A Most Fine Tudor Heraldic Crested Steel Armour Gorget of a Duke

A most beautiful antique piece of armour, in the 16th century style, but likely made in the 18th to early 19th century. It bears a most fine etched heraldic ducal crest, composed of a pair of cranes bearing a five bar face guarded demi-profile dukes helmet, mounted above a shield with chevron below four ermine panels, with three, four lobed devices about the chevron on both sides. The entire rim bears brass headed steel rivets and two shoulder centred large brass rivets that once held leather straps. We show in the gallery several portraits of Elizabethan nobles all adorned in their armour gorget over fine tunics of velvet or leather. The gorget was the last remaining symbol of knightly armour universally worn either at court or in combat by nobles in the Elizabethan period Although other elements of armour could be worn, such as arm defences, in accompaniment as the wearer saw fit. In the High Middle Ages, when mail was the primary form of metal body armor used in Western Europe, the Mail coif protected the neck and lower face. During the 14th century as more plate armor appeared to supplement mail, the Bascinet helmet incorporated a mail curtain called the Aventail which protected the lower face, neck and shoulders. A separate mail collar called a "pisan" or "standard" was sometimes worn under the aventail as additional protection. Towards the end of the 14th century, threats including the increased penetrating power of the lance when paired with a lance rest on the breastplate made more rigid forms of neck protection desirable. One solution was a standing collar plate worn over the aventail and separate from the helmet, which was wide enough for the helmet to move around in so that the man-at-arms could turn his head. Through the early 15th century, gorget plates were integrated into the helmet itself to form the great bascinet. Other forms of helmet such as the sallet which did not protect the lower face and throat with plate were paired with a separate bevor, and the armet was often fitted with a wrapper that included gorget lames protecting the throat. During this time, the mail standard was still used.

At the beginning of the 16th century, the gorget became fully developed as a component of plate armor in its own right. Unlike previous gorget plates and bevors which sat over the breastplate and required a separate mail collar to fully protect the neck from gaps, the developed gorget was worn under the back and breastplate and was intended to cover a larger area of the neck, nape, shoulders, and upper chest, since the upper edges of the cuirass had become lower than before. The gorget served as an anchor point for the Pauldrons, which either had holes to slide over pins projecting from the gorget, or fastened to the gorget by straps and buckles. The neck was protected by a high collar of articulated lames, and the overall gorget consisted of front and back pieces which were hinged at the side so it could be put on and taken off. Some helmets had additional neck lames which overlapped the gorget, while others fitted tightly to the top of the gorget so that there would be no gap between them.
By the 17th century there appeared a form of gorget with a low, unarticulated collar and larger front and back plates which covered more of the upper chest and back. These were not worn with a breastplate as part of a full harness, but instead were worn over civilian clothing or a Buff coat. Some gorgets of this period were "parade" pieces that were beautifully etched, gilded, engraved, chased, embossed, or enamelled at great expense. Gradually the gorget became smaller and more symbolic, and became a single crescent shape worn on a chain, which suspended the gorget ever lower on the chest so that the gorget no longer protected the throat in normal wear. It is one of the more unusual elements of the arms and armour collecting field that 18th and 19th century fine etched armour, in the earlier styles of the 16th century, can be prized the same, or even more highly than the earlier originals that they were based upon. Companies such as Granger of Paris, that worked in the 1840's, created miniature suits of armour that can achieve tens of thousands of pounds, even approaching six figures today, that are no more than 50 cms high complete. Size 14 inches x 12 inches.  read more

Code: 20436

A Big, Beautiful, and Impressive Katana Bearing A Very Desirable Name & Signature of the ‘Gassan School’

Very long blade measuring a huge 31 inches from Tsuba to Tip. Signed Osaka-ju Gassan Unryûshi Minamoto Sadakazu. With wave design fuchi kashira highlighted with gilt, gilded menuki of gourds. Original Edo lacquer saya. A very nice Koto sukashi tsuba, probably a Choshu school tsuba, with a russetted surface.
It is a very beautiful sword, that is bearing the name of one of the great 19th century sword smith school's, ‘Gassan’, yet we price it for it's own merits and beauty alone, as if it was not actually signed personally, but, it has most intriguing possibilities. A few swords, also bearing his signature name, have appeared in the past fifteen years and sold in the best London auction rooms, but similarly without any guarantee at all as to the authenticity of the smith's personal signature, yet they have still sold for very respectable five figure sums. Thus this is a superbly executed sword, and therefore very possibly a Gassan school homage to a piece bearing his personal name.
It has a stunning hamon that looks tremendously vibrant and impressive, with yakideshi. It has a few small pitting marks at the upper end of the blade, but nothing at all to effect it's use in any way.
This beautiful katana has lain externally untouched as a sleeper for nigh on 100 years or more.
Gassan Sadakazu was born in 1836 in Sugoshi Village in Omi Province. He was the son of Tsukamoto Shichirobei. When he was a young boy, he was adopted into the family of the famous sword maker Gassan Sadayoshi who's only living heir died prematurely.
Gassan Sadayoshi was the founder of the Osaka ‘Gassan school’ of sword making. He studied under Suishinshi Masahide until Masahide's death in 1825. At that time he moved to Osaka and started the revived ‘Gassan school’ of sword making which had died out in the early Edo period.

Sadakazu started studying the art of sword making at about age 11. He made his first sword at age 14 and by age 20 was recognized as a top quality swordsmith and horimono carver.
In the early 1860's when his teacher passed the age of 60, he assumed the role of Daisaku and made swords in his father's name. About this time he produced a number of swords in the Bizen or Yamato style in addition to the main Ayasugi tradition. His blade structure featured a modest curvature and a pronounced large boshi with only a slightly rounded edge (fukura-kareru), which were also characteristic of Sadayoshi's work.
Work stopped for Sadakazu from 1876 when the wearing of swords was abolished until around 1887 when Japan went to war with China and the demand for swords resumed.
He died in 1918 after a long and very distinguished career as one of the premier sword makers of the 19th and 20th centuries.

With reference to part of an article {above} by Fred Weissberg on the ‘Gassan School’.  read more

Code: 23309

A Glazed Heavy Stone Pottery Tile Recovered From La Haye Sainte Farmhouse The Field of Battle at Waterloo ...

Thick stone pottery tile with golden yellow-brown thick surface glaze to one side. Around 4.1 inches square. One of two we were delighted to acquire, the first is now sold!
La Haye Sainte (named either after Jesus Christ's crown of thorns or a bramble hedge round a field nearby) is a walled farmhouse compound at the foot of an escarpment on the Charleroi-Brussels road in Belgium. It has changed very little since it played a crucial part in the Battle of Waterloo on 18 June 1815.

La Haye Sainte was defended by about 400 King's German Legion troops during the Battle of Waterloo. They were hopelessly outnumbered by attacking French troops but held out until the late afternoon when they retired because their ammunition had run out. If Napoleon Bonaparte's army had captured La Haye Sainte earlier in the day, almost certainly he would have broken through the allied centre and defeated the Duke of Wellington's army.

The capture of La Haye Sainte in the early evening then gave the French the advantage of a defensible position from which to launch a potentially decisive attack on the Allied centre. However, Napoleon was too late—by this time, Blücher and the Prussian army had arrived on the battlefield and the outnumbered French army was defeated.

Strategic importance

A view of the battlefield from the Lion's mound. On the top right are the buildings of La Haye Sainte. This view looks east, with Allied forces behind the road to the left (north) and French forces out of shot to the right(south)
The road leads from La Belle Alliance, where Napoleon had his headquarters on the morning of the battle, through where the centre of the French front line was located, to a crossroads on the ridge which is at the top of the escarpment and then on to Brussels. The Duke of Wellington placed the majority of his forces on either side of the Brussels road behind the ridge on the Brussels side. This kept most of his forces out of sight of the French artillery.

During the night from the 17th to the 18th, the main door to the courtyard of the farm was used as firewood by the occupying troops. Therefore, when the King's German Legion (KGL) was stationed in the farm at the morning of the battle they had to hastily fortify La Haye Sainte.

The troops were the 2nd Light Battalion KGL commanded by Major Georg Baring, and part of the 1st Light Battalion KGL. During the battle, they were supported by the 1/2 Nassau Regiment and the light company of the 5th Line Battalion KGL. The majority of these troops were armed with the Baker rifle with grooved barrels, as opposed to the normal Brown Bess musket of the British Army. The French troops also used muskets which were quicker to load than the Baker rifle but the latter was more accurate and had about twice the range of a musket.

Both Napoleon and Wellington made crucial mistakes about La Haye Sainte as it was fought over and around during most of the day. Napoleon failed to allocate enough forces to take the farm earlier in the day while Wellington only realised the strategic value of the position when it was almost too late


As with all our items, every piece will be accompanied by our fully detailed Certificate of Authenticity  read more

Code: 25018

Gestalten Der Weltgeshichte Miniaturen. Shaping World History. Contemporary Miniatures of Famous Personalities from Four Centuries (Third Reich Publication1933)

A superb 1930's German album-book perfect for the collector of antique miniatures and famed personalities of history

Wiemann, Hermann (Text)

Gestalten der Weltgeschichte . Zeitgenössische Miniaturen berühmter Persönlichkeiten aus vier Jahrhunderten (1933)

Contemporary miniatures of famous personalities from four centuries, paperback with gold embossing, A4, Cigarettn-Bilderdienst, 1933, 111 pages, really good condition for its age,

Cardboard cover with gold embossing, 111 pages, approx. 31 x 23.5 cm, Humanism and Reformation in Germany / The Renaissance in Italy / England under the Tudors / The Renaissance in France / Spain and the Netherlands / Thirty Years' War / Absolutism in Prussia and Saxony / Absolutism in France / England under the Stuarts and the Revolution / England in the 18th century / France under Louis XV / Austria in the 18th century / Frederick the Great and his time / Russia / the time of Goethe / Louis XVI. and the French Revolution / Napoleon I and his time / Germany in the war of liberation / German Romanticism / The 19th century Shapes of world history Contemporary miniatures of famous personalities from four centuries Published by Cigaretten-Bilderdienst, Hamburg-Bahrenfeld, 1933 151.-180.  read more

Code: 24617

A Superb 19th Century Persuader Cosh

Also a so called, 'life preserver', concealable flexible head cosh that would once have been well concealed about a gentleman's person, within an inside overcoat pocket, or tucked through a waist belt. Based on a press gang club from the Georgian era In the Victorian era, after dark, city thoroughfares abounded with ruffians neer'do wells and garrotters. Police forces, in those days, were in their infancy, and the respectable and well heeled inhabitants, when travelling the streets and lanes of most cities, were understandably paranoid for their safety, so most protection had to be provided for by oneself, and all due precautions and defensive measures explored. This is a wonderful example of a club, known at the time as a life preserverWe detail an article from Punch Magazine, August 18th 1866, regarding a trial of some violent street attackers?.. "No less than six roughs, two of them garrotters, convicted at Manchester Assizes, of robbery with violence, were sentenced the other day by Mr. Justice Lush, to be, in addition to penal servitude, flogged with the cat-o'-nine-tails. ? If there is in his [the criminal's] nature any degree of latent sympathy, inactive from want of imagination, it can be stimulated to due activity only be a whipping which will give him considerable pain. All that pain is economy of pain; of so much pain as it saves respectable people from suffering by brutal violence. ? Some of the six scoundrels whipped at Manchester, being pachydermatous, made a show of bravado. To preclude this in future, let all such offenders be sentenced to be flogged two or three times."

Punch, August 18, 1866. We show several original Victorian Punch magazine and journal illustrations of several persons being accosted in the city streets by thugs, and a group of ladies and gentlemen walking in the road armed with coshes and clubs for protection [for information only].  read more

Code: 21139

A Most Rarely Seen, Antique Ceremonial, Head-Hunters Sword 'Pusaka Magic' Dohong, A Borneo, Dyak Shamen's, Kayanic Art Ritual Sword, With a Carved, Twin-Head Hilt

This is an amazing dohong, a Borneo kayanic art carved twin headed hilt sword, given to a previous owner, by a Dyak headhunter shamen, with a hardened skin scabbard, possibly goatskin. It’s condition is superb with stunning natural age patina to the carved wooden hilt. Kayanic art is most distinctive in the depiction of carved heads, with an owl-like style of heart shaped face carving

There are a lot of intriguing interest about this most rare form of shamen's dohong when they appear. They can come in either dagger or short sword form, and both are rare, but due to the fact it was likely used mostly for ceremonial "pusaka magic", many have never seen such a piece to survive. Few such ceremonies had ever been seen by Westerners, as very few outsiders visited the inner Dayak tribes during the 19th century. Of course ceremonial Dyak shamen magic was not always benign, as it could often include head-hunting, so the reticence of strangers to attempt to view such ceremonies was highly understandable

There is however, a somewhat similar carved wood hilted double headed kyanic art example in the National Museum Wereldkulturen in Rotterdam, and from all the ones we have seen, although very few in number of course, they have had all manner of bespoke differences. See photo 10 of that particular similar sword in the gallery

Dayaks are a collection ethic groups that have traditionally lived in the forests in both the Malaysian and Indonesian sides of Borneo. They are distinguished from the Malay population in that for the most part they are not Muslims and distinguished from the Penan in that have traditionally been settled while the Penan were nomadic.

The Dayaks are former head hunters and the original "wild men of Borneo." They continued to practice headhunting after it was outlawed by the Dutch in the 19th century. Up until World War II most of them were river-dwelling head hunters. Now many have been Christianized and forced into settlements. Even though they were the original inhabitants of Borneo they are now greatly outnumbered by Malays and Indonesians. It is believed that most Dayaks lived along the coast until they were driven inland after the arrival of the Malays.

Dayak "psycho-navigators” use visions and dreams to help them find their way in the forest. Dayak shaman practitioners of the "Old Snake religion” describe a hidden highland lake where enormous aging pythons enjoy dancing under the light of the full moon to honor the forest god Aping. Many Dayaks are Christians who have incorporated animists concepts onto their belief scheme. Missionaries went through the trouble of backpacking in paints and brushes to make hellfire scenes on the sides of longhouses. On the positive side missionaries have helped the Dayak clear landing strips which can be used for medical emergencies.

James Brooke wrote in his journal in “Expedition to Borneo of H.M.S. Dido for the Suppression of Piracy”: “The Kayans of the north-west coast of Borneo have one custom in common with the wild tribe of Minkoka in the Bay of Boni. Both the Kayans and Minkokas on the death of a relative seek for a head; and on the death of their chief many human heads must be procured: which practice is unknown to the Dyak. It may further be remarked, that their probable immigration from Celebes is supported by the statement of the Millanows, that the Murut and Dyak give place to the Kayan whenever they come in contact, and that the latter people have depopulated large tracts in the interior, which were once occupied by the former. Source: “The Expedition to Borneo of H.M.S. Dido For the Suppression of Piracy” by Henry Keppel and James Brooke (1847).

The Dayak perform elaborate death ceremonies in which the bones are disinterred for secondary reburial. The Ngaju Dayaks in the Mendawai area of Kalimantan keep alive their ancient burial rituals called Tiwah. Participants wear bizarre masks, with owl-like heart shaped faces, sing, and stage mock attacks. They exhume the bones of the dead, anoint and touch the bones and re-intern them in family “sandung”. (House-shaped boxes on stilts). In the old days headhunting was often include in the ritual.

Interestingly, despite returning from the darkest regions of the interior of Borneo, with this gifted sword, by the original vendors father, a former merchant ship captain, we were reminded, due to a mention from a regular viewer of our site, that we once had a somewhat similar style prestige sword from the Bamum or Tikar people of Cameroon. A tribe known for its similar highly talented artistry and carving. We couldn’t help wondering if there could once possibly have been a connection of some sort between these two native peoples due to the similarity of this wood-carvings artistry, despite around 7,000 mile distance between these peoples across the Indian Ocean. Could the Tikar peoples have made swords inspired by the Borneo version, or indeed could it be the other way around, and a Tikar sword found its way to Borneo. We may never know.

The captains son mentioned his father had a b&w photograph with the entire tribe’s elders after gifting him this sword. Apparently he became a most favoured ‘foreigner’ with the tribe due his supply of important necessities to them in ‘difficult times’. This may have been during the imminent Japanese invasions of that part of the world around the Indian Ocean in WW2.

The overall condition for age is excellent with just a small separation of the hide at the base of the scabbard. 28.5 inches long overall in scabbard, blade 16 inches long

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading  read more

Code: 24466

A Beautiful Antique Edo Period 1598-1868 Tanto Signed Satsuma ju Yoshisane

In all original Edo period mounts fittings and saya, stunning ishime stone finish lacquer to the saya in pristine condition. Kozuka [utility knife] also signed with maker's signature. Pair of menuki of gold embellished flower sprays, iron silver inlaid kashira, gilt and nanko fuchi. Blade in full traditional stone polish showing a delightful notare hamon. A tanto would most often be worn by Samurai, and it was very uncommon to come across a non samurai with a tanto. It was not only men who carried these daggers, women would on occasions carry a small tanto called a kaiken in their obi which would be used for self-defence. In feudal Japan a tanto would occasionally be worn by Samurai in place of the wakizashi in a combination called the daisho, which roughly translates as big-little, in reference to the big Samurai Sword (Katana) and the small dagger (tanto). Before the rise of the katana it was more common for a Samurai to carry a tachi and tanto combination as opposed to a katana and wakizashi  read more

Code: 23506

A Stunning Ancient Koto Period Katana Circa 1400, Muromachi Era., Around 600 Years Old & Used From The The Warring States Period Sengoku jidai, From 1467 to 1567

Originally tachi or uchigatana mounted this fabulous and ancient sword was remounted likely 400 years ago as a katana. Signed tsuba decorated with a figure on a water buffalo and small pure gold inlaid dots. Gilt decorated fushi kashira, the fushi with depicting jungle fauna and the kashira with a takebori tiger. Gold silk bound tsuka over bronze shishi on black samegawa. Set off with a dark red stone finish lacquer saya. The blade has an incredibly beautiful and complex hamon pattern, with just a couple of thin, natural openings due to it's great age. The uchigatana was the predecessor to the katana as the battle-blade of feudal Japan's bushi (warrior class), and as it evolved into the later design, the two were often differentiated from each other only by how they were worn and by the fittings for the blades.
It was during the Mongol invasions that it was shown there were some weaknesses in the tachi sword which led to the development of the Katana.

The Warring States period (Sengoku jidai) lasted for the century from 1467 to 1567 although the wars and confusion of the age were not finally ended until the creation of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603. The name is drawn from a similar period of civil war in China. It saw the breakdown of central authority, and an extended period of wars between hundreds of local, independent strongmen. The end saw the emergence of new methods of authority which were finally able to achieve a moderate degree of political centralization (there still remained 250 local rulers, the daimyo) and, to everyone’s relief and satisfaction, relative peace.

In later Japanese feudal history, during the Sengoku and Edo periods, certain high-ranking warriors daimyo of what became the ruling class would wear their swords tachi mounted This sword would very likely have been used in the Onin War (1467-1477) which led to serious political fragmentation and obliteration of domains: a great struggle for land and power ensued among bushi chieftains and lasted until the mid-sixteenth century. Peasants rose against their landlords and samurai against their overlords, as central control virtually disappeared. An early Japanese print in the gallery shows a samurai receiving his reward of a fine tachi such as this one from his shugo daimyo lord.

The shugo daimyo were the first group of men to hold the title "daimyo". They arose from among the shugo during the Muromachi period. The shugo daimyo held not only military and police powers, but also economic power within a province. They accumulated these powers throughout the first decades of the Muromachi period.
The Onin War was a major uprising in which shugo daimyo fought each other. During this and other wars of the time, kuni ikki, or provincial uprisings, took place as locally powerful warriors sought independence from the shugo daimyo. The deputies of the shugo daimyo, living in the provinces, seized the opportunity to strengthen their position. At the end of the fifteenth century, those shugo daimyo who succeeded remained in power. Those who had failed to exert control over their deputies fell from power and were replaced by a new class, the "sengoku daimyo", who arose from the ranks of the shugodai'K and Ji-samurai.

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading
28 inch blade length from tsuba to tip, 39 inches full length complete katana in saya, 9.65 inch Tsuka  read more

Code: 19532

A Koto Period O-Sukashi Katana Tsuba

Circa 1550. Tsuba were made by whole dynasties of craftsmen whose only craft was making tsuba. They were usually lavishly decorated. In addition to being collectors items, they were often used as heirlooms, passed from one generation to the next. Japanese families with samurai roots sometimes have their family crest (mon) crafted onto a tsuba. Tsuba can be found in a variety of metals and alloys, including iron, steel, brass, copper and shakudo. In a duel, two participants may lock their katana together at the point of the tsuba and push, trying to gain a better position from which to strike the other down. This is known as tsubazeriai pushing tsuba against each other.  read more

Code: 20314

One Amazing {of Two} 17th Century Iron Cannon Balls From 'Queen Elizabeth's Pistol', A 24 Foot Long Basilisk Cannon. The Cannon Balls Were Found in the 19th Century. A Fabulous Relic From 'The Siege of Hull' During the English Civil War

'Queen Elizabeth's Pistol', was the Tudor nickname of a fabulous cannon presented to Queen Elizabeth's father King Henry the VIIIth. In the English Civil war it was called 'the great Basilisco of Dover' and it was used in the English Civil war, first by the Parliamentarian artillery train forces of the Earl of Essex, it was captured, at Lostwithiel in August 1644, then used by the King's Artillery train, and then retaken by the Parliamentarian forces.

The basilisk got its name from the mythological basilisk: a fire-breathing venomous serpent that could cause large-scale destruction and kill its victims with its glance alone. It was thought that the very sight of it would be enough to scare the enemy to death

The cannon balls were recovered from the besieged area of Hull, and sold at auction in the 19th century, and since then, they have been in the same family's ownership. We are selling them separately, and priced individually.

The 24 foot long bronze cannon was cast in 1544 by Jan Tolhuys in Utrecht. It is thought to have been presented to Henry VIII by Maximiliaan van Egmond, Count of Buren and Stadtholder of Friesland as a gift for his young daughter Elizabeth and is known to have been referred to as Queen Elizabeth's Pocket Pistol by an article in the Gentleman's Magazine from 1767. The cannon is thought to have been used during the English Civil War, described as 'the great Basilisco of Dover' amongst other ordnance captured by Royalist forces from the Earl of Essex in Cornwall in 1644, later used at the siege of Hull and recaptured by Parliamentarians. The barrel is decorated in relief with fruit, flowers, grotesques, and figures symbolizing Liberty, Victory and Fame. The gun carriage was commissioned by the Duke of Wellington in the 1820s, when it was then known as Queen Anne's gun, cast from French guns captured at Waterloo.

Maximilian van Egmont, Count of Buren, Stadtholder of Friesland, 1509-1548, was a distinguished military commander in the service of the Emperor. He was on terms of friendship with Henry VIII and commanded the Imperial contingent at the Siege of Boulogne in 1544. The gun may have been installed at Dover as soon as it was received in England. In the inventory of the Royal possessions drawn up after the King's death in 1547 "the Ordynance and Munycions of Warre......which were in the black bulworke at the peire of Dover....included Basillisches of brasse .....oone Basillisches shotte ......Cl ti"

A popular rendering of the inscription on the gun was 'Load me well and keep me clean, I'll send a ball to Calais Green'. A footnote in the 1916 inventory suggests that this is a doubtful boast since ' Calais Green' was a part of Dover. There appears, however, to be no basis for this statement.

We show in the gallery two of the Basilisk cannon balls recovered outside the curtain wall of Pontefract Castle

Pontefract Castle sits on the edge of the medieval market town. Conservation work is being undertaken with the ambition of making Pontefract a key heritage destination within West Yorkshire. The £3.5m Heritage Lottery funded project is known as the Key to the North, after the title bestowed upon the castle by Edward I. During the project, workmen at the castle recovered seven cannonballs from a section of the castle’s curtain wall.

This cannon ball {a pair to our other one} was acquired from an auction, of recovered Civil War relics from the Siege of Hull, that was held in Hull in the early Victorian period, and acquired from the buyers directly descended family, by us, very recently.

The basilisk was a very heavy bronze cannon employed during the Late Middle Ages. The barrel of a basilisk could weigh up to 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) and could have a calibre of up to 5 inches (13 cm). On average they were around 10 feet long, though some, like Queen Elizabeth's Pocket Pistol, were almost three times that length.
The basilisk got its name from the mythological basilisk: a fire-breathing venomous serpent that could cause large-scale destruction and kill its victims with its glance alone. It was thought that the very sight of it would be enough to scare the enemy to death

The Basilisk cannon used in the Civil War was a most specific calibre of almost 5 inches, and fired this distinct size of round shot cannon ball munition of just over 4 1/2 inch diameter

We also show in the gallery a photograph of 'Queen Elizabeth's Pistol'. in Dover Castle, with a stack of the very same sized cannon balls.

The ball is very surface russetted, but still spherical and very good for its age,

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading  read more

Code: 25075