Antique Arms & Militaria

A Superb, Original, 1796 Heavy Cavalry Officer's Sword, Napoleonic Wars and Waterloo Period, with a Broadsword Blade, Steel Combat Scabbard with Close Combat Blade Impact

1796 regulation dress pattern copper gilt hilt, with boatshell guard, D-shaped knuckle bow, urn-shaped pommel, wire bound grip, double edged broadsword blade contained in its all steel combat scabbard, which bears a single blade cut from another sword see photo 10. Upper suspension ring mount lacking. A very good example of these most desirable and beautiful of Napoleonic wars era swords used by an officer in the British heavy cavalry.

It has the traditional 1796 'boat shaped hilt' in copper gilt, in very good order bearing much of its original mercurial gilding, it has its original wire bound grip, a good broadsword double edged blade, and all steel combat grade scabbard.

Used by a Napoleonic wars period officer of the British heavy cavalry, serving in either the Union Brigade, or the 1st Household Brigade.

The Heavy Cavalry regiments were separated into two brigades at Waterloo. The 1st Brigade, known as the Household Brigade, commanded by Major-General Edward Somerset (Lord Somerset), consisted of guards regiments: the 1st and 2nd Life Guards, the Royal Horse Guards (the Blues), and the 1st 'King's' Dragoon Guards The 2nd Brigade, also known as the Union Brigade, commanded by Major-General Sir William Ponsonby, was so called as it consisted of an English (1st, 'The Royals'), a Scottish (2nd, 'Scots Greys'), and an Irish (6th, 'Inniskilling') regiment of heavy dragoons. More than 20 years of warfare had eroded the numbers of suitable cavalry mounts available on the European continent; this resulted in the British heavy cavalry entering the 1815 campaign with the finest horses of any contemporary cavalry arm. They also received excellent mounted swordsmanship training. The two brigades had a combined field strength of about 2,000 (2,651 official strength), and they charged with the 47-year-old Uxbridge leading them and little reserve Scots Greys Regt. The Scots Greys, as part of the Union Brigade so called as it was made up of a regiment of Heavy Cavalry from each part of Britain were some of the finest heavy Cavalry in Europe and certainly one of the most feared. A quote of Napoleon of the charge at the Battle of Waterloo goes;
"Ces terribles chevaux gris! Comme il travaillent!" (Those terrible grey horses, how they strive!) At approximately 1:30 pm, the second phase of the Battle of Waterloo opened. Napoleon launched D'Erlon's corps against the allied centre left. After being stopped by Picton's Peninsular War veterans, D'Erlon's troops came under attack from the side by the heavy cavalry commanded by Earl of Uxbridge including Major General Sir William Ponsonby's Scots Greys. The shocked ranks of the French columns surrendered in their thousands. During the charge Sergeant Ewart, of the Greys, captured the eagle of the French 45th Ligne. The Greys charged too far and, having spiked some of the French cannon, came under counter-attack from enemy cavalry. Ponsonby, who had chosen to ride one of his less expensive mounts, was ridden down and killed by enemy lancers. The Scots Greys' casualties included: 102 killed; 97 wounded; and the loss of 228 of the 416 horses that started the charge. This engagement also gave the Scots Greys their cap badge, the eagle itself. The eagle is displayed in the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards museum in Edinburgh Castle. The British Heavy Cavalry, during the Peninsular War and at Waterloo it fought with incredible distinction and exemplary bravery, and saw some of the most incredible and courageous combat. Fighting the elite French Curassiers and Carabiniers of Napoleons Imperial Guard was no mean feat, for at the time the French Cavalry was some of the most formidable in the world, and at their very peak. Never again was the French Cavalry to be as respected and feared as it was during the great Napoleonic era. Some of the battles this may also have been used at were; during 1808-14 The Peninsular Campaign, including, Salamanca , Toulouse, Albuera Talavera, Pyrenees then from 1814: La Rothiere, Rosnay, Champaubert, Vauchamps, Athies, La Fere-Champenoise and Paris
1815: and Quatre-Bras. The last photo in the gallery is of Lady Butler's painting, the Charge of the Scots Greys at Waterloo. One of the heavy cavalry regiments whose officers would have used in his service this very form of sword.

The swords used by the Union Brigade and Ist household brigade at Waterloo, have examples of their swords in the Royal Collection, The Tower of London Collection, the British Army Museum, and most of the finest British sword collections in the world.

The last photo in the gallery shows a photograph of one section of the collection in the museum of Waterloo, taken in around 1900, showing all the weapons of Waterloo en situ, including all the protagonists {British, French, Prussian and Belgian muskets, swords, pistols, armour uniforms, etc}. The museum was founded and owned by a veteran of the 7th Hussars that fought at Waterloo .
blade length 32 inches  read more

Code: 24189

A Most Rarely Seen Napoleonic Wars Heavy Cavalry Sword. A Fabulous 1808 Napoleonic Wars, Spanish Peninsular Campaign Cavalry Sword

From the invasion of Spain by Napoleon's forces, in 1808. The Peninsular War involved over 127 battles and engagements against Napoleon and the armies under his command, and this sword may well have been used in dozens of these ferocious conflicts

A fabulous, original, example of these very scarce Napoleonic, Spanish heavy cavalry rapiers. A rapier based Spanish late 18th century broadsword.
The hilt is in superb order, with excellent wire bound grip and large shaped bowl, as is the very long broadsword blade.
In 1796 (although there is a controversy around the precise date) a new model sword for Spanish cavalry troopers was adopted. This beautiful example, showing very classic lines and a very similar construction to the previous pattern, presents an almost full cup-hilt in a rapier style, curved quillons and knuckle-bow. The blade was very similar to that of 1728 pattern, having these dimensions: length 940 mm, width 35, thickness 6 mm. Alongside the later 1803 pattern change, these swords were predominantly used by cavalry at the Battle of Bailen {and subsequent battles}. It was the crushing defeat of Napoleon's Grande Armee in the Spanish invasion.
The Battle of Bailen
Fought July 19, 1808, between 15,000 Spaniards under Castaflos, and 20,000 French under Dupont. The French were totally defeated with a loss of over 2,000 men, and Dupont surrendered with his whole army. The Battle of Bailen was contested in 1808 between the Spanish Army of Andalusia, led by Generals Francisco Castanos and Theodor von Reding, and the Imperial French Army's II corps d'observation de la Gironde under General Pierre Dupont de l'Etang. The heaviest fighting took place near Bailen (sometimes anglicised Baylen), a village by the Guadalquivir river in the Jaen province of southern Spain.

In June 1808, following the widespread uprisings against the French occupation of Spain, Napoleon organised French units into flying columns to pacify Spain's major centres of resistance. One of these, under General Dupont, was dispatched across the Sierra Morena and south through Andalusia to the port of Cadiz where an French naval squadron lay at the mercy of the Spanish. The Emperor was confident that with 20,000 men, Dupont would crush any opposition encountered on the way. Events proved otherwise, and after storming and plundering Cordoba in July, Dupont retraced his steps to the north of the province to await reinforcements. Meanwhile, General Castanos, commanding the Spanish field army at San Roque, and General von Reding, Governor of Malaga, travelled to Seville to negotiate with the Seville Junta a patriotic assembly committed to resisting the French incursions?and to turn the province's combined forces against the French.

Dupont's failure to leave Andalusia proved disastrous. Between 16 and 19 July, Spanish forces converged on the French positions stretched out along villages on the Guadalquivir and attacked at several points, forcing the confused French defenders to shift their divisions this way and that. With Castanos pinning Dupont downstream at Andujar, Reding successfully forced the river at Mengibar and seized Bailen, interposing himself between the two wings of the French army. Caught between Castanos and Reding, Dupont attempted vainly to break through the Spanish line at Bailen in three bloody and desperate charges, losing more than 2,500 men.

His counterattacks defeated, Dupont called for an armistice and was compelled to sign the Convention of Andujar which stipulated the surrender of almost 18,000 men, making Bailen the worst disaster and capitulation of the Peninsular War, and the first major defeat of Napoleon's Grande Armee. When news of the catastrophe reached the French high command in Madrid, the result was a general retreat to the Ebro, abandoning much of Spain to the insurgents. France's enemies in Spain and throughout Europe cheered at this first check to the hitherto unbeatable Imperial armies tales of Spanish heroism inspired Austria and showed the force of nation-wide resistance to Napoleon, setting in motion the rise of the Fifth Coalition against France.

The Portuguese and Spanish played an important part in the war. Retrained and reorganised by Marshal William Beresford, Portugal’s soldiers fought bravely alongside those of Britain. The stubborn Spanish defence of cities and towns tied down thousands of French troops. Spanish armies, though frequently defeated, kept reappearing, forcing France to send more armies against them.

French troops were also required to garrison hostile territory and wage a bitter war against Spanish and Portuguese insurgents, the ‘guerrillas’. French communications and supply lines were harassed by their raids and ambushes. By 1812, the French had over 350,000 soldiers in Iberia, but 200,000 were protecting lines of supply rather than serving as front-line troops.

All of these factors meant that although on paper the French heavily outnumbered the British armies in Iberia, they were never able to concentrate enough of their troops to win a decisive victory. The continual drain on French resources led Napoleon to call the conflict the ‘Spanish Ulcer’.


Painting in the gallery by Theodore Gericault. Of a wounded cuirassier, said to be a French cuirassier at the Battle of Bailen. We also show a print of the Spanish Heavy Cavalry of the Line Trooper, 1804, holding his identical sword  read more

Code: 22330

A Stunning, Historical, Napoleonic War’s Period, 1796 Pattern Officer's Combat Sword of William A. Cuninghame, of the 95th

It’s rarity value is due to both it’s known specific history to a Napoleonic Wars family member and it’s condition.
With superb provenance, that is very rare to survive. He was the father of Capt William Cuninghame Cuninghame, hero of the 79th Foot in the Crimean War, and brother of Capt. Thomas Cuninghame of the 45th Foot. One of all three original family swords, owned and used in combat by William Cunningham senior, all with their own built in provenance, from the world renown British Army, serving in the 95th, 45th and the 79th Regiments. All three were acquired, then expertly conserved by us.
They were obtained by us from a direct line family descendant, still possessor of the same family name, and they are all all offered for sale by us separately, but the light infantry sabre of the 45th regiment is now sold. A super, antique and historical, officers combat sword of his ancestor, who fought with distinction in the Napoleonic Wars era. Each sword is engraved with the family name, crest, and motto. This sword, belonged to William Alexander, Cuninghame, who joined his regiment as a junior officer in April 1813, and served as an officer in the 95th regt., Another sword belonged, and was used, by Thomas Cuninghame, William Alexander's elder brother, who served in the 45th regt., both used by them in the Napoleonic Wars, and a basket hilted broadsword which we have also fully conserved, that was used by William Alexander Cuninghame's son, Capt. William Cuninghame Cuninghame, in the Crimean War. According to family record, W.A.Cuninghame while serving with his regiment was wounded in Guadaloupe in 1814, but this may well have been early 1815, during the British invasion to retake the island in Napoleon's Hundred Days period. The Hundred Days war was so called after Napoleon returned from exile in Elba, reformed his army, declared war on the allies, and that culminated in the Battle of Waterloo in Belgium, Wellington's great victory and Napoleon's final defeat. The 1796 Pattern British Infantry Officers Sword was carried by officers of the line infantry in the British Army between 1796 and the time of its official replacement with the gothic hilted sword in 1822. This period encompassed the whole of the Napoleonic Wars.

The Napoleonic Wars, was a series of wars between Napoleonic France and shifting alliances of other European powers that produced a brief French hegemony over most of Europe. Along with the French Revolutionary wars, the Napoleonic Wars constitute a 23-year period of recurrent conflict that concluded only with the Battle of Waterloo and Napoleon’s defeat by Wellington, and thus his subsequent second abdication on June 22, 1815. It is interesting that statistically Napoleon had fought and won more battles than the worlds next three great military commanders combined, however, despite his obvious genius he never actually won a war, and Wellington had never lost one.

France had a population of 27,350,000 in 1801 as opposed to Great Britain’s 10,942,146, outnumbering Britain almost three to one, and France had gained much territory warfare since 1792. However, a significant advance in economic strength was to enable Great Britain to wage war against this formidable adversary and to achieve the “miracles of credit” whereby foreign military assistance could be subsidized. The French, whose manufactures progressed less dramatically than the British and whose seaborne trade had been strangled by the superior nature of Britain’s navy, found it impossible to raise funds commensurate with their aggressive policy in Europe, so that Napoleon had to rely on the spoils of conquest and looting to supplement the deficiencies of French finance. As a matter of course, Wellington had forbade his armies to engage in looting of any kind, upon penalty of severe flogging or worse.

The Napoleonic Wars

The Napoleonic Wars were massive in their geographic scope, ranging, as far as Britain was concerned, over all of the five continents. They were massive, too, in terms of expense. From 1793 to the Battle of Waterloo in June 1815 the wars cost Britain more than £1,650,000,000. Only 25 percent of this sum was raised by government loans, the rest coming largely from taxation, not least from the income tax that was introduced in 1798. But the wars were massive most of all in terms of manpower. Between 1789 and 1815 the British army had to expand more than sixfold, to about a quarter of a million men. The Royal Navy, bedrock of British defence of its trade, and empire, grew further and faster still. Before the wars it had employed 16,000 men; by the end of them, it employed more than 140,000. Because there was an acute danger between 1797 and 1805 that France would invade Britain, the civil defense force also had to be expanded. The militia was increased, and by 1803 more than 380,000 men were acting as volunteers in home-based cavalry and infantry regiments. In all, one in four adult males in Britain may have been in uniform by the early 19th century.

This sword’s design was introduced by General Order in 1796, replacing the previous 1786 Pattern. It was similar to its prececesor in having a spadroon blade, i.e. one straight, flat backed and single edged with a single fuller on each side. The hilt gilt brass with a knucklebow, vestigial quillon and a twin-shell guard somewhat similar in appearance to that of the smallswords which had been common civilian wear until shortly before this period. The pommel was urn shaped and, in many later examples, the inner guard was hinged to allow the sword to sit against the body more comfortably and reduce wear to the officer's uniform.  read more

Code: 21865

A Heavy Grade 9th to 10th Century Original Viking Socket Spear. An Incredibly Inexpensive Original Viking Battle Spear From The Time of The Viking Seiges of Paris, And The Early Raids Into The British Isles

1100 to 1200 years old. The Viking spear, alongside the axe was the weapon of choice for the Viking warrior. The sword being the weapon of a high ranking Viking and Viking Jarl.

In the final decade of the eighth century, Viking raiders attacked a series of Christian monasteries in the British Isles. Here, these monasteries had often been positioned on small islands and in other remote coastal areas so that the monks could live in seclusion, devoting themselves to worship without the interference of other elements of society. At the same time, it made them isolated and unprotected targets for attack by sea. From 865, the Viking attitude towards the British Isles changed, as they began to see it as a place for potential colonisation rather than simply a place to raid. As a result of this, larger armies began arriving on Britain's shores, with the intention of conquering land and constructing settlements there.
The early Viking settlers would have appeared visibly different from the Anglo-Saxon populace, wearing Scandinavian styles of jewellery, and probably also wearing their own peculiar styles of clothing. Viking and Anglo-Saxon men also had different hairstyles: Viking men's hair was shaved at the back and left shaggy on the front, whilst the Anglo-Saxons typically wore their hair long.

The siege of Paris of 845 was the culmination of a Viking invasion of West Francia. The Viking forces were led by a Norse chieftain named "Reginherus", or Ragnar, who tentatively has been identified with the legendary saga character Ragnar Lodbrok. Reginherus's fleet of 120 Viking ships, carrying thousands of warriors, entered the Seine in March and sailed up the river.

Ragnar's Vikings raided Rouen on their way up the Seine in 845 and in response to the invasion, determined not to let the royal Abbey of Saint-Denis (near Paris) be destroyed, Charles assembled an army which he divided into two parts, one for each side of the river. Ragnar attacked and defeated one of the divisions of the smaller Frankish army, took 111 of their men as prisoners and hanged them on an island on the Seine to honour the Norse god Odin, as well as to incite terror in the remaining Frankish forces.

The Vikings reached Paris at the end of the month, during Easter. They plundered and occupied the city, withdrawing after Charles the Bald paid a ransom of 7,000 French livres 2,570 kg (83,000 ozt) in gold and silver.
Ragnar's fleet made it back to his overlord, the Danish King Horik I, but Ragnar soon died from a violent illness that also spread in Denmark

The spear is a pattern welded blade, and although now pitted as is most usual after over 1000 years it is a remarkable survivor of Viking combat warfare, and a remarkably inexpensive piece of original and legendary Viking weaponry, and thus extremely affordable. In chapter 55 of Laxdla saga, Helgi had a spear with a blade one ell long (about 50cm, or 20in). He thrust the blade through Bolli's shield, and through Bolli. In chapter 8 of Krka-Refs saga, Refur made a spear for himself which could be used for cutting, thrusting, or hewing. Refur split orgils in two down to his shoulders with the spear. The spearheads were made of iron, and, like sword blades, were made using pattern welding techniques (described in the article on swords) during the early part of the Viking era . They could be decorated with inlays of precious metals or with scribed geometric patterns
After forming the head, the smith flattened and drew out material to form the socket . This material was formed around a mandrel and usually was welded to form a solid socket. In some cases, the overlapping portions were left unwelded. Spear heads were fixed to wooden shafts using a rivet. The sockets on the surviving spear heads suggest that the shafts were typically round, with a diameter of 2-3cm (about one inch).

However, there is little evidence that tells us the length of the shaft. The archaeological evidence is negligible, and the sagas are, for the most part, silent. Chapter 6 of Gsla saga tells of a spear so long-shafted that a man's outstretched arm could touch the rivet. The language used suggests that such a long shaft was uncommon.

Perhaps the best guess we can make is that the combined length of shaft and head of Viking age spears was 2 to 3m (7-10ft) long, although one can make arguments for the use of spears having both longer and shorter shafts. A strong, straight-grained wood such as ash was used. Many people think of the spear as a throwing weapon. One of the Norse myths tells the story of the first battle in the world, in which Odin, the highest of the gods, threw a spear over the heads of the opposing combatants as a prelude to the fight. The sagas say that spears were also thrown in this manner when men, rather than gods, fought. At the battle at Geirvir described in chapter 44 of Eyrbyggja saga, the saga author says that Steinrr threw a spear over the heads of Snorrigoi and his men for good luck, according to the old custom. More commonly, the spear was used as a thrusting weapon. The sagas tell us thrusting was the most common attack in melees and one-on-one fighting, and this capability was used to advantage in mass battles. In a mass battle, men lined up, shoulder to shoulder, with shields overlapping. After all the preliminaries, which included rock throwing, name calling, the trading of insults, and shouting a war cry (aepa herop), the two lines advanced towards each other. When the lines met, the battle was begun. Behind the wall of shields, each line was well protected. Once a line was broken, and one side could pass through the line of the other side, the battle broke down into armed melees between small groups of men.

Before either line broke, while the two lines were going at each other hammer and tongs, the spear offered some real advantages. A fighter in the second rank could use his spear to reach over the heads of his comrades in the first rank and attack the opposing line. Konungs skuggsj (Kings Mirror), a 13th century Norwegian manual for men of the king, says that in the battle line, a spear is more effective than two swords. In regards to surviving iron artefacts of the past two millennia, if Western ancient edged weapons were either lost, discarded or buried in the ground, and if the ground soil were made up of the right chemical composition, then some may survive exceptionally well. As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity. Approx 10 inches longAlmost every iron weapon that has survived today from this era is now in a fully russetted condition, as is this one, because only the swords of kings, that have been preserved in national or Royal collections are today still in a good state and condition.  read more

Code: 22779

A Most Fabulous, Intricately Carved Keris Dagger With Watered Steel Blade

A stunning looking piece and a most impressively mounted example with delightful pamor blade. Pamor is the pattern of white lines appearing on the blade. Kris blades are forged by a technique known as pattern welding, one in which layers of different metals are pounded and fused together while red hot, folded or twisted, adding more different metals, pounded more and folded more until the desired number of layers are obtained. The rough blade is then shaped, filed and sometimes polished smooth before finally acid etched to bring out the contrasting colours of the low and high carbon metals. The traditional Indonesian weapon allegedly endowed with religious and mystical powers. With probably a traditional Meteorite laminated iron blade with hammered nickel for the contrasting pattern.

Very small area of wood snake body lacking under the hilt. The blades could often be older that the mountings, as they were frequently remounted in the blades working life, just as this one has late mountings  read more

Code: 23766

A Beautiful Early Sikh Khanda Hilt Firangi Sword 17th to 18th Century

Long double fuller straight firangi blade, single knuckle bow and double plate guard. overall in nice condition for age. Early swords appear in the archaeological record of ritual copper swords in Fatehgarh Northern India and Kallur in Southern India. Although the Puranas and Vedas give an even older date to the sacrificial knife. Straight swords, (as well as other swords curved both inward and outward), have been used in Indian history since the Iron Age Mahajanapadas (roughly 600 to 300 BC), being mentioned in the Sanskrit epics, and used in soldiers in armies such as those of the Mauryan Empire. Several sculptures from the Gupta era (AD 280-550) portray soldiers holding khanda-like broadswords. These are again flared out at the tip. They continued to be used in art such as Chola-era murtis.

There is host of paintings depicting the khanda being worn by Rajput kings throughout the medieval era. It was used usually by foot-soldiers and by nobles who were unhorsed in battle. The Rajput warrior clans venerated the khanda as a weapon of great prestige.


Goddess Durga wielding khanda sword, 7th century.
According to some, the design was improved by the Great Rajput Emperor Prithviraj Chauhan. He added a back spine on the blade to add more strength. He also made the blade wider and flatter, making it a formidable cutting weapon. It also gave a good advantage to infantry over light cavalry enemy armies.

Rajput warriors in battle wielded the khanda with both hands and swung it over their head when surrounded and outnumbered by the enemy. It was in this manner that they traditionally committed an honourable last stand rather than be captured. Even today they venerate the khanda on the occasion of Dasara.

Maharana Pratap is known to have wielded a khanda. The son in law of Miyan Tansen, Naubat Khan also wielded khanda and the family was known as Khandara Beenkar. Wazir Khan Khandara was a famous beenkar of 19th century.

Many Sikh warriors of the Akali-Nihang order are known to have wielded khandas. For instance, Baba Deep Singh is famous for wielding a khanda in his final battle before reaching his death, which is still preserved at Akaal Takhat Sahib. Akali Phula Singh is also known to have wielded a khanda, and this practise was popular among officers and leaders in the Sikh Khalsa Army as well as by Sikh sardars of the Misls and of the Sikh Empire. The Sikh martial art, Gatka also uses khandas.

Hari Singh Nalwa was the commander-in-chief of the Sikh Empire (Sarkar Khalsa) under Maharaja Ranjit Singh. The Times of London wrote an article in 1881 where they not only noted his battlefield prowess but also his success as an administrator and foresight. The article went onto state that "had he had the money and resources of available to European states, it would have been entirely possible that he could have reached the border of Europe."

Despite reaching lofty heights, Hari Singh Nalwa had humble beginnings. Born in 1791 as Hari Singh Uppal, the youngster, like so many others on this list, lost his father at an early age. In 1804 his mother sent him to the court of Maharaja Ranjit Singh to resolve a property dispute. While there Hari Singh explained that his father and grandfather had both fought under Ranjit Singh's Sukerchak Misl for both his father Maha Singh and his grandfather Charat Singh. The Maharaja decided the arbitration in Hari Singh's favour and impressed by his skill as a musketeer gave him a job as a personal attendant. Hari Singh's climb to fame began later that year during a hunt where his party was attacked by a tiger. In one of the most famous stories in Sikh history, Hari Singh killed the tiger by ripping it apart using his hands, this earned him the nickname Baagh Maar, or Tiger Killer. As his reputation grew from the story, he was commissioned as a Sardar and given 800 horses and footmen under his command.

Hari Singh led his first independant contingent into battle in 1807 at Kasur under the leadership of the Maharaja, Jodh Singh Ramgharia and Akali Phula Singh Nihang. Hari Singh's performance was rewarded by a jagir (land based revenue) and his fame continued to grow. A year later Hari Singh led his first command of an army at the Battle of Sialkot where the 17 year old defeated Jiwan Singh.

The young Hari Singh fought numerous battles over the coming years in Attock, Kashmir and Mahmudkot. During the Battle of Multan in 1818, Hari Singh Nalwa led a division of Sikhs against Muzzaffar Khan. The Muslim ruler put up one of the strongest fights the Sikhs had encountered and although instrumental in the victory, Hari Singh Nalwa was badly burnt from a firepot thrown from the fort, putting him out of action for a number of months. However, he was fully recovered by 1819 to lead the reaguard of the Sikh conquest of Kashmir. The victory ended 5 centuries of Muslim rule and the cities of Lahore and Amritsar were lit up in celebration for three nights.

The conquest of Kashmir ushered in a decade of rapid Sikh conquest, and Hari Singh Nalwa was involved in or led most of the major battles. The 1827 Battle of Saidu was one of the most comprehensive. Sayed Bareli had proclaimed himelf to be a messenger of the Prophet Muhammed tellling all his tribesmen that he would deliver the Muslims from Sikh rule As local Muslim rulers began to heed his call, he eventually managed to command an army of over 15,000 Muslims, ready to raise Jihad against the Sikhs. On 23 February, the Sikhs under Hari Singh and Budh Singh Sandhanwalia met the self proclaimed messenger in battle and routed his army. They then pursued the enemy for 6 miles, plundering and pillaging as they went. By 1834 the Sikhs occupied Peshawar. At this point Hari Singh's reputation had become so widespread that Afghan women used to scare their children to sleep by mentioning that if they stayed awake "Hari Singh and his Sikhs would get them".

31.5 inch blade  read more

Code: 24207

14 Million Year Old Meteorite Rock, Impactite (Suevite) of Nordlingen Ries Now Understood To Possibly Be The Closest Match to the Surface of Mars on Earth. Likely The Most Intriguing Conversation Piece & Geological Collectors Item Available Today

From the Meteorite Strike Crater in Germany, collected by an official geological survey. The crater was caused by a binary asteroid that struck approximately 14 million years ago in the Meocene era. It was an impact of a magnitude of 1.8 Million times the size of the Hiroshima Bomb. Which created a single Faunel Event which meant the extinction of all large reptiles. In that crater a German city was built, naturally, millions of years later.

The incredible German town that sits in that asteroid crater, from whence this impactite came, is smothered in 72,000 tonnes of diamonds
The tiny diamonds were created by an asteroid smashing into the earth. So small though they are technically valueless.
Nördlingen featured in the 1971 film Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory

What a huge and magnificent conversational piece and collectors item, potentially the closest and most accurate example of the surface of Mars today, and since the Mars Rover sampling it is now believed by NASA and scientific research to be the very best and closest match to the surface of Mars on Earth, and certainly the best preserved from anywhere else on earth.

This is a large 14 million year old meteorite strike rock that is also a simply stunning piece of art that would superbly compliment any decor, in any home, both vintage, antique or modern. It would look amazing on a display stand of any suitable material, such as glass, perspex, marble or wood. This is an unusually large piece of molten meterorite rock, the very few pieces we have had in the past of this type have all been small of just a few ounces. Suevite rock consisting partly of melted material, typically forming a breccia containing glass and crystal or lithic fragments, and often thousands of microscopic diamonds formed during an impact event. It forms part of a group of rock types and structures that are known as impactites.

The Nordlinger Ries is an impact crater, large circular depression in western Bavaria, Germany, located north of the Danube in the district of Donau-Ries. The city of Nordlingen is located inside the depression, about 6 kilometers (3.7 mi) southwest of its centre. Recent computer modeling of the impact event indicates that the impactors probably had diameters of about 1.5 kilometers (4,900 ft) (Ries) and 150 meters (490 ft) (Steinheim), had a pre-impact separation of some tens of kilometers, and impacted the target area at an angle around 30 to 50 degrees from the surface in a west-southwest to east-northeast direction. The impact velocity is thought to have been about 20 km/s (45,000 mph). The resulting explosion had the power of 1.8 million Hiroshima bombs, an energy of roughly 2.4 1021 joules. This exceptionally large piece is 4.55 kilos. 13 inches x 11 inches x 3.5 inches As with all our items it complete complete with our Certificate of Authenticity, our unique lifetime guarantee of originality. Photo number 7 in the gallery is a clip from an article on the unique matching relation of this Suevite from Nordlingen Ries and the surface of Mars by
JULES BERNSTEIN in the University of California Science and Technology magazine  read more

Code: 21959

A Sublime 'Queen Anne', Circa 1720, Cannon Barrel Flintlock Holster Pistol of Sidelock Action, With Solid Silver Mounts Including a Silver, Maned Lion Head Butt Cap, and Silver Dragon Sideplate

with silver leaf shaped escutcheon. Three stage steel cannon barrel with chisseled octagonal breech, conical second stage and flared long blunderbuss third stage. Fine jugland regia walnut stock. Horn tipped wood ramrod with octagonal rear ramrod pipe and typical barrel type forend ramrod pipe

Here are some of the specific reasons why people enjoy collecting antique pistols:

Historical significance: Antique pistols are stunning relics of a bygone era, and they can provide insights into the history of warfare, technology, and culture. For example, a collector might be interested in owning a type of pistol that was used in a famous battle or that was carried by a famous historical figure.
Craftsmanship: Antique pistols are often works of art in their own right. Many early gunsmiths were highly skilled artisans, and their creations can be extraordinarily beautiful. Collectors might appreciate the intricate engraving, fine inlays, and other decorative elements that are found on many antique pistols.
Aesthetic beauty: Antique pistols can be simply stunning. Their elegant lines and graceful curves can be a thing of beauty. Collectors might enjoy admiring the form and function of these antique weapons.
Rarity and uniqueness: Some antique pistols are quite rare, and collectors might enjoy the challenge of finding and acquiring them. Others might be interested in owning a pistol that is unique in some way, such as a prototype or a custom-made piece.
Investment value: Antique pistols can also be valuable long term investments. The value of some antique pistols has appreciated significantly over the years. Collectors might enjoy the potential for profit, in addition to the other pleasures of collecting, but that should never be the ultimate goal, enjoyment must always be the leading factor of collecting.
No matter what their reasons, collectors of antique pistols find enjoyment in their hobby. They appreciate the history, craftsmanship, beauty, and rarity of these unique pieces.

In addition to the above, here is yet another reason why people enjoy collecting antique pistols:

Education: Learning about the history and technology of antique pistols can be a thoroughly rewarding experience. Collectors can learn about the different types of pistols that have been made over the centuries, how they worked, and how they were used.  read more

Code: 25007

An Original Congolese Songye Fetish Female 'Power Figure'. A Most Beautiful and Perfect Example Of The Combination of Esoteric, Spiritually Symbolic & Cultural African Tribal Art From The Last Century. Late 19th to Early 20th Century.

Songye fetish figures were used as an effective instrument for healing, fertility and protection from evil spirits, sorcerers and hostile powers. The figure is in good condition. The face has sensitively rendered features, with semi-circular eyes that are closed they anlmost extend on either side towards the jaw lines. These give the face its distinctive V-shape, interrupted by the short horizontal line of the chin The chest binding is in hide leather, with hands to the abdomen, and a hide skin waist skirt, The figure’s feet and circular base, carved from the same piece of wood as the rest of the figure, and overall it has a rich reddish brown patina.

Nkisi, in west-central African lore, any object or material substance invested with sacred energy and made available for spiritual protection. One tradition of the Kongo people of west-central Africa holds that the god Funza gave the world the first nkisi. Africans uprooted during the Atlantic slave-trade era carried with them some knowledge of nkisi making. In places throughout the United States, particularly in the Deep South, African descendants still create minkisi. Nkisi making is also found throughout the Caribbean and South America, in places such as Cuba, Haiti, and Brazil.

This wild appearance of the Nganga was intended to create a frightening effect, or kimbulua in the Kongo language. The nganga's costume was often modeled on his nkisi. The act of putting on the costume was itself part of the performance; all participants were marked with red and white stripes, called makila, for protection.

The "circles of white around the eyes" refer to mamoni lines (from the verb mona, to see). These lines purport to indicate the ability to see hidden sources of illness and evil.

Yombe nganga often wore white masks, whose color represented the spirit of a deceased person. White was also associated with justice, order, truth, invulnerability, and insight: all virtues associated with the nganga.

The nganga is instructed in the composition of the nkondi, perhaps in a dream, by a particular spirit. In one description of the banganga's process, the nganga then cuts down a tree for the wood that s/he will use to construct the nkondi. He then kills a chicken, which causes the death of a hunter who has been successful in killing game and whose captive soul subsequently animates the nkondi figure. Based on this process, *Gell writes that the nkondi is a figure an index of cumulative agency, a "visible knot tying together an invisible skein of spatio-temporal relations" of which participants in the ritual are aware

After a tribal carver artist completed carving the artifact, the "nganga" transformed it into an object capable of healing illness, settling disputes, safeguarding the peace, and punishing wrongdoers. Each work of this kind or "nkisi" is associated with a spirit, that is subjected to a degree of human control.
Europeans may have encountered these objects during expeditions to the Congo as early as the 15th century. However, several of these fetish objects, as they were often termed, were confiscated by missionaries in the late 19th century and were destroyed as evidence of sorcery or heathenism. Nevertheless, several were collected as objects of fascination and even as an object of study of Kongo culture. Kongo traditions such as those of the nkisi nkondi have survived over the centuries and migrated to the Americas and the Caribbean via Afro-Atlantic religious practices such as vodun, Palo Monte, and macumba. In Hollywood these figures have morphed into objects of superstition such as New Orleans voodoo dolls covered with stick pins. Nonetheless, minkisi have left an indelible imprint as visually provocative figures of spiritual importance and protection.


Adorned with additional objects, Bajimba, with magical properties (horns, skins, teeth, hair, feathers, beads, tacks, cloth, etc.), they gained their power not from the carver but from the Nganga, or spiritual leader. Their carving was considered secondary to their power. Often too powerful to touch, they were moved with long sticks. Although protective, these are confrontational objects, with a warrior's attitude.

Each power figure has a distinct personality, ranging from contemplative to angry to soulful to reserved to compassionate. The ability to suggest those qualities visually with such immediacy and precision is one of the most impressive aspect of the surviving figures.

Kongo religion Kikongo: Bukongo. Bakongo religion was translocated to the Americas along with its enslaved practitioners. Some surviving traditions include conjure, dreaming, possession by the dead to learn wisdom from the ancestors, traditional healing and working with minkisi. The spiritual traditions and religions that have preserved Kongo traditions include Hoodoo, Palo Monte, Lumbalú, Kumina, Haitian Vodou, Candomblé Bantu, Kongo traditions such as those of the nkisi nkondi have survived over the centuries and migrated to the Americas and the Caribbean via Afro-Atlantic religious practices such as vodun, Palo Monte, and macumba.

Similar examples in the Smithsonian and Metropolitan in the USA. One very similar nkisi, from the late 19th to mid 20th century has been a highlight of the Rockefeller collection since its acquisition in 1952. we show examples of the similar Kongo type as ours, from around the same time, in the gallery of photographs

Photo 7 shows a male example from the The Michel Gaud collection
Sothebys Important African Art: ‘The Michel Gaud collection’, London, 29th November 1993, lot 132

Photo 8 a larger but similar Nkisi male version of the Songye people’s in the Rockefeller Wing in the Met, although not on view at present.

9 inches high.

For a serious student of such stunning pieces a visit to the The Met is a must for those that reside or able to travel to the US.
Further reading
Hersak, Dunja. 1986. Songye. Masks and Figure Sculpture. London: Ethnographica.

Hersak, Dunja. 2010. "Reviewing power, process, and statement: the case of Songye figures". African Arts. 43: 38-51.

Neyt, François. 2009. Songye: The Formidable Statuary of Central Africa. Munich: Prestel.

Petridis, Constantine. 2009. Art and power in the central African Savanna: Luba, Songye, Chokwe, Luluwa. Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Art  read more

Code: 25680

A Superb & Rare Original Victorian London-Scottish Rifle Volunteer Regiment Doublet. Superbly Tailored By Hobson and Sons of London in Hodden Grey

In wonderful condition for age, and all the original regimental buttons are present.
The tunic and buttons were tailored by Hobson & Sons of London, and it bears a makers label and an original old storage label. In 1859 the London Scottish Rifle Volunteers were raised, sponsored by the Highland Society and the Caledonian Society of London, and commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Elcho.
The soldiers were given a uniform of homespun cloth known as Hodden Grey to avoid inter-clan rivalry and kilts today are still made of this distinctive material.


During the Boer War, the Regiment supplied contingents of Volunteers who served with the Gordon Highlanders and those links survive still. In 1908 the Volunteer Force ceased to exist and became the Territorial Force. The 7th Middlesex (London Scottish) Volunteer Rifle Corps changed its name to the 14th (County of London) Battalion, The London Regiment (London Scottish).
The 1st Battalion was mobilised on 5 August 1914 and was the first Territorial battalion to go into action against the Germans at Messines, near Ypres on 31 October. The Battalion continued to serve in France and Flanders throughout the War taking part in all the major offensives. The 2nd Battalion served in France, the Balkans and Palestine, while a 3rd Battalion was a Reserve Battalion and supplied drafts to the other two. Two Victoria Crosses and nineteen Distinguished Service Orders were awarded to members of the Regiment.
We show in the gallery a picture of a London Scottish soldier in profile wearing his same doublet from the Zulu War period, holding his Martini Henry MK 1/11 Rifle  read more

Code: 21066