonius retook Athens but was eventually destroyed in 479 BC at the Battle of Plataea. The final defeat of the Persians at Mycale encouraged the Greek cities of Asia to revolt, and the Persians lost all of their territories in Europe; Macedonia once again became independent. Alexander the Great, an avid admirer of Cyrus the Great, conquered most of the empire by 330 BC. Upon Alexander's death, most of the empire's former territory came under the rule of the Ptolemaic Kingdom and Seleucid Empire, in addition to other minor territories which gained independence at that time. The Iranian elites of the central plateau reclaimed power by the second century BC under the Parthian Empire. Ancient Greece. 191 grams, 35cm (13 3/4"). From a Japanese collection, 1990s.  read more

Code: 23416

Very Fine Late 16th Century, Morion Cabasset Helmet. A Queen Elizabeth Ist Helmet of the Spanish Armada Period Circa 1570. Captured From the Spanish Fleet, Re-issued to English Musketeers and Pikemen & Used Until the English Civil War of King Charles 1st

An Elizabethan armour cabasset helmet from the era of the unsuccessful Spanish 'Armada', the attempted invasion of England, during the Reign of Queen Elizabeth Ist. Used continually through the English Civil War and into the reign of King James. A fine one piece high peak cabasset helmet made in the mid to late 16th century. Wonderfully hand forged with hammer marks and with patches of delamination. This super helmet is nicely constructed with good edgework and lovely quality throughout, and it is a fine period piece in excellent condition for age. This form of helmet that survive today in England were often captured from the Spanish Armada armouries, and some even recovered from the sea bed alongside Spanish cannon, beneath the stricken Spanish ships, and subsequently issued to the London Trayned Bands. There is a picture in the gallery of the same form of helmet heavily rusted recovered from Jamestown, the early American colony fort. The History of the Cittie of London Trayned Bandes

(1572-1647)

In the absence of a regular army, the trained bands {nothing to do with musicians}, were founded in 1572 as part of Elizabeth I's efforts to modernise the militia, were the only permanent military units in England. While the county bands were often poorly organised, ineptly officered and infrequently trained, the London bands were not, although enthusiasm did wax and wane considerably over the years of their existence (1572 - 1647).

The Regiments

Before the Civil War there were four London regiments - the North, South, East and West - comprising a total of 6,000 men in 20 companies. In 1642, as relations between king & parliament worsened, the bands were re-organised into 40 companies of 8,000 men in six regiments named the Red, Blue, Green, White, Orange and Yellow after the colour of their regimental flags, or "trophies", as they were known to London militiamen. The following year, after the King's unsuccessful attempt to seize The Capital, three more trained band and five "auxiliary" regiments were raised bringing the whole force to around 20,000 men. This large army, controlled by the mayor and the city aldermen, held London for parliament throughout the first Civil War (1642 - 1646) and contributed brigades of foot to parliament's field armies. The establishment and subsequent rise of the New Model Army after 1645 greatly reduced the significance of the bands and they gradually melted away. Today, only the Honourable Artillery Company, a ceremonial unit of ex-soldiers, remains as a legacy of the glory days of London citizen's solders. Weapons & Equipment

Weapons and equipment conformed to statute laid down by the Privy Council. The following description is from the 1638 issue of "Directions for Musters".

The Pikeman

"Must be armed with a pike seventeen feet long, head and all; the diameter of the staff to be one inch 3/4, the head to be well steeled, 8 inches long, broad, strong and sword-pointed; the cheeks 2 foot long, well riveted; the butt end bound with a ring of iron, a gorget, back, breast, tassets and head piece, a good sword of 3 foot long, cutting and stiff pointed with girdle and hangers".

The Musketeers

"Must be armed with a good musket, the barrel four foot long, the bore of 12 bullets in the pound rowling in, a rest, bandolier, head-piece, a good sword, girdle and hangers".
One other picture is a period engraving of an Elizabethan soldier with his pear stalk cabasset, another picture of The Battle of Gravelines, August 8, 1588, which is of the defeat of the Spanish Armada by Sir Francis Drake, Queen Elizabeth's Admiral. Pictures shown for information only. Some text is quoted from an article by Mr Steve Rabbitts on London trayned bands  read more

Code: 23226

Aitchison of London, Late Antique 'Three Draw' Military Sniper Spotter's Telescope. In Great Untouched Condition & Superb Optics. With Boer War Pattern, Regulation, Rifle Brigade Black Leather Protection Covering, With Fore & Aft Covers

An Aitchison military or marine officers telescope, an antique, vintage brass telescope manufactured by the British optical firm Aitchison & Co.

A beautifully crafted instrument hand made with the highest skill and quality, from the days when British instruments were the acme standard by which all others were judged. In fact it is safe to say just about everything marked ‘Made in Britain’ was considered the world over as the apex of quality and manufacturing, from railways to motor cars, from shotguns to gentleman’s suits. If a bridge between two mountains was made of Sheffield Steel, everyone was confident that the mountains would collapse long before the bridge did.

The draw actions are beautifully tight and snug, with absolutely no wear and element of looseness, which can often be the case.

Excellent vision with incredible clarity and magnificent magnification. Also perfect for service at sea, to spot an impending submarine waiting to pounce upon a British warship, or as was this beauty, upon the plains of South Africa such as at the Defence of Ladysmith, as this was used, and later in the trenches of Western Europe, such as at Ypres or The Somme, by a British sniper’s ‘spotter’.

The earliest true British snipers originated during the Second Boer War (1899–1902) with the Lovat Scouts, a specialized Scottish Highland regiment. Recognizing the Boers' deadly marksmanship, the British formed this unit of expert deerstalkers. They were the first military unit to utilize the ghillie suit for camouflage.

While individual sharpshooters existed in the British Army as early as the Napoleonic Wars (such as Rifleman Thomas Plunket in 1809), organized sniping as a formal military doctrine was developed much later.The First Scouts (1900): Formed by Simon Fraser, 14th Lord Lovat, the Lovat Scouts utilized their civilian stalking skills, high-powered telescopes, such as this one, and advanced fieldcraft to neutralize enemy positions.
The Lovat Scouts formally became the British Army’s first official sniper detachments.The School of Sniping (1916): British Expeditionary Force (BEF) trenches initially lacked proper counters to German snipers. Major Hesketh Hesketh-Prichard revolutionized British tactics by founding the Scouting, Observation, and Sniping (SOS) schools in France and Belgium. He trained soldiers in counter-sniping and the use of telescopic sights

Today, it would be perfect to espy a magnificent eagle in the Highlands of Scotland. Whatever one’s need’s this may be just perfect, in fact ‘spot-on’, just as it has been for well over 100 years.

Founded in London in 1889, the company merged with Dollond in 1927 to form Dollond & Aitchison.

An extract from
The Sniper-observer Scout
Sniping in France by Major H. Hesketh-Prichard
., K.C.M.G., etc.

"In the early days of 1915, in command of the 2nd Division, I well remember the ever-increasing activity of the German sniper and the annoyance of our officers and men in the trenches. I can recall the acquisition by the Guards' Brigade, then in the Brickfields of Cuinchy with Lord Cavan as Brigadier, of two rifles fitted with telescopic sights and the good use made of them. It was the experience of 1915 that impressed upon us the necessity of fighting for superiority in all branches of trench warfare, amongst .which sniping held an important position. It was therefore a great satisfaction to me upon my arrival from the battlefields of the Somme in the autumn of 1916 to find Major Hesketh-Prichard's School firmly established in the First Army area, thanks in a great measure to the support and encouragement of Lieut.-General Sir Richard Haking, the Commander of the Eleventh Corps.

I may be permitted to add my testimony that in each phase of the war, not only in the trenches, but in the field, we found the value of the trained sniper, observer and scout.
It is simply an account of some memories of sniping, observation and scouting in France and Flanders, and its purpose is to preserve, as far as may be, in some form the work and training of a class of officers and men whose duties became ever more important as the war progressed. It is in the hope that the true value of sniping and scouting will continue to be recognized in the future training of our armies, as it certainly was recognized in the later years of the war, that this book is written.

The idea of organized sniping was not a new one to me when I went out to France in May, 1915. I had been there before, in the previous March, and had seen the immense advantages which had accrued to the Germans through their superiority in trench warfare sniping.

It is difficult now to give the exact figures of our losses. Suffice it to say that in early 1915 we lost eighteen men in a single battalion in a single day to enemy snipers. Now if each battalion in the line killed by sniping a single German in the day, the numbers would mount up. If any one cares to do a mathematical sum, and to work out the number of battalions we had in the line, they will be surprised at the figures, and when they multiply these figures by thirty and look at the month's losses, they will find that in a war of attrition the sniper on this count alone justifies his existence and wipes out large numbers of the enemy.

But it is not only by the casualties that one can judge the value of sniping. If your trench is dominated by enemy snipers, life in it is really a very hard thing, and moral must inevitably suffer. In many parts of the line all through France and Belgium the enemy, who were organized at a much earlier period than we, certainly did dominate us. Each regiment and most soldiers who have been to France will remember some particular spot where they will say the German sniping was more deadly than elsewhere, but the truth of the matter is that in the middle of 1915 we were undergoing almost everywhere a severe gruelling, to say the least of it.

When I went out in May, 1915, I took with me several telescopic-sighted rifles, which were either my own property or borrowed from friends. I was at the time attached to the Intelligence Department as an officer in charge of war-correspondents, and my work gave me ample opportunity to visit all parts of the line. Whenever I went to the line I took with me, if it was possible, a telescopic-sighted rifle, and I found that both brigades and battalions were soon applying to me to lend these rifles. In this way opportunities arose of visiting the line and studying the sniping problem on the spot."

Photo 8 in the gallery is of how it could and would be mounted in the trenches etc. upon a separate, detachable, spotters tripod stand. {Photo not of this scope, but another similar from WW1}  read more

Code: 26228

Rare, Archaic Chinese Warrior Prince's Bronze Jian Sword, Overlaid With Gold, Auspicious Metal, Around 2,400 to 2,600 Years Old, From the Zhou Dynasty to the Chin Dynasty, Including the Period of Sun-Tzu'. Likely of The Kingdom of Yue

Chinese Bronze 'Two Ring' Jian sword, a bronze alloy construction, with traces of pure gold, including the gold onlay of a dragon {see photos 1 and 3 in the gallery} with the Chinese ‘Auspicious Metal’ {gold}, overlay, and now with up to 2400 years of natural aged patination and surface encrustations, made and used in the era of China's Seven Kingdoms period, likely with royal connections in the Kingdom of Yue, up to the latter part of the Eastern Zhou dynasty (475 BC). It is incredibly rare to find a sword from this period of ancient history with gold decor. It's surface is covered in superb patination and age encrustations, with various areas showing traces of layered pure gold. Of course, naturally, in its day, it would have been visibly fully covered in gold and look quite magnificent. It would have undoubtedly have been made for an ancient Chinese warrior Prince or general, absolutely a man of the highest possible status within the King’s army. 535mms long, weight 800gms.

Formerly of the Anthony Dove Collection, one of the foremost collectors of ancient Chinese swords, and joint author on the seminal academic research paper on the authentication of ancient Chinese swords and their metallurgical construction.

We show in the gallery photographs of another sword very similar, from the same era and reign, a non ringed hilt type, that was once also covered in gold, but now encrusted with age, like ours, that sold in 2013 for $183,750.
However, that gold sword was detailed and inlaid with surviving archaic script, somewhat like our other engraved two ring sword, that has revealed, through diligent effort, a potential translation, and the name of its owner. In a fashion, our two similar swords, but combined, would have the merged result of that single gold sword. Yet at less than a small percentage of the cost of the Christie’s sword

The Zhou script engraved on that other gold sword may state the following : Gongwu wang Guang ? yi ji jin zi zuo yong jian ('King Guang of the State of Gongwu forged this sword with auspicous metal for his usage')

From a large collection of antiquities, swords daggers, and rings, that recently arrived, many pieces sold for the part benefit of the Westminster Abbey fund, and the Metropolitan Museum fund. Formerly the property of a highly regarded renown British expert and collector, who has collaborated with museum experts, such as the Wallace Collection, on the origins, forms, styles and metallurgical investigations on ancient Chinese Bronze Age antiquities, and early British silver.

Swords of this type are called “two-ring” swords because of the prominent rings located on the hilt. this is the very type of sword used by the highest ranking officer warriors or princes alongside the world renowned General Sun Tzu, in the Kingdom of Wu, {although this sword is more likely from the Kingdom of Yueh} who is thought by many to be the finest general, philosopher and military tactician who ever lived. His 2500 year old book on the methods of warfare, tactics and psychology are still taught and highly revered in practically every officer training college throughout the world.
We show a painting in the gallery of a chariot charge by a Zhou dynasty warrior armed with this very form of sword.
The Chinese term for this form of weapon is “Jian” which refers to a double-edged sword. This style of Jian is generally attributed to either the Wu or the Yue state. The sword has straight graduated edges reducing to a pointed tip, which may indicate an earlier period Jian.

The blade is heavy with a midrib and tapered edges with seal script engraving on both sides of the bottom section of the blade near the hilt. See the photo in the gallery that shows a close up of the section of blade with the seal script.

A very impressive original ancient Chinese sword with a long, straight blade with a raised, linear ridge down its centre. It has a shallow, short guard. The thin handle would have had leather or some other organic material such as leather or hemp cord, wrapped around it to form a grip. At the top is a broad, round pommel.

A very similar sword had a detailed metallurgical analysis carried out at the Wallace Collection was measured by Graham McArthur in the Conservation Department of the Wallace Collection at a number of points near the edge using a Branson Krautkramer electronic surface hardness tester giving results ranging from 158 to 289 VPH with an average of 247 VPH, and thus thought to be from 500 BC. That particular sword, had a number of features in common with one in the Catalogue of the Warner Jennings Collection in the Chinese National Palace Museum, Peking, that is considered to have royal associations with a king of Yueh.

The Seven Kingdom or Warring States period in Chinese history was one of instability and conflict between many smaller Kingdom-states. The period officially ended when China was unified under the first Emperor of China, Qin pronounced Chin Shi Huang Di in 221 BC. It is from him that China gained its name.

The Zhou Dynasty (1046-256 BCE) was among the most culturally significant of the early Chinese dynasties and the longest lasting of any in China's history, divided into two periods: Western Zhou (1046-771 BCE) and Eastern Zhou (771-256 BCE). It followed the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BCE), and preceded the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BCE, pronounced “chin”) which gave China its name.

In the early years of the Spring and Autumn Period, (770-476 BC) chivalry in battle was still observed and all seven states used the same tactics resulting in a series of stalemates since, whenever one engaged with another in battle, neither could gain an advantage. In time, this repetition of seemingly endless, and completely futile, warfare became simply the way of life for the people of China during the era now referred to as the Warring States Period. The famous work The Art of War by Sun-Tzu (l. c. 500 BCE) was written during this time, recording precepts and tactics one could use to gain advantage over an opponent, win the war, and establish peace.

Sun Tzu was a Chinese general, military strategist, writer, and philosopher who lived in the Eastern Zhou period of ancient China. Sun Tzu is traditionally credited as the author of The Art of War, an influential work of military strategy that has affected both Western and East Asian philosophy and military thinking. His works focus much more on alternatives to battle, such as stratagem, delay, the use of spies and alternatives to war itself, the making and keeping of alliances, the uses of deceit, and a willingness to submit, at least temporarily, to more powerful foes. Sun Tzu is revered in Chinese and East Asian culture as a legendary historical and military figure. His birth name was Sun Wu and he was known outside of his family by his courtesy name Changqing The name Sun Tzu by which he is more popularly known is an honorific which means "Master Sun".

Sun Tzu's historicity is uncertain. The Han dynasty historian Sima Qian and other traditional Chinese historians placed him as a minister to King Helü of Wu and dated his lifetime to 544–496 BC. Modern scholars accepting his historicity place the extant text of The Art of War in the later Warring States period based on its style of composition and its descriptions of warfare. Traditional accounts state that the general's descendant Sun Bin wrote a treatise on military tactics, also titled The Art of War. Since Sun Wu and Sun Bin were referred to as Sun Tzu in classical Chinese texts, some historians believed them identical, prior to the rediscovery of Sun Bin's treatise in 1972.

Sun Tzu's work has been praised and employed in East Asian warfare since its composition. During the twentieth century, The Art of War grew in popularity and saw practical use in Western society as well. It continues to influence many competitive endeavours in the world, including culture, politics, business and sports.

The ancient Chinese people worshipped the bronze and iron swords, where they reached a point of magic and myth, regarding the swords as “ancient holy items”. Because they were easy to carry, elegant to wear and quick to use, bronze swords were considered a status symbol and an honour for kings, emperors, scholars, chivalrous experts, merchants, as well as common people during ancient dynasties. For example, Confucius claimed himself to be a knight, not a scholar, and carried a sword when he went out. The most famous ancient bronze sword is called the “Sword of Gou Jian”.

The Warring States period saw a transition in military styles, from bronze weaponry and chariot-based fighting to iron and cavalry. However, the old period was still revered. Despite the cost of manufacturing bronze swords like this on a mass scale, this particular style of duan jian – a double-edged straight sword – was used in China for approximately 2,500 years. Finely made bronze weapons such as this one were signs of prestige, wealth, and fighting prowess used in both ceremonial and funerary contexts. For example, swords were worn by the Emperor and his officials in ceremonial or official dress, attached to the belt with jade ornaments.

This is one of a stunning collection of original archaic bronze age Zhou dynasty weaponry we have just acquired. 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. As with all our items, every piece is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. Just over 26 inches long overall.
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.

Other bronze swords bearing inscriptions inlaid in gold include the example dated to the 5th century BC in the Freer Gallery of Art, illustrated by T. Lawton, Chinese Art of the Warring States Period, Change and Continuity, 480-222 BC , Washington, DC , 1982, p. 70-71, no. 28, and one in the Musée Guimet dated 5th-4th century BC, illustrated by C. Delacour, De bronze, d'or et d'argent, Sumptuary Arts of China , Paris, 2001, p. 131. Both the Freer sword and the Guimet sword bear the same twenty-character inscription, arranged in ten characters to each side, which Thomas Lawton translates as, "On the auspicious day jen-wu, this sword was made for righteous use .

We show in the gallery, another very similar sword in a most similar state of aged preservation, but, with surviving gold inlaid archaic script upon the blade. It was sold at Christies in 2013, for $183,,750 . Lot number 1234. A very rare and important gold-inlaid bronze sword, Eastern Zhou dynasty, late 6th-early 5th century BC; 19 3/8 in. (49.3 cm.) long. Estimate 150,000 - USD 250,000. Price realised USD $183,750. Formerly of the Arthur M. Sackler Collections, New York.

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

Code: 24842

A Simply Exquisite Original Bronze Age Short Sword Used From The Trojan Wars To The Greco-Persian Wars Era. The Trojan War Was Waged Against the City of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) After Paris of Troy Took Helen From Her Husband Menelaus, King of Sparta

From the late 2nd millennium BC. to early 1st Millenium BC.
A bronze sword with tapering long central ribbed graduating tapering blade, with solid cast hilt 'bulls horn' and domed pommel A sword that could have been traded with the Archean Greeks, the Mycenean Greeks the Trojan peoples and The Hitites.

The trade of Bronze Age weaponry followed trade routes that started in the the Assyrian Empire, East of Babylon, right through to the Mediterranean region, and all of empires and kingdoms in between. Also, all manner of Bronze Age utilitarian wares, personal adornments, and tools came from this famed bronze smithing region and their trading merchants.

In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, king of Sparta. The war is one of the most important events in Greek mythology and has been narrated through many works of Greek literature, most notably Homer's Iliad. The core of the Iliad (Books II – XXIII) describes a period of four days and two nights in the tenth year of the decade-long siege of Troy; the Odyssey describes the journey home of Odysseus, one of the war's heroes. Other parts of the war are described in a cycle of epic poems, which have survived through fragments. Episodes from the war provided material for Greek tragedy and other works of Greek literature, and for Roman poets including Virgil and Ovid.

The ancient Greeks believed that Troy was located near the Dardanelles and that the Trojan War was a historical event of the 13th or 12th century BC, but by the mid-19th century AD, both the war and the city were widely seen as non-historical. In 1868, however, the German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann met Frank Calvert, who convinced Schliemann that Troy was a real city at what is now Hisarlik in Turkey. On the basis of excavations conducted by Schliemann and others, this claim is now accepted by most scholars.

Whether there is any historical reality behind the Trojan War remains an open question. Many scholars believe that there is a historical core to the tale, though this may simply mean that the Homeric stories are a fusion of various tales of sieges and expeditions by Mycenaean Greeks during the Bronze Age. Those who believe that the stories of the Trojan War are derived from a specific historical conflict usually date it to the 12th or 11th century BC, often preferring the dates given by Eratosthenes, 1194–1184 BC, which roughly correspond to archaeological evidence of a catastrophic burning of Troy VII, and the Late Bronze Age collapse. Legend has it that the war originated from a quarrel between the goddesses Hera, Athena, and Aphrodite, after Eris, the goddess of strife and discord, gave them a golden apple, sometimes known as the Apple of Discord, marked "for the fairest". Zeus sent the goddesses to Paris of Troy, who judged that Aphrodite, as the "fairest", should receive the apple. In exchange, Aphrodite made Helen, the most beautiful of all women and wife of Menelaus of Sparta, fall in love with Paris, who quit Sparta with her and returned to Troy. Menelaus's brother Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, led an expedition of Achaean troops to Troy and besieged the city for ten years because of Paris' insult. After the deaths of many heroes, including the Achaeans Achilles and Ajax, and the Trojans Hector and Paris, the city fell to the ruse of the Trojan Horse. The Achaeans slaughtered the Trojans (except for some of the women and children whom they kept or sold as slaves) and desecrated the temples, thus earning the gods' wrath. Few of the Achaeans returned safely to their homes and many founded colonies in distant shores. The Romans later traced their origin to Aeneas, Aphrodite's son and one of the Trojans, who was said to have led the surviving Trojans to modern-day Italy.

57 cm long

A most similar example was in the Axel Guttman collection, a collection that was sold in 2002 by Christies

As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity.  read more

Code: 25684

Superbly Bound, Leather & Tooled "Quattrocento" Style, In Gilt. A Richly Bound Special Parisien Reprint of 1971, of Dante Alighieri’s 14th Century 'La Divine Comédie',{ Divina Commedia } Purgatoire {Purgatory, Purgatorio}. Illustrations by Botticelli

Dante Alighieri’s 'Purgatory' from his masterpiece 'La Divine Comédie'. The perfect read while waiting to clear customs at Charles De Gaulle Airport. Hopefully, you may even get through the queue before the end

A bilingual French-Italian edition of Dante Alighieri’s La Divine Comédie, published by the Parisian publisher Jean de Bonnot in 1971. It features Sandro Botticelli's legendary illustrations and bound in "Quattrocento" style, richly gold decorated full leather.

Parallel Italian and French translations (by André Pératé, with the Italian text established by Marina Zorzi Kolasinski de Kojen) Contains reproductions of Sandro Botticelli's celebrated lead and silver-point drawings. Features publisher's full tawny or marbled leather (plein cuir), with gold tooling in the "Quattrocento" style on the spines and covers, gilt top edges, and an attached ribbon bookmark.

Dante Alighieri's Epic Poem written between 1308 and 1321, this narrative poem is considered the cornerstone of Italian literature and a masterpiece of Western civilization.

It follows Dante himself (guided by the Roman poet Virgil, and later his muse Beatrice) through the three realms of the afterlife:
Inferno (Hell),
Purgatorio (Purgatory),
and Paradiso (Paradise).

The poem features 100 cantos in total and is known for its intricate numerical and symbolic structures, deeply intertwined with medieval European philosophy, theology, and politics

It has heavily shaped modern perceptions of the Christian afterlife and inspired generations of artists, sculptors, and writers.

The Divine Comedy { Divina Commedia } is an Italian narrative poem by Dante Alighieri, begun c. 1308 and completed c. 1321, shortly before the author's death. It is widely considered the pre-eminent work in Italian literature and one of the greatest works of Western literature. The poem's imaginative vision of the afterlife is representative of the medieval worldview as it existed in the Western Church by the 14th century. It helped establish the Tuscan language, in which it is written, as the standardized Italian language.

The poem explores the condition of the soul following death and portrays a vision of divine justice, in which individuals receive appropriate punishment or reward based on their actions. It describes Dante's travels through Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven. Allegorically, the poem represents the soul's journey towards God, beginning with the recognition and rejection of sin (Inferno), followed by the penitent Christian life (Purgatorio), which is then followed by the soul's ascent to God (Paradiso). Dante draws on medieval Catholic theology and philosophy, especially Thomistic philosophy derived from the Summa Theologica of Thomas Aquinas.  read more

Code: 26109

The Lanes Armoury, World Renown As Britain’s Best Antique Museum-Shop and Gallery, Is Closed, As Usual, This Bank Holiday Monday 25th May. We Re-open Tuesday As Normal

Last Saturday, we had pass through our doors somewhere between 2,600 to 3,200 visitors, and, as usual, just about every one most kindly expressed we were probably the most interesting and incredible shop they had ever seen. And so many continually remarked we are not really a regular shop, we are far more like a museum and gallery, that happens to be a shop as well!. As literally, every single thing we show and offer for sale, is an incredible piece of history, and many pieces they have never before even seen, let alone offered for sale, anywhere else in the country.

One very polite young man said to us earlier, one afternoon;
“ where else in the world can you buy an arrowhead, fired by Alexander the Great’s army, for £65, sitting next to a gold fob chain, in the shape of a Zeppelin, given by the former captain and survivor, of doomed Luftschiffer airship, The Hindenburg, to a colleague in the RAF.”

Several decades ago back in the 1970s Mark used to have conversations on a fairly regular basis with President Ronald Reagan when he was still governor of California.

In one conversation President Reagan remarked “it’s a shame the whole world doesn’t know you exist. I know you’re really famous in the antique world, but most people in America will simply have not have heard of you, which is a great shame. I hope one day this will change.”

Well it did change, thanks to Tim Berners-Lee and the Internet, and various articles, from such as the New York Times, declaring we were the one of the most interesting places to visit in the whole of Europe, we have now expanded our presence, to literally, the entire world, with visitors every day from every possible continent and country you can imagine.

Once Mr. Reagan was elected president he mentioned in one call that he was going to visit Her Late Majesty at Windsor Castle, and he hoped very much to be able to visit again.

Sadly, after a visit from the Secret Service to Brighton, they decided that any visit to the town would be impossible due to the narrowness of the streets, and the size of the cortège that President Reagan had to be accompanied by, including up to three of the bespoke armoured limousines the president used, nicknamed by the Secret Service, ‘the beast’. In the 1970s and 80s these vehicles were simply huge , and they would never be able to negotiate the lanes of Brighton, or most of the streets of Brighton to be fair, in any way whatsoever.

However, we were graced and honoured to a passing visit by Her Majesty and Prince Philip, in March 2007, but of most of her entourage were in Range Rovers!

However, although closed Monday, we will re-open for our thousands of personal visitors and customers, this Tuesday as usual, but we are always contactable by email, or on 07721 010085 during our closing hours this Bank Holiday..

All website activity carries on 24-7 as usual .

Why not choose an ancient or antique original collectable for your loved one, or even you! Every day we try our utmost to supply all our customers with that something really special and unique, and as usual we believe have some simply amazing offerings, thousands of them from all over the world, from ancient to vintage, and every one a little part of history.
All our items supplied with our unique lifetime guarantee of authenticity, detailing its full history as known. The Lanes Armoury is proud to be known, as declared by many of our thousands of daily visitors, as their most favourite shop in all Great Britain!

Enjoy The Lanes Armoury Website, it Has Been Over 105 Years in the Making.

Probably the only shop in Europe where you can view, and buy, original collectables from over 300,000 years of human history, from almost every major civilisation

"Gloria Antika" { translated, from the Latin, ‘Glory of the Ancient’} our old family motto, and it has been for generations, are words we live buy every, single, day.  read more

Code: 24909

A Very Good Original 1934 Early Pattern, Designed Without Insignia, WW2 Third Reich, German, Combat Fire Protection Police Service Helmet, With Comb and Detachable Leather Neck Shield. Feuerwehr/Feuerschutzpolizei

The Fire Protection Police ServiceFeuerwehr/Feuerschutzpolizei, earliest pattern of combat helmet, overall in superb condition, dent free, with its original liner intact, and neck defence, complete and original, that was attached by ingenious floating leather supports, that made it easily detachable by hand without tools. The nickel top crown comb is perfect, and damage free too. If one was seeking a very fine example of the earliest pattern combat grade helmet, used by the Third Reich, complete, untouched and original, you could not do better. In 1936 they added a swastika decal to the surface paint, { for a hand painted version see photo 9 in the gallery} but in 1934, the earliest type, {this one} was made without any swastika decal, either printed or hand painted.

Political control of the Feuerwehr (fire departments) and Feuerschutzpolizei (Fire Protection Police) in Germany was centralized under the National Ministry of the Interior and the SS during the Nazi regime.
The structural hierarchy of this control included:
National Control (The Third Reich): Professional career fire departments were militarized and absorbed into the Ordnungspolizei (Order Police). The overall commander was Kurt Daluege, who answered directly to Heinrich Himmler as the Chief of the German Police.

Although Prussia had incorporated its fire-fighting organisations into the Police system in 1933, it was not made universal throughout Germany until 1938 when the authorities increasingly believed that a future conflict might involve air-raids on a national scale. As a precaution, some 90 German cities were ordered to transfer their fire fighting personnel into the newly created Feuerschutzpolizei (Fire Protection Police), commanded directly by a highest police authority, Heinrich Himmler.

Where necessary, auxiliaries (Freiwillige Feuerwehren) were recruited to supplement the numbers of the Feuerschutzpolizei, while other smaller towns and rural areas maintained both volunteer auxiliaries and the Feuerwehr.

The M34 helmet was initially adopted for service in 1934, but it was only from 28 July 1936 that the police style insignia began to be worn. The detachable leather neckflap gave obvious protection to the wearer but was later deleted, as was the comb, possibly as a cost saving, with metal plugs fitted to fill the holes.

The other protection service were members of the Luftschutzwarndienst (Luftschutz) were typically volunteers assembled into area units within cities and towns that held the highest risk of being bombed. Many population centres were divided into area “blocks” with unit leaders assigned to each individual section of a city. Volunteer teams were expected to rotate shifts and sleep in large concrete bunkers that held all the provisions and amenities of a regular fortification. These also included the immense “flak towers” built around German cities upon which anti-aircraft batteries were stationed.

On 2 April 1943 Hermann Göring mandated compulsory service in the Luftschutz for all German civilians. For the first time this order included women. Members of the Luftschutz were expected to supply their own helmets as part of the contribution to the German war effort. A variety of helmets were available for 5 Reich Marks each, but many volunteers chose to scavenge captured helmets of Czech, Polish, Dutch, French, and Russian origin.

The more usual types of Third Reich helmets, the M1935, M1940 and M1942 were examples of what regular combat helmets were manufactured, and during the National Socialist era, customers for these regular helmets were all the armed forces including the Waffen-SS, generally showing very high craftsmanship.
This 1934 pattern was a separate type of Third Reich era combat helmet, issued a year before the M35, but it is fairly clear, the M35, the first ‘regular’ Third Reich period, original, armed forces combat helmet, may well have been inspired by the steel skull form of this helmet. The M35 Stahlhelm was designed by Dr. Friedrich Schwerd of the Technical Institute of Hanover. First introduced in 1935, his design refined the iconic World War I Stahlhelm. It featured a lighter steel alloy, a rolled-in edge, and improved ventilation rivets. Dr Schwerd may well have designed both this, and the regular M35 at the same time of course, but it may have taken a year longer to perfect and issue the M35.

This fine German pre war and WW2 Fire Protection Police Combat Helmet is complete with its original chin strap clip bearing US patent for the chin strap clip buckle (Patent : TUCK TITE USA PAT 1590400 Made in Germany) and with its with its original neck cape shield later removed

It’s strap buckle was a patent exported from America into Germany in 1926 into German industry  read more

Code: 26200