A Superb Edo Period Umetada Tsuba Signed Yamashiro kuni ju Umetada Shigenari, From the Umetada Line Of Tsuba Makers of Yamashiro. Of A Carved Takebori Kitsune {Fox} Going To The Kitsune no Yomeiri {The Foxe's Wedding}

Yamashiro kuni ju Umetada shigenari, from the Umetada family residing in the province of Yamashiro, active around 1650-1700.

With a most rare feature of the punch in order to create a narrowing of the nakago-ana, bears numerous strikes of a clan mon of six plum blossom petals. At the area around the nakago-ana note there are tagane-ato (punch marks around the nakago-ana) in the form of mon

The Umetada school was one of the pivotal centres of sword-related arts between the late Momoyama period and the early Edo era. Founded in Kyōto, it stood out for its versatility and outstanding quality, covering all fields associated with the katana: restorations, horimono, suriage, kinzogan-mei, crafting of habaki, and mountings — most of these works commissioned through collaboration with the Hon’ami family, who retained exclusive rights for polishing and appraisal services.

The Umetada school was a renowned family of tsuba (sword guard) makers in Kyoto, founded in the late 16th century by Umetada Myōju. The school is known for its innovative combination of chiseling and inlay work, creating tsuba with a wide variety of styles, including intricate designs, soft metal inlays, and even European-influenced motifs. Key members of the school included Umetada Myōju, Umetada Mitsutada, Myōshin, and Jusai.
Key features of the Umetada school
Innovative techniques: The school combined traditional chiseling and inlay (zogan) techniques with unique designs.
Versatile subject matter: Tsuba often featured natural motifs like snow crystals and leaves
Use of soft metals: They were known for using soft metals like copper and brass, often with inlays of gold, silver, or shakudo.

One the principle side is the fox dressed in formal garb with a hat with his iconic big fluffy tail, and at his feet is a bound bag of precious gifts. On the opposing side is a mountain scene with the small fox figure, carrying the bag of precious gifts on a pole, wearing a jingasa hat, walking the mountain path.

The Foxes' Wedding
is less a single continuous narrative and more a widespread folk belief used to explain a specific natural phenomenon: a sunshower, where rain falls while the sun is shining. People in rural Japan once believed this meant a kitsune wedding was taking place just beyond human sight.
On a day when the sun and rain appear together, an invisible (or nearly invisible) procession of foxes can be seen or heard moving through the fields or mountains.
The foxes in the procession, having used their magical abilities to take on human form, wear traditional Japanese wedding attire. The bride wears a white kimono (a bridal kimono) and a traditional headdress, while the groom may be in formal black attire. Other fox guests wear splendid kimonos with their family crests.
The groom in traditional formal wear would wear a traditional formal hat (like an eboshi or kanmuri), fitting the description of a "fox wearing a kimono and hat" in human form for the ceremony.
The procession is often lit by kitsunebi (fox-fire), ethereal fireballs breathed out by the foxes to light their way through the night.
Human Encounters: Humans who accidentally witnessed this rare event were traditionally warned to stay indoors to avoid disruption, which could bring bad luck. Sometimes, a human might stumble upon the wedding and either be granted good fortune or become bewitched if they spoke of it.
This belief is a popular motif in traditional Japanese art (ukiyo-e prints) and theatre, such as Kabuki, where actors would wear fox masks and elaborate costumes to portray the characters.  read more

Code: 25966

A Very Good, WW1 & WW2 Original Horseguards, Life Guards and Blues And Royals, Other Ranks Pattern Helmet Plate, Order of the Garter Badge Star. For The Mounted Bodyguard of The King

Ideal for a collector that has a helmet lacking its badge. This badge could add a thousand pounds of value to a helmet missing its original badge.

Original, early King's Crown type. This fabulous quality WW1 and WW2 other ranks badge, was in use since 1901, used by a trooper or NCO of the Blues and Royals or the Life Guards, that combined, make up the Royal Horseguards, until the pattern was changed with the queen's crown in 1953. The Albert helmet is the current ceremonial headgear of the British Army's Household Cavalry, the Life guards regiment and the Blues and Royals regiment. It was introduced by Prince Albert in 1842 and adopted by the Household Cavalry the following year. In 1847 the helmet was introduced to all heavy cavalry regiments. It remains in use as the full dress headgear of the two remaining Household Cavalry regiments, the Blues and Royals and the Life Guards. The magnificent helmet remains in use with the two current Household Cavalry regiments, the Blues and Royals with red plume and the Life Guards with white plume. These regiments are amalgamations of the four earlier regiments. The Life Guards retain the white plume and the onion from the 2nd Regiment, the Blues and Royals retain the red plume of the Royal Horse Guards. Blues and Royals officers wear a yak hair plume. Farriers in both regiments wear different plumes, the Life Guards farrier wear black and Blues and Royals farrier red.

The regiments also differ in how they wear the helmet's chin strap. The Blues and Royals wear it under the chin while the Life Guards wear it under the lower lip. The helmet is now in white metal for all ranks and the same helmet plate is worn by both regiments (they were different historically).

The Albert helmet is only worn in full dress review order, guard order and front yard order by other ranks and in full dress, levee dress and ceremonial rehearsal dress by officers. Medical and veterinary officers do not wear the helmet, instead wearing a cocked hat.

The other ranks of the Mounted Band of the Household Cavalry wear the helmet in full dress (with the plumes of their parent regiments), except when parading in the presence of the royal family, when they wear state dress with jockey caps. Band officers wear Albert helmets on both occasions.
one threaded affixing bolt remaining and one fold out helmet affixing stem  read more

Code: 24072

Group of Three Neolithic Stone Age 'Scraper' Flints Around 5000 Years Old. Possibly The Ideal Unique Gift Idea For Christmas

3 Parts of Stone Age Scraper Group. Hand knapped by a Stone Age person in Britain around 5000 years ago, from whole flints to create three scraping tools.
Neolithic, 3rd millennium BC.

From our acquisition of the Arthur Halcrow Versage collection, Reigate, Surrey, UK; discovered from Hallard’s Fen, Burwell, Cambridgeshire, in 1969. In the Neolithic period (later stone age) people started to settle down and start farming. At places such as Springfield Lyons, these early settlements have been identified. It was also at this time when stone tools, which up until this point had been purely functional, started to take on a more symbolic meaning. Polished stone axes and other tools that were never used have been found across the county, showing changes in social hierarchy and possibly even the development of religion.

The Neolithic also known as the "New Stone Age", the final division of the Stone Age, began about 12,000 years ago when the first development of farming appeared in the Epipalaeolithic Near East, and later in other parts of the world. The division lasted until the transitional period of the Chalcolithic from about 6,500 years ago (4500 BC), marked by the development of metallurgy, leading up to the Bronze Age and Iron Age. In Northern Europe, the Neolithic lasted until about 1700 BC, while in China it extended until 1200 BC. Other parts of the world (the New World) remained in the Neolithic stage of development until European contact.

The Neolithic comprises a progression of behavioral and cultural characteristics and changes, including the use of wild and domestic crops and of domesticated animals.

The term Neolithic derives from the Greek neos and lithos "New Stone Age". The term was coined by Sir John Lubbock in 1865 as a refinement of the three-age system..  read more

Code: 23773

A Late Koto to Early Shinto Period Katana Round Plate Tsuba. Outline Inlaid With Flattened Sinchu Around the Sukashi Piercings

The piercing has been outlined with a borderline of inlaid brass. Circa 1600. 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: 20313

A Superb Near Mint French Gras Rifle Sword Bayonet. 450,000 Rifles and These Bayonets Were Sold To Russia For WW1 Eastern Front and Used In The Russian Revolution By The Bolshevik Red Guards & the Imperial White Russians From 1918-1921

The French Gras rifle was primarily used by France from its adoption in 1874 until it was replaced by the Lebel rifle in 1886. While it was the primary service rifle during this period, it also saw use in later conflicts, including World War I, primarily by the Imperial Russians and then both revolutionary armies, the royalist White Russians and Bolshevick Red Guards in the Russian Civil War. Matching serial numbers to scabbard and sword, and all the surviving Russian export Gras bayonets we have had in the past had matching numbers like this superb example, but the French service examples are usually 99/100 miss-matched.

Fully conserved by hand in our workshop.

The Russian Civil War (1918-21) was fought for control of Russia after the October Revolution. A conglomerate of anti-Bolshevik groups, loosely dubbed the Whites, sought to remove the Bolsheviks from power and restore at least some elements of the old order. Other groups not directly aligned with either the Bolsheviks or Whites fought for control or independence in their own regions. The Russian Civil War was a pervasive conflict that involved disparate political and military groups, nationalist movements and all classes of Russian society. Foreign nations opposed to the Bolshevik regime also contributed troops, weapons, supplies and intelligence. Like other internecine conflicts, the Russian Civil War would produce confusion, division, attack and retaliation, intense propaganda, war crimes and human suffering on catastrophic levels.



1874-1886: The Gras was the standard French infantry rifle, replacing the Chassepot and being the first French service rifle to use metallic cartridges.
Post-1886: The Lebel rifle began to replace it as the primary service weapon, but the Gras remained in use for training purposes.
World War I: The Gras was still in service in 1914 and was used for training in the early stages of the war. Some were even converted to fire the new 8mm Lebel cartridge.

Other uses: While not a primary combat weapon for France after the Lebel's introduction, the Gras rifle was also used by other nations, including the Greek army during World War II, and especially by the Russian Empire and Bolsheviks after France supplied them with 450,000 rifles in 1915 due to Russian arms shortages

We acquired two, but each will be offered separately after full hand conservation.

We show two Russian Civil war propaganda posters in the gallery for historical perspective only. One Red Russian, one White Russian  read more

Code: 25974

A Simply Beautiful Ancient Koto Katana, Sengoku Era, Circa 1530, Signed Fuchi with Artisans Kakihan of a Cursive Monogram and Signed Tsuba, And the Matsudaira Tokugawa Clan Mon Gold Habaki

Beautiful Koto blade with wonderful quality original Edo fittings of a signed fushi hilt mount of shakudo and pure gold, with a takebori samurai daimyo lord, in court dress, wearing his tachi.

Very good tsuba in iron, also signed. Menuki of cranes underneath the silk ito. Very beautiful blade with typical Koto period narrow straight hamon of fine simplicity. Engraved gilt habaki blade collar with Tokugawa clan mon of Aoi hollyhock leaves. Original utushi lacquer saya with small wear areas. Bound with dark red and white sageo.

Before the Edo period, there were 19 major branches of the Matsudaira clan: Takenoya (竹谷), Katanohara (形原),4 Ōgusa (大草), Nagasawa (長沢),5 Nōmi (能見),6 Goi (五井), Fukōzu (深溝), Ogyū (大給),7 Takiwaki (滝脇),8 Fukama (福釜), Sakurai (桜井), Tōjō (東条), Fujii (藤井),9 Mitsugi (三木), Iwatsu (岩津), Nishi-Fukama (西福釜), Yata (矢田), Udono (鵜殿), and Kaga (加賀). Each of these branches (with the exception of the Kaga-Matsudaira, which relocated to Kaga Province) took its name from the area in Mikawa where it resided. Also, many of the branches often fought with each other.

Matsudaira of Okazaki
It was the main Matsudaira line residing in Okazaki Castle which rose the highest during the Sengoku period. During the headship of Matsudaira Hirotada, it was threatened by the Oda and Imagawa clans, and for a time was forcibly brought into Imagawa service. After the death of Imagawa Yoshimoto and the fall from power of the Imagawa clan, Hirotada's son Matsudaira Motoyasu was successful in forming an alliance with Oda Nobunaga, the hegemon of Owari Province. Motoyasu is better known as Tokugawa Ieyasu, who became the first Tokugawa shōgun in 1603.
The Sengoku Period (Sengoku Jidai, 1467-1568 CE), also known as the Warring States Period, was a turbulent and violent period of Japanese history when rival warlords or daimyo fought bitterly for control of Japan. The period falls within the Muromachi period (Muromachi Jidai, 1333-1573 CE) of Japanese medieval history when the Ashikaga shogun capital was located in the Muromachi area of Heiankyo (Kyoto). The beginning of the Sengoku period witnessed the Onin War (1467-1477 CE) which destroyed Heiankyo. The fighting that followed over the next century would eventually reduce the warlords to only a few hundred in number as the country was effectively carved up into princedoms. Eventually, one warlord rose above all his rivals: Oda Nobunaga, who set Japan on the road to unification from 1568 CE.

To many of us in the West, the movie image of the samurai in his fantastic armour, galloping into battle on his horse, his colourful personal flag, or sashimono, whipping in the wind on his back, has become the very symbol of Japan, the Empire of the Rising Sun. And, truly, to the samurai of real life, nothing embodied his warrior's code of Bushido more than his sword, considered inseparable from his soul.

Indeed, a sword was considered such a crucial part of a samurai's life that when a young samurai was about to be born, a sword was brought into the bedchamber during the delivery. When the time came for an old samurai to die and cross over into the White Jade Pavilion of the Afterlife his honoured sword was placed by his side. Even after death, a daimyo, or nobleman, believed he could count on his samurai who had followed him into the next world to use their keen blades to guard him against any demons, just as they had wielded their trusty weapons to defend him against flesh-and-blood enemies in this life. Shakudo is a billon of gold and copper (typically 4-10% gold, 96-90% copper) which can be treated to form an indigo/black patina resembling lacquer. Unpatinated shakudo Visually resembles bronze; the dark colour is induced by applying and heating rokusho, a special patination formula.

Shakudo Was historically used in Japan to construct or decorate katana fittings such as tsuba, menuki, and kozuka; as well as other small ornaments. When it was introduced to the West in the mid-19th century, it was thought to be previously unknown outside Asia, but recent studies have suggested close similarities to certain decorative alloys used in ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome  read more

Code: 22207

A Beautiful Ancient Original Viking Broadsword, From The Era Of The Norsemen’s Raids in Northern France, Around 1150 Years Ago & Their Raids Upon England & Ireland Up To The 11th Century.

A fabulous new addition to our gallery of amazing original ancient artefacts, with an incredible cache of arms and artefacts that have just arrived, from the past 3400 years of warring history, from the Ancient empires of Greece, Macedonia and Rome period, and up to the Viking age of over 1000 years past.
A wonderful example piece, from the ancient Viking Norsemen age. It is said that the Viking sword occupied the highest rank of esteem in the forms of weaponry during the entire Viking age. It was certainly not a common weapon for the regular Viking warrior. Only the Viking's of superior rank, power or status could afford the finest craftsmanship as was found in the sword. The more usual weapons in the Viking warrior community, especially for the regular warrior were axes and spears.
This sword, that is codified as a Petersen type X, was popular and used predominantly from the mid to late 800's to the 11th century. The D shaped pommel, which acted as a counterweight to the blade, so that the sword balanced, could display inlays of precious metals or intricate patterns. The blade itself often had so called “blood grooves” or fullers, and this sword has a single fuller running along its middle. These fullers saved valuable metal and made the sword lighter. A sword might be the most expensive item that a man owned. The one sword whose value is given in the sagas (given by King Hákon to Höskuldur in chapter 13 of Laxdæla saga) was said to be worth a half mark of gold.

There is a near pair to this sword in the Paris Museum collection, as Northern France, Brittany and Normandy were some of the great areas of battle and conflict for the Viking Norsemen, with thousands eventually settling in Normandy to become what today is known as the Normans. The great seiges of Paris, and where the formidable Vikings looted and plundered the north of France are legendary, and from whence they gained massive tribute from the resident Kings of the Franks to bribe them to cease their sieges and destruction.
There were two famed Norse sieges of Paris. The first was in 845; and though a fairly minor affair in terms of battle, it had great symbolic significance. The second was roughly two generations later, in 885-886; was much larger (and deadlier); and had greater direct ramifications. Before the first siege, Viking raids were a new and growing problem for the peoples of Western Europe; but hitherto raids had been made by relatively small war bands bent on plunder. The Scandinavian adventurers might sack monasteries or villages, but would usually shun larger, better defended targets. However, success was making the Norsemen bolder.

Aware of this growing threat, the ageing emperor, Charlemagne, built a series of maritime defences to protect his coasts and rivers from these new dragon ships. For the first few decades, the defences worked; but the Vikings were growing in number, ability, and ambition and a new breed of leaders was coming to the fore. One of these leaders was a man the Frankish chroniclers call Reginheri; but who has since been widely equated with the semi-legendary figure Ragnar Lothbrok. Under Ragnar, Vikings were ready to step foot on the world stage. They were ready to capture the jewel of Western Europe, the city of Paris.


So, in Spring of 845, 120 dragon ships carrying about 5000 Scandinavian warriors, broke through the late emperor’s defenses and surrounded the walled city of Paris. In the ninth century, Paris was already more than a thousand years old. It was wealthy from its position as a trading centre, and was the seat of one of Charlemagne’s three competing heirs, Charles the Bald. At this time, the heart of the city was confined to the islands in the centre of the Seine, the Île de la Cité where the cathedral of Notre Dame stands today. This position made Paris eminently defensible in the eyes of the Frankish elite that ruled there; but it made it easily surrounded by the ship-born Vikings.
Not a very good tactician at this time, Charles the Bald (Charlemagne’s grandson, who in all fairness, was only about 22 and new to his position as king) split his forces between the two banks of the Seine in order to better defend the nearby Abbey of Saint Denis. Ragnar’s Danes concentrated their attack on the forces on one bank of the Seine and easily defeated the Franks. They took 111 Frankish prisoners in the battle (this relatively small number further emphasises the Frank’s level of surprise and unpreparedness). In full view of the city and the army on the opposite river bank, the Vikings further terrified their foes by hanging all 111 prisoners as a sacrifice to Odin. The Vikings then moved on Paris and captured it with equal efficiency .

Faced with these appalling developments, Charles took a course of action that was as practical as it was controversial (both at that time and ever after). He offered Ragnar 7000 livres (more than 5600 pounds) in gold and silver to take his men and leave. This cash pay-out became the first of many, many Danegelds (roughly translated, “gold to the Danes” that the princes of Europe would offer Viking armies to leave them alone ). To pay such a tremendous sum to “heathen savages” must have been a brutal humiliation for the grandson of the man who united most of Western Europe under his implacable will; but Charles was already facing rebellion in Aquitaine and Brittany, and had no wish to risk his troops, the citizens of Paris, or the religious and cultural treasures of the several nearby abbeys in a prolonged battle he would likely lose. His hands were tied, and so he paid.

Swords were heirlooms. They were given names and passed from father to son for generations. The loss of a sword was a catastrophe. Laxdæla saga (chapter 30) tells how Geirmundr planned to abandon his wife Þuríðr and their baby daughter in Iceland. Þuríðr boarded Geirmund's ship at night while he slept. She took his sword, Fótbítr (Leg Biter) and left behind their daughter. Þuríðr rowed away in her boat, but not before the baby's cries woke Geirmundr. He called across the water to Þuríðr, begging her to return with the sword.

He told her, "Take your daughter and whatever wealth you want."
She asked, "Do you mind the loss of your sword so much?"
"I'd have to lose a great deal of money before I minded as much the loss of that sword."
"Then you shall never have it, since you have treated me dishonourably The Vikings placed such status on to their swords they often named them, due to the belief of their supposed magical qualities, heritage, and creator of remarkable events. Such evocative names as;

Gramr: Fierce. This was the name of the sword that hero Sigurd used to kill the dragon Fafnir
Gunnlogi: Battle Flame, War Flame
Leggbir: Leg bitter
Skrofnung: Gnawer
Keurnbut: Millstone-breaker
Naegling: Hole-maker
Fotbitr: Foot-biter.

Swords that had names were a treasure not only for their monetary value but also for the honour for the family and the clan.

This is in very good condition for age, and feels just as a fine top quality sword should, even today. It was likely used up to, and into, the 11th century British 'Battle of Hastings' era of 1066, known as the the Norman invasion period. Swords from the 10th to the 12th century of British history, used in the Battle of Hastings invasion period and into the earliest part of the new British Norman age, and it was used by the invading Norman knights who were settled Vikings, that ruled England after conquering the Anglo Saxon King Harold.
This fabulous, historical Viking sword, has the highly iconic, and typical fashion, double-edged broad sword, and hilt of Petersen Type X, with a tapering blade, shallow fullers, possible traces of pattern-welding to the blade, it has superb battle nicks to both cutting edges; an a. rectangular crossguard

See Petersen, J., De Norske Vikingsverd, Oslo, 1919; Peirce, I., Swords of the Viking Age, Suffolk, 2002; Hiardar K. and Vike, V., Vikings at war, Oxford-Philadelphia, 2016; the sword has good parallels with similar Viking age specimens published by Peirce (2002, pp.102-105), one in the British Museum and the other at the Universitetets Oldsaksamling, Oslo.
Footnotes
Viking swords of Type X are commonly found in Nordic countries and Europe, with a number found in Western Europe, France England and Ireland. In the gallery we show an original medieval painting of 11th century King Harald in combat at Stamford Bridge in 1066.

In the Church of Rønninge stands a rune stone bearing the text: “Sóti placed this stone in memory or Eileifr, his brother, Ásgautr Red-shield’s son”. Nearby lies the Rosenlund grave containing weapons and riding equipment, perhaps it was Ásgautr’s grave. We are familiar with Viking swords from various burials, which mainly date to the early Viking period. It was most often people of high status who were buried with swords in the Viking Age. Not all Viking warriors had a sword; they were prestige weapons. Swords were highly valued objects and could be handed down from generation to generation. They were also given as gifts to people of high status in order to stay on good terms with them.

Viking swords were also used in another way. This was the tradition of sacrificing the valuable swords in lakes and bogs. Many swords, spears and lances from the Viking and early medieval periods have also been found near fords crossing rivers and in wetlands. Perhaps the weapons were left at such locations as an offering, or else they were simply dropped and lost during the attempt to cross the water. Almost every weapon that has survived today from this era is now in a fully russetted condition, as is this one, because only very very few of the swords of kings, that have been preserved in national or Royal collections are today still in a relatively good state and condition We will include for the new owner a complimentary wooden display stand, but this amazing ancient artefact of antiquity would also look spectacular mounted within a bespoke case frame, or, on a fine cabinet maker constructed display panel. Extremely similar to a pattern-welded sword found with a large number of other objects, at Camp de Péran, Côtes-d'Armor, France, in a 10th century context, probably linked with the early Norman settlers in Normandy or Norman raids in Brittany (Roesdhal, Wilson, 1992, p.321, cat. n.359; Renaud, 2000, p.100).

Overall length 36.25 inches {925mm} 30.5 inches {770mm} crossguard 5 inches {128mm}

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

Code: 24770

Trollope 1st Edition Summer in Western France, 1st edition, 2 vols, 1841 Beautifully Fully Bound in Fine Calf with Gilt Decoration 10 Etched Plates by A. Hervieu, Presented to Colonel Lord Brownlow Thomas Montagu Cecil {Colonel of the Scots Guards}

One of our most popular purchases from The Lanes Armoury, for gifting at Christmas, will always be our finest novels, by iconic authors. An heirloom for generations to come, that combines to be a fabulous read as well as an antiquarian joy of considerable beauty.

A very handsome pair of beautiful, antique, fully calf leather bound 1st edition leather volumes, in nice condition for age, with natural colour aging to pages, some foxing, from one of the of the most highly rated family of English authors, the Trollope's of Kepple Street, London. Frances, Thomas and Anthony

A Summer in Western France, 1st edition, 2 vols, Thomas Adolphus Trollope, with 5 etched plates by A. Hervieu, 2 hand-coloured lithograph frontis., and etched title-page vignettes, gilt tooled red morocco, spines Henry Colburn, London, 1841,

Presented to Colonel Lord Brownlow Thomas Montagu Cecil {Colonel of the Scots Guards} in 1844 upon his graduation from Eton, by John Marjoribanks

This is Thomas Trollope's account of his experiences during a Summer spent in Western France with detailed topographical & historical recordings as well as the interesting diversions into the folklore & mythology of this region of France. It has been edited by Frances Trollope, celebrated author of 'Domestic Manners of the Americans.'

Trollope was born in Bloomsbury, London on 29 April 1810, the eldest son of Thomas Anthony and Frances Milton Trollope. (A younger brother was Anthony Trollope, the novelist.) He was educated at Harrow School and Winchester College. He first started writing before he went to Oxford University after a trip to New York with his father. He matriculated at St Alban Hall, Oxford, in 1829, aged 19, and graduated B.A. from Magdalen Hall, Oxford, in 1835. He taught briefly at Birmingham's King Edward's Grammar School, before he gave in to his mother's idea of forming a writing partnership. They travelled to Italy, which gave rise to some of the material for the 60 volumes of travel writing, history and fiction that he wrote that decade. This was in addition to a large amount of periodical and journalistic work.

Trollope married twice: his first wife was the writer Theodosia Garrow who was staying with his mother, Fanny Trollope, in Florence. The newly married couple had one daughter, Beatrice. Their home was visited by travelling British intelligentsia as well as by leading Italian nationalist figures. They lived at the Villino Trollope on the square that was then called the Piazza Maria Antonio, now the Piazza dell'Indipendenza, in Florence. Their house was decorated with carved furniture, inlaid walls, majolica ceramics, marble floors and pillars, suits of armour and a 5,000-book library.

Their new villa was bought in part with Theodosia's inheritance. Their house was considered the centre of the expatriate society in Florence. Theodosia was known for her poetry, her translations and her articles on household matters, and she also contributed letters to the Athenaeum advocating freedom for Italy.

The Trollopes' daughter played with Pen, the son of Robert and Elizabeth Browning, when they too became part of the Anglophone society in 1847. Comparisons of the two households showed the Browning household as more intense, with the Trollopes more carefree. All of her guests were in danger of appearing, in some disguised way, in his mother's novels.

His second wife was the novelist Frances Eleanor Ternan, whom he married on 29 October 1866: they then lived at the Villa Ricorboli. From 1873 the new couple again created a house known for its hospitality, but this time in Rome. Trollope lived in Italy for most of his adult life, but retired to Devon, England, in 1890. He died at Clifton, near Bristol, on 11 November 1892. His memoirs, What I Remember, were published in three volumes between 1887 (vols. 1 & 2) and 1889 (vol. 3).  read more

Code: 25973

Trollope 1st Edition a Summer in Brittany 2 Vols. 1840 Beautifully Fully Bound in Fine Calf with Gilt Decoration 10 Etched Plates by A. Hervieu, Presented to Colonel Lord Brownlow Thomas Montagu Cecil {Colonel of the Scots Guards}

One of our most popular purchases from The Lanes Armoury, for gifting at Christmas, will always be our finest novels, by iconic authors. An heirloom for generations to come, that combines to be a fabulous read as well as an antiquarian joy of considerable beauty.

A very handsome pair of antique, fully bound 1st edition leather volumes, in super condition for age, from one of the of the most highly rated families of English authors, the Trollope's of Kepple Street, London. Frances, Thomas and Anthony

Trollope, Thomas Adolphus - A Summer in Brittany, edited by Frances Trollope, 1st edition, 2 vols., with 10 etched plates by A. Hervieu, 2 hand-coloured lithograph frontis., etched title-page vignettes, gilt-decorated calf, Henry Colburn, London,1840,

Presented to Colonel Lord Brownlow Thomas Montagu Cecil {Colonel of the Scots Guards} in 1844 upon his graduation from Eton, by Philip Crawley.

This is Thomas Adolphus Trollope's account of his experiences during a Summer spent in Brittany with detailed topographical & historical recordings as well as the interesting diversions into the folklore & mythology of this fiercely independent region of France. It has been edited by Frances Trollope, celebrated author of 'Domestic Manners of the Americans.'

Trollope was born in Bloomsbury, London on 29 April 1810, the eldest son of Thomas Anthony and Frances Milton Trollope. (A younger brother was Anthony Trollope, the novelist.) He was educated at Harrow School and Winchester College. He first started writing before he went to Oxford University after a trip to New York with his father. He matriculated at St Alban Hall, Oxford, in 1829, aged 19, and graduated B.A. from Magdalen Hall, Oxford, in 1835. He taught briefly at Birmingham's King Edward's Grammar School, before he gave in to his mother's idea of forming a writing partnership. They travelled to Italy, which gave rise to some of the material for the 60 volumes of travel writing, history and fiction that he wrote that decade. This was in addition to a large amount of periodical and journalistic work.

Trollope married twice: his first wife was the writer Theodosia Garrow who was staying with his mother, Fanny Trollope, in Florence. The newly married couple had one daughter, Beatrice. Their home was visited by travelling British intelligentsia as well as by leading Italian nationalist figures. They lived at the Villino Trollope on the square that was then called the Piazza Maria Antonio, now the Piazza dell'Indipendenza, in Florence. Their house was decorated with carved furniture, inlaid walls, majolica ceramics, marble floors and pillars, suits of armour and a 5,000-book library.

Their new villa was bought in part with Theodosia's inheritance. Their house was considered the centre of the expatriate society in Florence. Theodosia was known for her poetry, her translations and her articles on household matters, and she also contributed letters to the Athenaeum advocating freedom for Italy.

The Trollopes' daughter played with Pen, the son of Robert and Elizabeth Browning, when they too became part of the Anglophone society in 1847. Comparisons of the two households showed the Browning household as more intense, with the Trollopes more carefree. All of her guests were in danger of appearing, in some disguised way, in his mother's novels.

His second wife was the novelist Frances Eleanor Ternan, whom he married on 29 October 1866: they then lived at the Villa Ricorboli. From 1873 the new couple again created a house known for its hospitality, but this time in Rome. Trollope lived in Italy for most of his adult life, but retired to Devon, England, in 1890. He died at Clifton, near Bristol, on 11 November 1892. His memoirs, What I Remember, were published in three volumes between 1887 (vols. 1 & 2) and 1889 (vol. 3).  read more

Code: 25972

The African Queen First Edition by Cecil Louis Troughton Smith, Known As Cecil Scott "C. S." Forester,

FORESTER, C.S. The African Queen

Heinemann, 1935.

First edition. Original brown cloth with gilt titles to the spine. A nice original copy with wear to the spine ends.

One of our most popular purchases from The Lanes Armoury, for gifting at Christmas, will always be our finest novels, by iconic authors. An heirloom for generations to come, that combines to be a fabulous read as well as an antiquarian joy of considerable beauty.
The African Queen is a 1935 novel written by English author C. S. Forester. It was adapted into the 1951 film of the same name.

As World War I reaches the heart of the African jungle, Charlie Allnutt and Rose Sayer, a dishevelled trader, and an English spinster missionary, find themselves thrown together by circumstance in German Central Africa. Fighting time, heat, malaria, and bullets, they make their escape on the rickety steamboat The African Queen... and hatch their own outrageous military plan. Originally published in 1935, The African Queen is a tale replete with vintage Forester drama - unrelenting suspense, reckless heroism, impromptu military manoeuvres, near-death experiences - and a good old-fashioned love story to boot.


Cecil Louis Troughton Smith (27 August 1899 – 2 April 1966), known by his pen name Cecil Scott "C. S." Forester, was an English novelist known for writing tales of naval warfare. He is most remembered for his 12-book Horatio Hornblower series, depicting a Royal Navy officer during the Napoleonic wars; indeed, Hornblower has become embedded in the consciousness of generations growing up in the earlier part of the 20th century.

One of the author's most sought books, as a consequence of the classic John Huston film of 1951 starring Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn. Photo in the gallery of the early The African Queen movie poster {for information only}  read more

Code: 25971