A Very Good Shinto Period, Circa Later 1600's, Samurai Spear, A Ryo-Shinogi Yari Pole Arm. Signed Hisatoshi, & Magari-Yari Saya

The magari-yari saya would indicate it would be used on a triple bladed magari-yari pole arm.

An Edo Period Samurai Horseman Ryo-Shinogi Yari Polearm on original haft, circa 1670. For use on or off horseback.
Beautiful bright polish with suguha straight hamon to both edges.

With original pole and iron foot mount ishizuki. Four sided double edged head. The mochi-yari, or "held spear", is a rather generic term for the shorter Japanese spear. It was especially useful to mounted Samurai. In mounted use, the spear was generally held with the right hand and the spear was pointed across the saddle to the soldiers left front corner.
The warrior's saddle was often specially designed with a hinged spear rest (yari-hasami) to help steady and control the spear's motion.

The mochi-yari could also easily be used on foot and is known to have been used in castle defense. The martial art of wielding the yari is called sojutsu. A yari on it's pole can range in length from one metre to upwards of six metres (3.3 to 20 feet). The longer hafted versions were called omi no yari while shorter ones were known as mochi yari or tae yari. The longest hafted versions were carried by foot troops (ashigaru), while samurai usually carried a shorter hafted yari.

Ryō-shinogi yari, a blade with a diamond shaped cross section

Honda Tadakatsu was famous as a master of one of The Three Great Spears of Japan, the Tonbokiri (蜻蛉切). One of The Three Great Spears of Japan, the Nihongō (ja:日本号) was treasured as a gift, and its ownership changed to Emperor Ogimachi, Shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki, Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Fukushima Masanori, and so on, and has been handed down to the present day.

Yari are believed to have been derived from Chinese spears, and while they were present in early Japan's history they did not become popular until the thirteenth century.The original warfare of the bushi was not a thing for "commoners"; it was a ritualized combat usually between two warriors who may challenge each other via horseback archery and sword duels. However, the attempted Mongol invasions of Japan in 1274 and 1281 changed Japanese weaponry and warfare. The Mongol-employed Chinese and Korean footmen wielded long pikes, fought in tight formation, and moved in large units to stave off cavalry. Polearms (including naginata and yari) were of much greater military use than swords, due to their much greater range, their lesser weight per unit length (though overall a polearm would be fairly hefty), and their great piercing ability. Swords in a full battle situation were therefore relegated to emergency sidearm status from the Heian through the Muromachi periods.

The shaft (nagaye or ebu) came in many different lengths, widths, and shapes; made of hardwood and covered in lacquered bamboo strips, these came in oval, round, or polygonal cross section. These in turn were often wrapped in metal rings or wire (dogane), and affixed with a metal pommel (ishizuki; 石突) on the butt end. Yari shafts were often decorated with inlays of metal or semiprecious materials such as brass pins, lacquer, or flakes of pearl. A sheath (saya; 鞘) was also part of a complete yari.

The Three Great Spears of Japan are three individual spears (yari) that were made and crafted by the greatest historical blacksmiths of Japan:1

Tonbokiri (蜻蛉切): This spear once wielded by Honda Tadakatsu, one of the great generals of Tokugawa Ieyasu. It was forged by Masazane, a disciple of Muramasa. It is now owned by a private individual and lent to the Sano Art Museum for its collection. The type of blade shape is sasaho yari.2
Nihongo, or Nippongo (日本号): A famous spear that was once used in the Imperial Palace. Nihongo later found its way into the possession of Fukushima Masanori, and then Tahei Mori. It is now at Fukuoka City Museum. The type of blade shape is omi yari.2
Otegine (御手杵): It was a spear that Yuki Harutomo, a daimyo, ordered Shimada Gisuke, a swordsmith, to make. It was lost in the Bombing of Tokyo in 1945. The type of blade shape was omi yari.

this yari's blade is 17.5 inches including tang, blade 5 inches long, overall in pole 78 inches {not including saya}  read more

Code: 24041

A Beautiful and Ancient Original Greek 'Leaf Shaped' Bronze Sword, 1200 BC, Around 3200 Years Old, From the Era Known In The Days of Homer as The 'Heroic Age'

A Superb ancient Greek bronze age sword blade, from the ancient pre-history period 'Heroic Age', with fabulous areas of crystallized malachite blue/green patina. From the era of the Mycenaean Greek Trojan Wars. in overall fabulous condition. The Hilt would have been made from organic material such as horn bone or wood, that never survives once buried for the three millennia since it was used in war. So all that remains is the bronze blade's tang. The bronze for this blade was likely made from the Cretan copper mines, as an alloy, with an element of added tin.

The story of the Trojan War the Bronze Age conflict between the kingdoms of Troy and Mycenaean Greece straddles the history and mythology of ancient Greece and inspired the greatest writers of antiquity, from Homer, Herodotus and Sophocles to Virgil. Since the 19th-century rediscovery of the site of Troy in what is now western Turkey, archaeologists have uncovered increasing evidence of a kingdom that peaked and may have been destroyed around 1,180 B.C. perhaps forming the basis for the tales recounted by Homer some 400 years later in the Iliad and the Odyssey. According to classical sources, the war began after the abduction (or elopement) of Queen Helen of Sparta by the Trojan prince Paris. Helen's jilted husband Menelaus convinced his brother Agamemnon, king of Mycenae, to lead an expedition to retrieve her. Agamemnon was joined by the Greek heroes Achilles, Odysseus, Nestor and Ajax, and accompanied by a fleet of more than a thousand ships from throughout the Hellenic world. They crossed the Aegean Sea to Asia Minor to lay siege to Troy and demand Helen’s return by Priam, the Trojan king. The siege, punctuated by battles and skirmishes including the storied deaths of the Trojan prince Hector and the nearly-invincible Achilles, lasted more than 10 years until the morning the Greek armies retreated from their camp, leaving a large wooden horse outside the gates of Troy. After much debate (and unheeded warnings by Priam?s daughter Cassandra), the Trojans pulled the mysterious gift into the city. When night fell, the horse opened up and a group of Greek warriors, led by Odysseus, climbed out and sacked the Troy from within. After the Trojan defeat, the Greeks heroes slowly made their way home. Odysseus took 10 years to make the arduous and often-interrupted journey home to Ithaca recounted in the Odyssey. Helen, whose two successive Trojan husbands were killed during the war, returned to Sparta to reign with Menelaus. After his death, some sources say she was exiled to the island of Rhodes, where a vengeful war widow had her hanged.

The Greek Heroic Age, in mythology, is the period between the coming of the Greeks to Thessaly and the Greek warriors' return from Troy after their return with Helen of Troy. The poet Hesiod (fl. c. 700 BCE) identified this mythological era as one of his five Ages of Man. The period spans roughly six generations; the heroes denoted by the term are superhuman, though not divine, and are celebrated in the literature of Homer and of others, such as Sophocles, Aeschylus and Euripides.

The Greek heroes can be grouped into an approximate mythic chronology, based on the stories of events such as the Argonautic expedition and the Trojan War. Over the course of time, many heroes, such as Heracles, Achilles, Hector and Perseus, came to figure prominently in Greek mythology.

Early heroes
Many of the early Greek heroes were descended from the gods and were part of the founding narratives of various city-states. They also became the ancestors of later heroes. The Phoenician prince Cadmus, a grandson of Poseidon, was the first Greek hero and the founder of Thebes.

Perseus, famous for his exploits well before the days of his great-grandson, Heracles, was the son of Zeus. Perseus beheaded the Medusa, saved Andromeda from the sea monster Cetus, and was the legendary founder of Mycenae.
Aeacus was also a son of Zeus. Bellerophon was descended from the nymph Orseis. Oenomaus, king of Pisa, in the Peloponnese, was the son of Ares.
Among these early heroes the three - Cadmus, Perseus and Bellerophon - were considered the greatest Greek heroes and slayers of monsters before the days of Heracles.

Of course, despite the Age of Heroes and the time of the Gods of Olympus, being based almost entirely on mythology, apart from the actual city of Troy, which is now proved to be not a myth, the real warriors that lived during that age and time, in ancient pre-history, actually existed, and this is their very form of sword, and one that they would have used.
Photo in the gallery of an Attic black figure vase that shows Theseus killing the Minotaur of the Cretan labyrinth with an identical pattern of Greek sword. A feminine figure looks on from the right, possibly Ariadne. Late 6th, early 5th century BCE. (Archaeological Museum, Milan). See discussion in Branigan, K. Aegean Metalwork of the Early and Middle Bronze Age, Oxford, 1974, p.8-21. `15.5 inches long overall  read more

Code: 22103

Archaic Chinese Warrior's Bronze Sword, Around 2,300 to 2,800 Years Old, From the Zhou Dynasty to the Qin Dynasty, Including the Period of the Great Military Doctrine 'The Art of War' by General Sun-Tzu

Chinese Bronze 'Two Ring' Jian sword used in the era of the Seven Kingdoms period, likely in the Kingdom of Wu, up to the latter part of the Eastern Zhou dynasty (475 – 221 BC).

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 warriors serving under the world renowned General Sun Tzu, in the Kingdom of Wu, 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
A very impressive original ancient Chinese sword with a long, straight blade with a raised, linear ridge down its centre. It has a very 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 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”.

This is one of a stunning collection of original archaic bronze age weaponry we have just acquired and has now arrived. 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.

A complimentary display stand, will be included.
As with all our items, every piece is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.  read more

Code: 24304

Ist Edition of 'The Rommel Papers' Printed by Collins in 1953

The Rommel Papers is the collected writings by the German World War II field marshal Erwin Rommel published in 1953.

A good volume example of the career and tactics of one of the greatest and revered generals of the war. In fact even Winston Churchill announced his demise in parliament, as the death of a noble leader of men that was not tainted, unlike many others in Germany, by the NAZI disease and corrupt influences of the Third Reich.


The book included Rommel's writings of the war, edited by the British journalist and historian B. H. Liddell Hart, the former Wehrmacht officer Fritz Bayerlein, who served on Rommel's staff in North Africa, and Rommel's widow and son. The volume contained an introduction and commentary by Liddell Hart.

Liddell Hart had a personal interest in the work: by having coaxed Rommel's widow to include material favourable to himself, he could present Rommel as his "pupil" when it came to mobile armoured warfare.
Thus, Liddell Hart's "theory of indirect approach" became a precursor to the German blitzkrieg ("lightning war"). The controversy was described by the political scientist John Mearsheimer in his work The Weight of History, who concluded that, by "putting words in the mouths of German Generals and manipulating history", Liddell Hart was in a position to show that he had been at the root of the dramatic German successes in 1940.

The historian Mark Connelly argues that The Rommel Papers was one of the two foundational works that lead to a "Rommel renaissance" and "Anglophone rehabilitation", the other being Desmond Young's biography, Rommel: The Desert Fox. The book contributed to the perception of Rommel as a brilliant commander; in an introduction, Liddell Hart drew comparisons between Rommel and Lawrence of Arabia, "two masters of desert warfare"

In World War II, he commanded the 7th Panzer Division during the 1940 invasion of France. His leadership of German and Italian forces in the North African campaign established his reputation as one of the ablest tank commanders of the war, and earned him the nickname der Wüstenfuchs, "the Desert Fox". Among his British adversaries he had a reputation for chivalry, and his phrase "war without hate" has been uncritically used to describe the North African campaign. A number of historians have since rejected the phrase as a myth and uncovered numerous examples of German war crimes and abuses towards enemy soldiers and native populations in Africa during the conflict. Other historians note that there is no clear evidence Rommel personally was involved or aware of any of these crimes, with some pointing out that the war in the desert, as fought by Rommel and his opponents, still came as close to a clean fight as there was in World War II. He later commanded the German forces opposing the Allied cross-channel invasion of Normandy in June 1944.

With the Nazis gaining power in Germany, Rommel gradually accepted the new regime. Historians have given different accounts of the specific period and his motivations. He was a supporter of Adolf Hitler, at least until near the end of the war, if not necessarily sympathetic to the party and the paramilitary forces associated with it. In 1944, Rommel was implicated in the 20 July plot to assassinate Hitler. Because of Rommel's status as a national hero, Hitler wanted to eliminate him quietly instead of having him immediately executed, as many other plotters were. Rommel was given a choice between suicide, in return for assurances that his reputation would remain intact and that his family would not be persecuted following his death, or facing a trial that would result in his disgrace and execution; he chose the former and took a cyanide pill. Rommel was given a state funeral, and it was announced that he had succumbed to his injuries from the strafing of his staff car in Normandy.

Rommel became a larger-than-life figure in both Allied and Nazi propaganda, and in postwar popular culture. Numerous authors portray him as an apolitical, brilliant commander and a victim of Nazi Germany, although this assessment is contested by other authors as the Rommel myth. Rommel's reputation for conducting a clean war was used in the interest of the West German rearmament and reconciliation between the former enemies – the United Kingdom and the United States on one side and the new Federal Republic of Germany on the other. Several of Rommel's former subordinates, notably his chief of staff Hans Speidel, played key roles in German rearmament and integration into NATO in the postwar era. The German Army's largest military base, the Field Marshal Rommel Barracks, Augustdorf, and a third ship of Lütjens-class destroyer of the German Navy are both named in his honour. His son Manfred Rommel was the longtime mayor of Stuttgart, Germany and namesake of Stuttgart Airport.  read more

Code: 25106

A Very Rare Original Medeavil Book, Vitae Pontificum, Ist Edition, of 1479, By Bartolomaeus Platina, Vitae Pontificum (Lives of the Popes) and Personally Presented It To Pope Sixtus IV, From the Library of Abolishionist William Roscoe

Only the second example we have ever seen in almost 60 years.
Pope Sixtus IVth's Appointed Vatican Librarian. This remarkable tome an Incunabule is over 545 years old. When Bartolomeo Sacchi ('Platina', 1421-1481) wrote this Vitae pontificum (Lives of the Popes) and personally presented it to Pope Sixtus IV in 1475, he surely could not have imagined how influential it would become over the centuries. His was the first papal history, the lives of the popes from the time of Jesus Christ, to the reign of Sixtus IV, composed as a humanist Latin narrative and, as such, marked a distinct breakthrough in relation to the Liber pontificalis, the standard medieval chronicle of the papacy. Whatever Platina's intentions for the book that was published in 1479, it soon came to be regarded as the official history of the Roman pontiffs, an icon of the earliest printing. Formerly from the library of the renown Abolishionist William Roscoe, sold by him at auction in 1816 for £1.13/-, due to the financial difficulties of his banking house, and acquired by order of the Library Committee of the City of Bath Reference Library. This book was likely commissioned due to the influences of Pope Sixtus IV Francesco della Rovere upon his librarian, it's author, Bartolomaeus Platina. We show in the gallery a painting of Pope Sixtus appointing Platina as the official Vatican Librarian. An Incunable is a most rare book, pamphlet, or broadside (such as the Almanach cracoviense ad annum 1474) that was printed not handwritten before the year 1501 in Europe. They are the earliest form of printed books. Incunabula include the Gutenberg Bible of 1455, probably the most valuable book in the world. This is a First Edition of Bartholomaeus Platina's great history of the lives of the Popes, the first systematic papal history, not only to create the first detailed history of the Popes but also to villify his mortal enemy Pope Paul IInd Pietro Barbo. This book was created in the era of the great Rennaiscance, in the time of the notorious Borgias and in the year of the notorious Pazzi conspiracy, which was a plot by members of the Pazzi family and others to displace the de' Medici family as rulers of Renaissance Florence. It was printed at the time that Leonado De Vinci drew the hanging of a Pazzi conspiritor Bernardo di Bandino Baroncelli. On 26 April 1478 there was an attempt to assassinate Lorenzo de' Medici and his brother Giuliano de' Medici. Lorenzo was wounded but survived; Giuliano was killed. The failure of the plot served to strengthen the position of the de' Medici. The Pazzi were banished from Florence. During the time the Platina served as the first librarian at the Vatican under its modern founder, Sixtus IV. Platina started his career as a soldier employed by condottieri, before gaining long-term patronage from the Gonzagas, including the young cardinal Francesco, for whom he wrote a family history. He studied under the Byzantine humanist philosopher John Argyropulos in Florence, where he frequented other fellow humanists, as well as members of the ruling Medici family.

Around 1462 he moved with Francesco Gonzaga to Rome, where he purchased a post as a papal writer under the humanist Pius II (Enea Silvio Piccolomini) and became a member of the pagan-influenced Roman Academy founded by Pomponio Leto. Close acquaintance with the renowned chef Maestro Martino in Rome seems to have provided inspiration for a theoretical treatise on Italian gastronomy entitled De honesta voluptate et valetudine ("On honourable pleasure and health"), which achieved considerable popularity and has the distinction of being considered the first printed cookbook.

Platina's papal employment was abruptly curtailed on the arrival of an anti-humanist pope, Paul II (Pietro Barbo), who had the rebellious Platina locked up in Castel Sant'Angelo during the winter of 1464-65 as a punishment for his remonstrations. In 1468 he was again confined in Castel Sant'Angelo for a further year, where he was interrogated under torture, following accusations of an alleged pagan conspiracy by members of Pomponio's Roman academy involving plans to assassinate the pope.

Platina's fortunes were revived by the return to power of the strongly pro-humanist pope, Sixtus IV (Francesco della Rovere), who in 1475 made him Vatican librarian an appointment which was depicted in a famous fresco by Melozzo da Forli. He was granted the post after writing an innovative and influential history of the lives of the popes that gives ample space to Roman history and pagan themes, and concludes by vilifying Platina's nemesis, Paul Iia paragraph from Platina's Vitae Pontificum first gave rise to the legend of the excommunication of Halley's comet by Pope Callixtus III,
Vitae Pontificum ("Lives of the Popes", 1479) "Incunable" is the anglicised singular form of "incunabula", Latin for "swaddling clothes" or "cradle", which can refer to "the earliest stages or first traces in the development of anything." A former term for "incunable" is "fifteener", referring to the 15th century. Vitae pontificum, FIRST EDITION, 239 leaves (of 240, lacking first leaf), 39 lines, roman (and a little Greek) letter, capital spaces with guide letters, a few early marginal ink annotations, tears repaired to 2 leaves, small worm trace in upper margin of approximately 30 leaves (touching letters on approximately 20), inner margins of final leaves strengthened at gutter margins and a few other small paper repairs, gnawing to some fore-corners, blindstamp on approximately 6 leaves, late seventeenth/early eighteenth century red morocco gilt, sides panelled with corner, side and central decorations, spine gilt-tooled (including title and publication date) in 7 compartments within raised bands, rebacked preserving most of original spine. Venice, Johannes de Colonia and Johannes Manthen, 11 June 1479. William Roscoe's copy of the first editon of Platina's history of the Popes.

Provenance: William Roscoe (1753-1832), historian and author of Lorenzo de Medici (1796) and The Life of Pope Leo X (1805), with a 10-line pencil note in his hand, above which an ink note reads "Notes by Wm. Roscoe vide infra. Coll. By him". One of this books former owners was the renown William Roscoe (8 March 1753 , 30 June 1831). He was an English historian, leading abolitionist, art collector, M.P. Lawyer, banker, botanist and miscellaneous writer, perhaps best known today as an early abolitionist. 11.25 inches x 7.5inches x 2.25 inches.  read more

Code: 20006

A Simply Magnificent, Huge, Ozutso Samurai Hand Cannon Teppo Matchlock Gun, of Negishi Sukenobu, Inlaid With Silver and Gold Dragon With Both the Amago Clan of Kamei Kenenori and Tokugawa Clan Mons.

Signed Japanese red oak stock. The huge uncompromising barrel is inlaid with twin, large silver Amago clan mon and and gold-copper triple leaf Aoi, clan mon of the Tokugawa at the breech, it has a pinhole block site, extravagant gold and silver scrolling dragon inlay, up through the length of the barrel, terminating in a multi sided and stunning tulip form muzzle. Within the channel of the stock is a beautiful hand scripted signature of the samurai owner, Negishi Sukenobu no Tutu. Translation; Negishi Sukenobu's gun tutu is an old Japanese name for a matchlock gun

It has a sinchu matchlock mechanism with a long engraved match arm, inlaid with speckles of silver, traditional spring release utilising the ball trigger. the stock has engraved, silver cherry blossom form inlaid, barrel retaining mekugi-ana apertures, for the long copper mekugi to retain the barrel..

Part of a huge collection that just arrived after a long and patient wait a sensational O-Zutsu hand cannon tanegashima, it is huge and incredibly heavy, of around 10 monme, 18mm bore

It is often the case were early samurai weaponry bear twin mon decoration, often demonstrating a co-joining or allegiance between two samurai clans.

Resembling the Portuguese arquebus, the first matchlock gun to be seen in Japan, this massive and handsome weapon expresses the Japanese desire for powerful, finely made firearms.

A 17th century Japanese tradition relates that after the accidental arrival of three Portuguese mariners on Tanegashima Island in 1543, the sword-smith Kiyosada gave his daughter to their captain in order to learn the secrets of musket manufacture.

The actual guns were snap matchlocks made in Malacca, a Portuguese colony, and by 1550 were in production on a large scale. Known as ‘Tanegashima’ or ‘Teppō’ they were used by the Samurai and their foot soldiers and changed the way war was fought in Japan forever.

Large carbines such as this example were known as ‘ozutsu’ or cannon and were mounted on castle walls, used on merchant ships to repel pirates, on horseback in war or as assault weapons to blast through door hinges.

They could also launch incendiary or explosive arrows known as ‘Hiya’ to set fires during sieges. When fired these powerful weapons had a large recoil, and bales of rice were used to support the gunners back from injury.

Ammunition consisted of heavy round lead balls with differing sizes described as ‘Monme’. Made to take between 10 to 30 ‘Monme’ shots, this carbine is one of the largest examples of Japanese Edo Period handheld firearm

One woodblock in the gallery of a samurai holding an ozutso, and another of the great Takeda Shingen contemplating a small teppo matchlock gun, and it’s dramatic effect on the future of samurai warfare. The shape and form of ours is the same as the one contemplated by Takeda Shingen in the print, but ours is around four times the size, not a long gun but of incredible mass, beauty and presence. Somewhat like a dragon, a beast to admire for its breathtaking beauty, but to fear and respect for its power and presence.
The Amago clan, descended from the Emperor Uda (868–897) by the Kyogoku clan, descending from the Sasaki clan (Uda Genji).

Kyogoku Takahisa in the 14th century, lived in Amako-go (Omi Province), and took the name 'Amago'. The family crest, is also the one of the Kyogoku clan.

They were Shugodai (vice-Governors) of Izumo and Oki provinces for generations, for the Kyogoku Shugo branch , and their seat was Gassan Toda castle.

In 1484, Amago Tsunehisa (1458–1541), was deprived of the position of Shugodai by Kyogoku Masatsune, who was the Shugo, because he did not obey the request of tax from the Muromachi bakufu, and was expelled from Gassan Toda castle. Although Enya Kamonnosuke was dispatched to Gassan Toda castle as the new Shugodai, Tsunehisa recaptured Gassan Toda castle by a surprise attack in 1486, took control of Izumo, and developed the Amago clan into a Sengoku Daimyo clan.

The Amago fought the Ouchi clan or the Mori clan (who had been among their vassals), during Japan's Sengoku period.

For much of the next hundred years, the clan battled with the Ouchi and Mori, who controlled neighbouring provinces, and fell into decline when Gassantoda Castle fell to the Mori in 1566.

Amago Katsuhisa tried to regain prestige for the clan by joining the forces of Oda Nobunaga, invaded Tajima and Inaba provinces, but was defeated and died in the siege of Kozuki by the Mori in 1578.
Kamei Korenori (亀井 茲矩, 1557 – February 27, 1612) was a Japanese daimyō who lived through the early Edo period. He was first a retainer under the Amago clan of Izumo Province, but eventually became a daimyō in his own right. Receiving Shikano castle in Inaba Province as a reward for his notable service in 1578, Korenori ascended to higher rank as he assisted in Hideyoshi's 1587 invasion of Kyūshū. Following Hideyoshi's death in 1598, entered the service of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Following the Sekigahara Campaign of 1600, his income was raised from 13,000 to 43,000 koku as a reward for his service to the Tokugawa clan. Korenori died of natural causes in 1612.

Korenori's descendants were eventually made daimyō (lords) of the Tsuwano Domain, which they ruled until the Meiji Resoration.

Weight an impressive and formidable 6.6 kilos, length overall, 42 inches, barrel 30.5 inches  read more

Code: 24307

The Incredible Story of Japanese Urushi Lacquer on Our Original Ancient and Antique Samurai Swords, Tachi, Katana, Wakazashi and Tanto’s Saya and Fittings

Japanese lacquer, or urushi, is a transformative and highly prized material that has been refined for over 7000 years.

Cherished for its infinite versatility, urushi is a distinctive art form that has spread across all facets of Japanese culture from the tea ceremony to the saya scabbards of samurai swords

Japanese artists created their own style and perfected the art of decorated lacquerware during the 8th century. Japanese lacquer skills reached its peak as early as the twelfth century, at the end of the Heian period (794-1185). This skill was passed on from father to son and from master to apprentice.

Some provinces of Japan were famous for their contribution to this art: the province of Edo (later Tokyo), for example, produced the most beautiful lacquered pieces from the 17th to the 18th centuries. Lords and shoguns privately employed lacquerers to produce ceremonial and decorative objects for their homes and palaces.

The varnish used in Japanese lacquer is made from the sap of the urushi tree, also known as the lacquer tree or the Japanese varnish tree (Rhus vernacifera), which mainly grows in Japan and China, as well as Southeast Asia. Japanese lacquer, 漆 urushi, is made from the sap of the lacquer tree. The tree must be tapped carefully, as in its raw form the liquid is poisonous to the touch, and even breathing in the fumes can be dangerous. But people in Japan have been working with this material for many millennia, so there has been time to refine the technique!

Flowing from incisions made in the bark, the sap, or raw lacquer is a viscous greyish-white juice. The harvesting of the resin can only be done in very small quantities.
Three to five years after being harvested, the resin is treated to make an extremely resistant, honey-textured lacquer. After filtering, homogenization and dehydration, the sap becomes transparent and can be tinted in black, red, yellow, green or brown.

Once applied on an object, lacquer is dried under very precise conditions: a temperature between 25 and 30°C and a humidity level between 75 and 80%. Its harvesting and highly technical processing make urushi an expensive raw material applied in exceptionally fine successive layers, on objects such as bowls, boxes, samurai sword saya and fittings. After heating and filtering, urushi can be applied directly to a solid, usually wooden, base. Pure urushi dries into a transparent film, while the more familiar black and red colours are created by adding minerals to the material. Each layer is left to dry and polished before the next layer is added. This process can be very time-consuming and labour-intensive, taking up to a year for each item, which contributes to the desirability, and high costs, of traditionally made lacquer goods. The skills and techniques of Japanese lacquer have been passed down through the generations for many centuries. For four hundred years, the master artisans of Zohiko’s Kyoto workshop have provided refined lacquer articles for the imperial household.

Photo in the gallery of several examples of exceptionally beautiful urushi lacquer on our currently available antique samurai swords.

We pride ourselves on trying our utmost to provide the largest and most varied selection of original, ancient and antique samurai swords for sale in the world, from which our clients can choose, outside of Japan.  read more

Code: 24325

21st Regiment Essex Fusiliers Large Service Helmet Flaming Grenade Badge. Circa.1887

Canadian Militia busby helmet badge. 21st Regiment Essex Fusiliers Fur Busby grenade. Circa.1887 Brass grenade with two lugs to the reverse in excellent condition.

A military presence in Windsor and Essex County dates back as far as 1701, when all men in the community were essentially militia members, armed to combat a perceived 'Indian threat'. When Irish-American Nationalists invaded Canada in 1866, even stronger forces were established locally. By 1885, local militias had amalgamated into the 21st Essex Battalion of Infantry.

By the advent of the First World War, the 21st Battalion (now known as the 21st Regiment Essex Fusiliers) was placed on active service. Initially, they contributed to Canada's 1st Battalion, upon its formation in 1914, then later the 18th Battalion (consisting largely of Essex Fusilier soldiers. The 18th Battalion served in France and Flanders from 1915 until the Armistice.

The regiment perpetuated the 18th (Western Ontario) Battalion, 99th (Essex) Battalion and 241st (Canadian Scottish Borderers) Battalion of the Canadian Expeditionary Force and held its final Order of Precedence as 40. Battle honours for the regiment include: First World War: Ypres 1915 & 17, Festubert 1915, Mount Sorrel, Somme 1916 & 18, Flers-Courcelette, Thiepval, Ancre Heights, Arras 1917 & 18, Vimy 1917, Hill 70, Passchendaele, Amiens, Scarpe 1918, Hindenburg Line, Canal du Nord, Cambrai 1918, Pursuit to Mons, France & Flanders 1915-18 Second World War: Dieppe Raid (1942), Battle of Verrigres Ridge (1944), liberation of Dieppe (1944), Battle of the Scheldt (1944), The Rhine (1944-1945), Northwestern Europe

By 1926, an alliance was formed with the Essex Regiment of the British Army, and by 1927, the Essex Scottish had adopted the MacGregor tartan based on Scottish Highland tradition. That year an alliance was also established with the Queen’s Own Royal West Kent Regiment of the British Army.

The Regiment was the first unit of men in Western Ontario to be called up during World War II and one of the first Canadian units to see battle overseas. Their first fight was the tragic Dieppe raid on August 19th, 1942 where the Regiment was hit particularly hard during Operation Jubilee. When the smoke cleared, the Regiment had lost 121, and many of the survivors were either wounded or captured. With barely enough time to regroup, the regiment prepared itself for the invasion of France. On July 5th 1944, it participated in the bloody landing at Normandy, and then fought on through France, Holland and Germany until the war's end.

By then, the regiment had suffered 552 dead and had been inflicted with the highest number of casualties of any unit in the Canadian Army-a staggering 2,510.  read more

Code: 19898

A Very Powerful and Substantial Viking Chiefs Guard's Spear. Around 1200 Years Old. Used From The Time of The Seige of Paris on The Seine in 845, By Viking Chieftain Ragnar in Command of His 120 Longships

A heavy grade spear made between the 9th and 11th Centuries, very likely used by a senior man of a Viking chiefs guard. Thus around 1200 years old, from the peak of the era of the great seafaring Scandinavian Viking conquerers.
Between 1000 and 1200 years old, From the time of the Viking siege of Paris.

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

With an octagonal form socket and two holes for affixing it to its haft with a square section rivet. Formerly the property of an English gentleman, from his collection orginally acquired from the 1940's. In chapter 55 of Laxdæla 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 Króka-Refs saga, Refur made a spear for himself which could be used for cutting, thrusting, or hewing. Refur split Þorgils 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 Gísla 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 Oðin, 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 Geirvör described in chapter 44 of Eyrbyggja saga, the saga author says that Steinþórr threw a spear over the heads of Snorri goði 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 (æpa heróp), 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 skuggsjá (King’s 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. As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity. 13.75 inches long.

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 (King’s 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.

As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity. 13.75 inches long.  read more

Code: 22090

A Wonderful and Highly Desirable Original Antique Pistol Flask Shaped in the Form of a Rifle Butt

An absolute gem for even the most discerning of pistol flask collectors.

The 'butt stock' type are very rare indeed, and the smaller type, like this, are certainly the most desirable of all.

Overall in very nice condition indeed with very fine patination. This is one of the most desirable and highly sought types of pistol flask for casing with tools for rare Colt revolvers and fine British pistols.

This superb flask would compliment any fine cased pistol or pistols, from flintlocks to revolvers.

5 inches long 2.25 inches wide at widest. Small denting at the base and spout.  read more

Code: 22790