Antique Arms & Militaria

A Singularly Fine Remington New Model Army .44 Cal. Civil War Revolver With Around 80% Original Mirror Blue Finish Remaining

It is very rare to find a Remington New Model army revolver from the Civil War with so much original finish remaining intact and present. One cannot over estimate the value of such a revolver that increases in value quite exceptionally when its original finish is beyond 50% remaining. For example a Colt US contract 1861 Navy revolver, with 95%+ original finish can now sell for almost a quarter of a million dollars. In 2020 one with 95%+ original blue condition, sold at auction in America for $212,000.

Closed frame with 6 shot cylinder, brass trigger guard, wood grips, C, D & S inspection stamps throughout, and B H, for Benjamin Hannis',his US Civil war inspector's grip cartouch stamp on the grip plate.

In the field, even though the Colt revolver had the name and the mystique, many cavalry troopers preferred the much sturdier solid frame design of the Remington revolver. Approximately 106,000 Remington Model New Model Army percussion revolvers were purchased by US government during the American Civil War, with a total of approximately 114,000 of all types of Remington percussion revolvers purchased during the course of the war. Approximately 80,000 of these were purchased during the last two years of the war, between 1863 and 1865. According to the research published in Remington Army & Navy Revolvers 1861-1868 by Donald L. Ware, Remington revolvers through serial 149,000 were accepted prior to the end of the Civil War. Guns below serial 123,000 were accepted prior to the end of 1864.the Remington New Model Army was the primary revolver issued to Union cavalry after the fire at the Colt's factory in 1863, and these revolvers remained in service with the regular cavalry regiments on the frontier until they were replaced with the Model 1873 Colt Cavalry Revolvers in 1875. Three years after the end of the Civil War, Remington started to offer conversions for metal cartridges to be used instead of the cap & ball style paper cases. Remington paid a small fee to the renowned Smith & Wesson company who owned the 1855 Rollin White patent 12,648 on the method and principles for re-boring out cylinders and thus Remington was the first company to offer big .44 calibre metal cartridges a couple of years before the main competitors of Colt and S & W . The Remington 1858 New Model Army in .44 caliber was quite a powerful gun in its day and the bullet or ball could be fired out at over 1,000 feet per second (f.p.s) which was quite fast in the 1860's as most bullet velocities were around 750 f.p.s

William F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody used an ivory-handled New Model Army .44, serial number 73,293, from 1863 until 1906, when he gave it to his ranch foreman with a handwritten note which said that, "It never failed me." The Remington revolver permitted easy cylinder removal, allowing a quick reload with a spare pre-loaded cylinder; this being an advantage over other revolver designs of the time.  read more

Code: 24802

A Superb Esoteric Collection of Vintage Witchcraft Pieces, Witchballs & African Kongo Nail-Fetish Figures, & A Voduo {Voodoo} Entangled Simian Carved Figure. Feared by Victorian Missionaries as Instruments of Sorcery by The Tribal Nganga. & A Draken Head

This wonderful collection acquired over many decades has now arrived, including some intriguing original Kongo Voodou Nkisi oath figures, and so called, antique Witch's 'crystal balls'. The scrying balls, are set in superb, original antique, ormulu gilt and bronze mounts, in the rococco, classical and French Empire style, all based upon a classical and mythical theme, Ancient Roman, Ancient Greek, or Ancient Druidian. All designed to mount their occult scrying balls, that were used by gazing into their centre, for the divination of the future, and the answering of questions. As well as the warding off of evil spirits and misfortune.

Witch balls were found in England in the 1600 and 1700s originally to ward off evil spirits and spells. By the 1800s witch balls crossed the Atlantic to New England. They also spread to other parts of Europe, being found in Italy, France, and Constantinople. The witch ball originated among cultures where harmful magic and those who practiced it were feared. They are one of many folk practices involving objects for protecting the household. The word witch ball may be a corruption of watch ball because it was used to ward off, guard against, evil spirits. They may be hung in an eastern window, placed on top of a vase, or for the very wealthy set upon a decorative gold stand, either pedestal, or figural, or suspended by a cord (as from the mantelpiece or rafters). They may also be placed on sticks in windows or hung in rooms where inhabitants wanted to ward off evil.

Superstitious European sailors valued the talismanic powers of the witch balls in protecting their homes. Witch balls appeared in America in the 19th century and larger, more opaque variations are often found in gardens under the name gazing ball. This name derives from their being used for divination and scrying where a person gazes into them dreamily to try to see future events or to see the answers to questions. However, gazing balls contain no strands within their interior. The witch ball holds great superstition with regard to warding off evil spirits in our particular English counties of East Sussex and West Sussex. The tradition was also taken to overseas British colonies, such as the former British colonies of New England, and remains popular in coastal regions. Apparently, our Hawkins forebears ship’s that sailed across to the New World in the 1600’s, for both trade, emigres, and pilgrims, would carry at least one witch ball hung within a net on board. Our paternal grandmother hung one such in a net from her home’s east window all her life until her death in the 1980’s.

Also see our Völva’s Viking Draken head from an iron staff or wand. It was an important accessory used by the Völva when carrying out Seiđr, Viking magic. A Völva was a Viking Sorcerer or Sorceress of Seiđr. The iron staff or wand was an important accessory used by the Völva when carrying out Seiđr, Viking magic. The.magic staffs were around two to three foot long, forged of iron, often in the form of a distaff, with a knob pommel, that could take many forms, made of other metals, more usually brass or bronze, sometimes the knob might be inlaid with gems, and the staff was used by professional Viking sorcerers and sorceresses when performing Seiđr

The African Kongo Witch Doctor's power figures that stand prominent among all minkisi is called nkisi nkondi likely from the Bakongo people. This type of figure is commonly called a nail fetish and is one of the most recognisable and collectible figures in all of African art. These life-like figures are instantly identified by the many nails, pegs, blades, and shards that are hammered into them. Each individual insertion represents one of three things: an oath or agreement between two parties, a pledge to provide protection against enemies and witchcraft, or a vow of vengeance. 'Nkondi' literally means 'hunter;' and it is generally considered an aggressive entity.

The insertions are driven into the figure by the nganga and represent the mambu and the type or degree of severity of an issue can be suggested through the material itself. A peg may refer to a matter being ‘settled’ whereas a nail, or metal shard, deeply inserted, may represent a more serious offense such as murder. Prior to insertion, opposing parties or clients often lick the blades or nails, to seal the function or purpose of the nkisi through their saliva. If an oath is broken by one of the parties or evil befalls one of them, the nkisi nkondi will become activated to carry out its mission of destruction or divine protection

The imposing presence and implied power of nkisi nkondi is certainly enough to keep anyone committed to a promise or agreement. Like other minkisi, powerful medicine is usually stored inside the belly, which can then covered by a piece of glass or mirror. The reflective surface represents the world of the dead and the vision of the spirits. One is a traditional naked fetish witchcraft figure, standing upright, deeply carved staring eyes a the body studded overall with approx 200 similar 3 inch nails, on 2 flat feet on an integral carved pedestal, approx 22.25 " high. Another with hundreds of sharp shards of iron driven into the body, a traditional oath taking figure, with its right arm outstretched, upwards that may, some believe, have once held a spear. One more is of an entangled zoomorphic figure of a simian. Tightly bound and encased at the body in cloth with wood strapping.

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

Often such figures were placed outside, or within, the hut of a certain form of tribal elder, what we would refer to as, the tribal witch-doctor, called a Nganga as a symbol of his position within the local village, and his ability to cause magical curses and unpleasantness for villagers who had fallen out with others of the village or region, who then sought out the services of the so called 'witch-doctor' to resolve the problem, with, such as, a curse.

Vintage Hand Carved African Medicine Man Nkisi figures. Esoteric collector's pieces, connected to the so-called western term of Voodoo {vodou} magic, part of the pantheon of the occult, magic & witchcraft of Africa.

Among the various Kongo peoples, nkisi means a sacred medicine. This word has been extended to include objects containing that medicine as well. The carved wooden statues referred to in the 19th century as nail fetishes and more recently as power figures containing medicine that imbues them with divine power, are therefore nkisi as well. Due to the medicine they contain (which is administered by a witch doctor or nganga), they act as agents of divine power, granting requests. healing or attesting to agreements. Each decision or resolution is literally nailed down in the figure.

A certain class of nkisi, called nkondi, are able to enforce the solutions they provide actively and to seek vengeance against those who heed them not. These figures either menace the viewer with spears and fierce facial expressions, or strike intimidating, belligerent poses.

Nkisi nkondi specialize in different areas of life. The most important nkisi nkondi carries out mangaaka, or preeminent justice.

Surveillance or watchfulness assist the effective enforcement of the power figure’s decisions. This is registered in the size of the eyes or, in some cases, by multiple sets of eyes. The rope wrapped around some figures represents a snake, a watchful predator who lends its powers of observation to the figure. Double-headed figures have double the visual powers and can see into the city of the dead and the realm of the living at the same time.

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

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

Similar examples in the Smithsonian and Metropolitan in the USA. One very similar nkisi, from the late 19th to mid 20th century has been a highlight of the Rockefeller collection since its acquisition in 1952.  read more

Code: 25492

An Extraordinary, 1100 to 1200 year old, Original, Ancient Viking Draken Head Staff Mount. A Knob of a Staff or Wand of Magic, Used By A Völva, a Sorcerer or Sorceress of Seiđr. A Seiðstafr, The Staff of Power in Viking Occult & Magick

Just returned from expert conservation {undertaken over many months}.
A fabulous ancient bronze Draken head {Viking for dragon} with remains of its forged iron wand attached to its socket mount. Modelled on one of the greatest iconic symbols of the Viking Norsemen, the Draken head, the iconic symbol on the prow of a Viking longship, the Draken figurehead.

The iron staff or wand was an important accessory used by the Völva when carrying out Seiđr, Viking magic. The.magic staffs were around two to three foot long, forged of iron, often in the form of a distaff, with a knob pommel, that could take many forms, made of other metals, more usually brass or bronze, sometimes the knob might be inlaid with gems, and the staff was used by professional Viking sorcerers and sorceresses when performing Seiđr, the Viking tradition of the occult.

These staffs acquired a plenitude of meanings and functions, from symbolic to practical. As such the staff may be understood as the attribute of a völva, the rod keeping up the world, a distaff spinning the future

"From the beginning seiðr was the prerogative of the gods, and it is clear that its origins predate the Viking Age by several centuries (Hedeager 1997). The sources relate how Òðin became the supreme master of sorcery, having learnt of its powers from the goddess Freyja."
(Price, N. 2008 “Sorcery and Circumpolar Traditions in Old Norse Belief” p. 245 in “The Viking World” Brink, S. & Price, N. eds)

Ok hon hafði staf í hendi, ok var á knappr

Eiríks saga rauða describes a seiðkonur with her staff:

"(Thorbjorg the seiðkonur) was dressed in such wise that she had a blue mantle over her, with strings for the neck, and it was inlaid with gems quite down to the skirt. On her neck she had glass beads. On her head she had a black hood of lambskin, lined with ermine. A staff she had in her hand, with a knob thereon; it was ornamented with brass, and inlaid with gems round about the knob."

A völva buried in Fyrkat, Denmark was buried with a box containing talismans or taufr. These included an owl pellet, small bones from birds and animals as well as henbane seeds. When thrown on a fire, henbane seeds can produce a hallucinogenic smoke that gives those who inhale it a sense of flying which may have enhanced the völva’s trance. The völur who were buried in the Oseberg ship were similarly outfitted with a pouch of cannabis seeds for their journey beyond life.

Völur were also buried with a staff, not only a shamanic implement but also an insignia of their profession. The Old Norse term völva has been widely translated to mean a “wand carrier” or “magical staff bearer”. Many shamans use a ceremonial staff as an object of spiritual power. Held during the visionary ritual of seiðr these seiðstafr or völ, may have been representation of the World Tree as is common among shamans from the Arctic to Asia and down to the Peruvian Amazon. Since the spiritual principle uniting the spirit worlds for the Norse was the Great Tree, Yggdrassil it makes sense that völur would carry a staff. Being able to travel into the realms of the spirits is a critical requirement for any shamanic practitioner. The wand or staff would function as a connection to all the realms of spirit as well as another kind of tether to help a völva return to this world.

We show in the gallery one drawing of a museum exhibit, an iron staff of power recovered from a burial, in Klinta, Oland, Sweden, and held to the right is a recreated copy of the ancient Viking relic with its brass, formed, knob pommel.

Being a staff pommel, we believe it is the smallest surviving part of a Seiðstafr, {The Staff of Power} yet, of all the surviving examples we have seen in the past 50 years, and they are so few as to be near non-existent, this example is, in our opinion, the most iconic Viking image example existing, and likely now unique in the world {so far discovered}, and as such, may be the only surviving part of its type to appear on the open market, or ever likely to.

The closest example we have ever seen are the small, semi flat, cast draken head clothing pins that were cast, often in lead, in intaglio carved mould stones. Which show just how important the draken (dragon) head was to Viking symbolic culture. We show a really rare find, of one such small Draken head clothes pin moulds, in carved soapstone, now in the collection of Swedish History Museum.

For example; With regards to expert conservation methods of bronze {copper alloy} objects {and some other materials} The dirt from the surface of the object could be removed manually using a scalpel under magnification. Care would be taken not to dislodge the powdery, corroding surface. Where the surface was in particualrly bad condition the dirt will be left in situ and small areas might be locally consolidated using 2.5% HMG Paraloid B72 (methyl ethyl methacrlylate) in 50:50 Acetone (propan-1-one/dimethyl ketone) and Industrial methylated spirits (ethanol,methanol. This method of conservation is also used by the British Museum {amongst other institutions}

Our Draken head is approx. 6cm long overall, including the remaining iron staff top.
As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity  read more

Code: 24789

An Absolutely Superb Esoteric Antique Witchcraft Fetish Statue. An African Kongo Witch Doctor's Nail-Fetish Figure, A Voduo {Voodoo} Nkondo Nkisi. Historically Much Feared by Victorian Missionaries as Instruments of Sorcery. Made by The Tribal Nganga

The African Kongo Witch Doctor's power figures minkisi {plural of nkisi} that stand prominent among all minkisi is called nkisi {sacred medicine} nkondi {hunter} likely from the Bakongo people. This type of figure is commonly called a nail fetish and is one of the most recognisable and collectible figures in all of African art. These life-like figures are instantly identified by the many nails, pegs, blades, and shards that are hammered into them and made by the tribal Nganga { Witch Doctor } .

Each individual insertion represents one of three things: an oath or agreement between two parties, a pledge to provide protection against enemies and witchcraft, or a vow of vengeance. 'Nkondi' literally means 'hunter;' and it is generally considered an aggressive entity.

The insertions are driven into the figure by the nganga and represent the mambu and the type or degree of severity of an issue can be suggested through the material itself. A peg may refer to a matter being ‘settled’ whereas a nail, or metal shard, deeply inserted, may represent a more serious offense such as murder. Prior to insertion, opposing parties or clients often lick the blades or nails, to seal the function or purpose of the nkisi through their saliva. If an oath is broken by one of the parties or evil befalls one of them, the nkisi nkondi will become activated to carry out its mission of destruction or divine protection

The imposing presence and implied power of nkisi nkondi is certainly enough to keep anyone committed to a promise or agreement. Like other minkisi, powerful medicine is usually stored inside the belly, which can then covered by a piece of glass or mirror. The reflective surface represents the world of the dead and the vision of the spirits. One is a traditional naked fetish witchcraft figure, standing upright, deeply carved staring eyes a the body studded overall with hundreds of sharp shards of iron driven into the body, a traditional oath taking figure, with its right arm outstretched, upwards that may, some believe, have once held a spear.

A nkisi has many interrelated functions. African doctors use it to effect healing. They use the nkisi to search for the spiritual and physical source of a malady and then chase it away from the body. As a preventive measure, spiritual leaders also use it to protect the human soul, guarding it against disease and illness. In addition, they may use it to bind its owner to a friend or to attract lovers. It is also used to serve as a charm to repel enemies, arrest them in their tracks, or inflict an illness on them. Alternatively, a nkisi can be used to embody and direct a spirit; similarly, it can be used as a hiding place for a troubled soul, keeping order.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Often such figures were placed outside, or within, the hut of a certain form of tribal elder, what we would refer to as, the tribal witch-doctor, called a Nganga as a symbol of his position within the local village, and his ability to cause magical curses and unpleasantness for villagers who had fallen out with others of the village or region, who then sought out the services of the so called 'witch-doctor' to resolve the problem, with, such as, a curse.

Vintage Hand Carved African Medicine Man Nkisi figures. Esoteric collector's pieces, connected to the so-called western term of Voodoo {vodou} magic, part of the pantheon of the occult, magic & witchcraft of Africa.

Among the various Kongo peoples, nkisi means a sacred medicine. This word has been extended to include objects containing that medicine as well. The carved wooden statues referred to in the 19th century as nail fetishes and more recently as power figures containing medicine that imbues them with divine power, are therefore nkisi as well. Due to the medicine they contain (which is administered by a witch doctor or nganga), they act as agents of divine power, granting requests. healing or attesting to agreements. Each decision or resolution is literally nailed down in the figure.

A certain class of nkisi, called nkondi, are able to enforce the solutions they provide actively and to seek vengeance against those who heed them not. These figures either menace the viewer with spears and fierce facial expressions, or strike intimidating, belligerent poses.

Nkisi nkondi specialize in different areas of life. The most important nkisi nkondi carries out mangaaka, or preeminent justice.

Surveillance or watchfulness assist the effective enforcement of the power figure’s decisions. This is registered in the size of the eyes or, in some cases, by multiple sets of eyes. The rope wrapped around some figures represents a snake, a watchful predator who lends its powers of observation to the figure. Double-headed figures have double the visual powers and can see into the city of the dead and the realm of the living at the same time.

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

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

Similar examples in the Smithsonian and Metropolitan in the USA. One very similar nkisi, from the late 19th to mid 20th century has been a highlight of the Rockefeller collection since its acquisition in 1952.

*Gell, A . The Art of Anthropologie. London: Humanities Press.  read more

Code: 25498

Ancient Roman Key Ring, A Bronze Amulet-Ring Key. 1st to 3rd Century A.D.Around 1900 to 1800 Years Old. Worn From The Period of Emperors Trajan, Hadrian, Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus, & Commodus

Ancient Roman bronze key ring, an intriguing piece of functional jewellery.

For lack of pockets in their togas, the ancient Romans often wore keys to important boxes, etc on their fingers. The most intriguing items of Roman security hardware seem to be keys and lock bolts. Keys were used mainly for doors, chests, boxes, caskets, cupboards and padlocks. Less often they were used for ceremonial or decorative purposes, such as matron keys, jewelry items and votive offerings.

It is alleged that some ring keys were worn by women as symbols of household authority, as "keeper of the keys". This is probably true, but such are difficult to identify as having served that purpose. The wooden Egyptian pin tumbler locks were over two thousand years old by this time. Roman engineers modernized them and other lock constructions by replacing the wooden parts with corresponding parts made of metal.

The clumsy Egyptian pin tumbler locks were transformed into elegant Roman pin tumbler locks of steel, fitted with an ingenious Roman invention, steel springs. The locks were often tiny masterpieces in terms of both precision and design. All Roman door locks can only be opened from one side. There were illustrations in Le case e monumenti di Pompeii, four volumes by Fausto and Felice Niccolini, printed in Naples in 1854–96. Another author, Albert Neuburger, used the same images in his book on ancient technology, Die Technik des Altertums, printed in Leipzig in 1921. The cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum were buried in ash when the nearby volcano Mount Vesuvius erupted in 79 AD, and were eventually forgotten.
Most likely worn on the finger, or around the neck as an amulet

Illustrations in Technik des Altertums. Reconstruction of a Roman pin tumbler door lock of metal, inside and outside, and an example of a key. Deutsches Museum, Munich. The first reconstruction of this lock was made by Louis Jacobi (1836–1910) for the Saalburg Museum north of Frankfurt.

For example; With regards to some expert conservation methods of bronze objects {and some other materials} The dirt from the surface of the object could be removed manually using a scalpel under magnification. Care would be taken not to dislodge the powdery, corroding surface. Where the surface was in particualrly bad condition the dirt will be left in situ and small areas might be locally consolidated using 2.5% HMG Paraloid B72 (methyl ethyl methacrlylate) in 50:50 Acetone (propan-1-one/dimethyl ketone) and Industrial methylated spirits (ethanol,methanol).

Eminantly wearable today, size M 1/2 UK size  read more

Code: 25497

A Beautiful & Massive Ancient Bronze Age Long Sword Circa 1200 to 800 BC. As Used From Before and Including the Greco-Persian Wars, Such as the Battles of Marathon & Thermopylae. As Used in Hand To Hand Combat Between Xerxes' Immortals, and The Hoplites

Massive bronze age sword with Double Ear Pommel, 10th-9th Century BC. with partial green encrustations, with some parts of the blade end showing hand to hand combat denting. A sword that was possibly made in around 1200 bc, but expected at the time to have a functioning use of 500 to 600 years or even more. Swords were immensely expensive, and being of bronze easy to maintain and repair, but constant sharpening was also required as they couldn't hold an edge as the much later Iron age sword could.

A magnificent, enormous bronze sword of the “double ear” pommel style, made using the lost wax casting technique by highly trained urban artisans for an elite member of a nomadic horse-riding clan. The blade was cast first, and then the handle was cast onto it - scans of similar swords have revealed tangs inside the handles.

This well-balanced weapon has a slender, square hilt, with raised decorative elements on each of the four sides joining to a pommel that divides into two finely decorated semi-circular “ears” at right angles to the blade. A rectangular guard carefully designed with crescent-shaped horns extends down to firmly grip the upper end of the prominent midrib that tapers regularly with almost straight cutting edges to a point.

The “double ear” style of sword - with both bronze and iron blades - has been excavated from graves in southern Azerbaijan, the Talish and Dailaman regions of northwest Iran, and the urban sites of Geoy Tepe and Hasanlu, also in northwestern Iran. Another, with both bronze pommel and blade, was pulled from the Caspian Sea, where it may have been thrown as an offering. It seems that swords like this example were not just made to be used in battle, but instead to show status or as votive weapons.

There is a strong tradition in the ancient Near East of swords and other weapons being associated with the gods. For example, there is a rock carving dating to circa 1300 BC from this region that shows a scene of the gods of the Underworld, including one who is holding a sword similar to this one. Similarly, a golden bowl excavated at Hasanlu (northwestern Iran) shows three swords of similar form to this one that are associated with three deities from the Hittite pantheon. Whatever its original function, this would have been a spectacular weapon to behold, with a deep, shining surface when polished. Whoever commissioned this sword must have been an elite individual of high status, perhaps seeking to honour the gods by handling such a weapon.

The late bronze age early Luristan culture was renowned for their bronze workmanship and this cast bronze sword is an excellent illustration of their skill. Cast using the lost wax process, this sword is a rare example of the double ear pommel type found in the great museums of the world.

This well-balanced and mighty weapon, is around the same proportions of the much later Roman gladius. It features a slender square hilt that joins to a pommel that divides at right angles to the blade into two finely decorated semi-circular "ears". The pommel features with a semi-circular opening in the centre of each ear. A rectangular guard carefully designed that extends down to firmly grip the upper end of the double-edged blade.
The wide graduated blade that tapers regularly to a point and it has, low, twin central midribs that taper regularly with almost straight cutting edge to a point, making it most suitable for thrusting and cutting.
It is the austere perfection of line and proportion that makes this weapon so beautiful.

This type of pommel represents the north-western Persian version of weapons evolved from Elamite or Mesopotamian flange-hilted blades. They are found made throughout the northern regions of Persia in both bronze and iron, and sometimes with a combination of bronze hilt and iron blade. Items such as this were oft acquired in the 18th century by British noblemen touring Northern France and Italy on their Grand Tour. Originally placed on display in the family 'cabinet of curiosities', within his country house upon his return home. A popular pastime in the 18th and 19th century, comprised of English ladies and gentlemen travelling for many months, or even years, throughout classical Europe, and Middle East, acquiring antiquities and antiques for their private collections. This is a most handsome ancient bronze weapon from the era of the so called Trojan Wars. The ancient Greeks believed the Trojan War was a historical event that had taken place in the 13th or 12th century BC, and believed that Troy was located in modern day Turkey near the Dardanelles. In Greek mythology, the Trojan War was waged against the city of Troy by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. The war is among the most important events in Greek mythology and was narrated in many works of Greek literature, including Homer's Iliad and the Odyssey . "The Iliad" relates a part of the last year of the siege of Troy, while the Odyssey describes the journey home of Odysseus, one of the Achaean leaders. Other parts of the war were told in a cycle of epic poems, which has only survived in fragments. Episodes from the war provided material for Greek tragedy and other works of Greek literature, and for Roman poets such as Virgil and Ovid.

The war originated from a quarrel between the goddesses Athena, Hera, and Aphrodite, after Eris, the goddess of strife and discord, gave them a golden apple, sometimes known as the Apple of Discord, marked "for the fairest". Zeus sent the goddesses to Paris, who judged that Aphrodite, as the "fairest", should receive the apple. In exchange, Aphrodite made Helen, the most beautiful of all women and wife of Menelaus, fall in love with Paris, who took her to Troy. Agamemnon, king of Mycenae and the brother of Helen's husband Menelaus, led an expedition of Achaean troops to Troy and besieged the city for ten years due to Paris' insult. After the deaths of many heroes, including the Achaeans Achilles and Ajax, and the Trojans Hector and Paris, the city fell to the ruse of the Trojan Horse. The Achaeans slaughtered the Trojans (except for some of the women and children whom they kept or sold as slaves) and desecrated the temples, thus earning the gods' wrath. Few of the Achaeans returned safely to their homes and many founded colonies in distant shores. The Romans later traced their origin to Aeneas, one of the Trojans, who was said to have led the surviving Trojans to modern day Italy. Made in copper bronze in the Western Asiatic region. Western Asiatic bronzes refer to items dating from roughly 1200-800 BC that have been excavated since the late 1920's in the Harsin, Khorramabad and Alishtar valleys of the Zagros Mountains especially at the site of Tepe Sialk. Scholars believe they were created by either the Cimmerians or by such related Indo-European peoples as the early Medes and Persians. Weapons from this region were highly sought after by warriors of many cultures because of their quality, balance and durability.

The Battle of Thermopylae
The first decision, to hold the narrow Vale of Tempe between Macedonia and Thessaly, was abandoned when it was realised that the position could easily be turned. The Greeks then occupied the still narrower pass of Thermopylae with 6,000 or 7,000 hoplites and stationed 271 triremes at Artemisium in northern Euboea. The positions were linked by communication between the Spartan commanders, King Leonidas at Thermopylae and Eurybiades at Artemisium, who intended to halt and damage the Persian forces. Meanwhile, Xerxes was advancing slowly. He made no use of separate columns, and his fleet suffered heavy losses in a storm when it was convoying supply ships along the coast. It was already August when Xerxes began the operations, which extended over three days.

On the first day, Xerxes sent a detachment of 200 ships, unseen by the Greeks, to sail around Euboea and close the narrows of the Euripus Strait. He also attacked with his best infantry at Thermopylae, where the Greeks inflicted heavy casualties. During the afternoon the Greek fleet, having learned about the Persian detachment from a deserter, engaged the main Persian fleet with some success. The Greeks intended to sail south that night and destroy the detachment the next day, but a tremendous storm kept the Greeks at Artemisium and wrecked the 200 Persian ships off south Euboea. On the second day, news of the Persian disaster was brought up by a reinforcing squadron of 53 Athenian ships. Xerxes attacked again with no success at Thermopylae, and the Greeks sank some Cilician vessels off Artemisium.

A Greek traitor, Ephialtes, offered to guide the Persians along a mountain path and turn the position at Thermopylae. The Immortals, a cadre of elite Persian infantry, were entrusted to him. At dawn on the third day, they began to descend toward the plain behind the Greek position. Leonidas retained the troops of Sparta, Thespiae, and Thebes and sent the remainder south. He then advanced. He and his soldiers fought to the death, except the Thebans, who surrendered. Meanwhile, the Persian fleet attacked at noon. Both sides suffered heavy losses, and the Greeks realized that they could succeed only in narrower waters. That evening, when the fall of Thermopylae was known, the Greek fleet withdrew down the Euboic channel and took station in the narrow straits of Salamis.

For reference see: Moorey P.R.S. "Catalogue of Ancient Persian Bronzes in the Ashmolean Museum" (1971), pg. 80 fig 63, Mahboubian, H. "Art of Ancient Iran" pg 304 386(a) & (b) and pg 314-315 397a-I, Moorey PRS "Ancient Persian Bronzes in the Adam Collection" pg 58 28 and Muscarella "Bronze and Iron, Ancient Near Eastern Artifacts in the Metropolitan Museum of Art" pgs 282-285 385-390.

Around 26 inches long overall.  read more

Code: 24766

A Superb, English, Late 18th Century Duelling Pistol By One of The Worlds Greatest Gunsmiths, John Manton of Dover St. London

The serial number, 2873, dates the manufacture to circa 1798. Finely engraved steel mounts with spur trigger guard with pineapple finial. Browned twist Damascus barrel, gold inlaid with the name Manton and London. Fine walnut stock with, carved horn forend, chequered grip, and barrel retaining key. Very tight and crisp action, overall in nice condition with natural age and wear and some surface russet marking

Converted to Manton's percussion system by likely Joseph Manton sometime in the early 19th century. The pistol is serial numbered very closely to a pair of cased duelling pistols also by John Manton, freely acknowledged to be possibly the finest English duelling pistols in the world, certainly the finest ever to appear at auction, and they were estimated to be worth, several years ago, up to $180,000. That pair see a photo in the gallery are serial numbered 2837 and dated to 1797. He was supposedly making in his workshop 100 guns per annum and our pistol is numbered just 36 away from the cased pair.

John Manton is regarded as one of the most innovative English gun makers of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. His inventive spirit and desire for continued improvement challenged the designs of the old masters. Manton''s patents and new designs changed the gun industry not only from a manufacturing standpoint, but also for his gentlemanly clients.

About John Manton.

John Manton was born in 1752 in Lincolnshire. He first began his career as a foreman to John Twig. At the age of 29, Manton opened his own gun shop at No. 6 Dover Street. His business quickly prospered, and he had many elite patrons, such as the Royal Family. His sons became a part of the business as well, and the firm of John Manton and Son produced a wide range of guns for their most discerning clientele.

About his duelling pistols.

One of the greatest technologies Manton refined was the accuracy of the duelling pistol. The inaccuracy of the duelling pistols as they were led to less wounds and deaths, and were designed for a quick draw. Manton wanted to improve the slow shot of the duelling pistol because of the increasingly popular event of target practise. He produced heavier barreled duelling pistols and Manton's were at a clear advantage if they were to be caught defending their honour. Many gentleman would visit the shooting gallery of Manton to practise their slow shots, and refine their precision so that they could always be ready for a duel. Including such as Lord Byron

John Manton is considered to by one of the greatest London gunmakers of his time. Around the age of 30 he started his own business at 6 Dover Street where he remained for the rest of his career. He died in late 1834, leaving his business to his son George Henry.

As with all our antique guns, no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables  read more

Code: 24861

A 19th Century English Boxlock Pistol By Smith of London

Circa 1830. Boxlock pistols were pocket pistols popular in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Effectively the first Derringers. The most unique feature of their design was the boxlock mechanism. Unlike most firearms which have the hammer located off to the side of the pistol, a boxlock pistol had the hammer located directly on top of the pistol. They were called a boxlocks because all of the working mechanisms for the hammer and the trigger was located in a box or receiver directly below the top mounted hammer. While the hammer obstructed the aim of the user, this system had the advantage of making the gun more compact and concealable than other pistols. The first boxlock pistols were flintlock and where later made in percussion lock. Unlike modern firearms, these pistols were not mass produced, but were hand made in gunsmith's workshops. As with all our antique guns no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables  read more

Code: 18558

A Scarce English Transitional Revolver Circa 1840 By Cook of London

The stepping stone between the 1830's pepperbox revolver, and the later first double action revolver patented by London's Robert Adams in 1851. Some of the most ground breaking work in the early design and manufacture of revolvers was undertaken in England long before the world famous American revolver makers, such as Colt and Remington, became famous for their fine pistols. This most interesting piece is fully, and most finely engraved, on the frame and grip, with a highly detailed micro chequered walnut butt. Good operating action, several areas of old surface pitting intersperced with areas of no pitting at all. Trapdoor percussion cap container in the butt. Made by one of England's 19th century makers and innovators of fine revolver pistols, of London. A classic example of one of the earliest English cylinder revolvers that was favoured by gentleman wishing to arm themselves with the latest technology and improvement ever designed by English master gunsmiths. They were most popular with officers [that could afford them] in the Crimean War and Indian Mutiny. A picture in the gallery is of Robert Adams himself, loading his patent revolver for HRH Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's Consort. He was also manager for the London Armoury and he made many of the 19,000 pistols that were bought by the Confederate States for the Civil War. The US government also bought Adams revolvers from the London Armoury, at $18 each, which was $4.00 more than it was paying Colt for his, and $6.00 more than Remington.The action on this beautiful gun is good very nice, and tight, but the surface has areas of old corrosion. As with all our antique guns no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables  read more

Code: 22364

A Fabulous, Incredibly Impressive, Historical & Very Rare Large 1754 American Anglo-French-Indian War & Revolutionary War of 1776 Period Flintlock Sea Service Bronze Cannon Barrel Blunderbuss. A Stunning Work Of Art As Much As A Huge Sea Service Flintlock

Blunderbuss that survive from this earliest era are so incredibly rare. An amazingly beautiful sea service flintlock that was made and saw service during the era of the American theatre of conflict of the Anglo-French-Indian war {1754-1763}, the era as wonderfully depicted in the classic historical novel, of the Anglo-French-Indian War in the Americas in the late 1750's 'Last of the Mohican's' by James Fenimore Cooper, featuring the Mohican Chingachgook, and his white adopted son 'Hawkeye'.

The British colonists were supported at various times by the Iroquois, Catawba, and Cherokee tribes, and the French colonists were supported by Wabanaki Confederacy members Abenaki and Mi'kmaq, and the Algonquin, Lenape, Ojibwa, Ottawa, Shawnee, and Wyandot (Huron). Fighting took place primarily along the frontiers between New France and the British colonies, from the Province of Virginia in the south to Newfoundland in the north. It began with a dispute over control of the confluence of the Allegheny River and Monongahela River called the Forks of the Ohio, and the site of the French Fort Duquesne at the location that later became Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The dispute erupted into violence in the Battle of Jumonville Glen in May 1754, during which Virginia militiamen under the command of 22-year-old George Washington ambushed a French patrol. The British sent out their fleet in February 1755, intending to blockade French ports, but the French fleet had already sailed. Admiral Edward Hawke detached a fast squadron to North America in an attempt to intercept them.

In June 1755, the British captured French naval ships sent to provide war matériel to the Acadian and Mi'kmaw militias in Nova Scotia.
In a second British action, Admiral Edward Boscawen fired on the French ship Alcide on June 8, 1755, capturing her and two troop ships. The British harassed French shipping throughout 1755, seizing ships and capturing seamen. These actions contributed to the eventual formal declarations of war in spring 1756.
This blunderbuss may have potentially seen service, amongst other conflicts, at the Battle of Restigouche. It was a naval battle fought in 1760 during the French and Indian War on the Restigouche River between the British Royal Navy and the small flotilla of vessels of the French Navy, Acadian militia and Mi'kmaq militias. The loss of the French vessels, which had been sent to support and resupply the troops in New France after the fall of Quebec, marked the end of any serious attempt by France to keep hold of their colonies in North America. The battle was the last major engagement of the Mi'kmaq and Acadian militias before the Burying of the Hatchet Ceremony between the Mi'kmaq and the British.

Bronze gun-metal two stage cannon barrel, fitted with the earliest so-called 'banana' form flint lock, predominantly used in the early to mid 18th century.
Hand carved hand-rail stock, with superb natural age patina, also, with typical and distinctive 18th century naval sea-service flat butt plate, as to be seen on all the British {and American} sea-service Brown Bess and blunderbusses at the time.

All the metal apart from the lock is made of gun-metal bronze, a higher copper content than the more common brass barrel blunderbuss. A most rarely seen type of blunderbuss, used before and during the American Revolutionary War, possibly, even made in America itself, as it is devoid of the usual top of the barrel proof mark, as American domestic gunsmiths used no proof markings to their flintlock gun barrels. Although potentially made in America it would certainly still have been used in the Royal Navy at the time, for ships of the line were always re-stocked with provisions, and often re-armed, at their port of destination when required.
The Blunderbuss (born of the Dutch word "Donderbus", appropriately meaning "Thunder Pipe" or "Thunder Gun") came to prominence in the early part of the 18th Century (1701-1800) and was more akin to the modern day shotgun than a "long gun" musket or heavy pistol of the time. As such, she excelled in close-in fighting, be it within the confines of naval warfare or walled nature of the urban environment, where her spread of shot could inflict maximum damage to targets at close ranges. Its manageable size, coupled with its spread shot, ensured some level of accuracy for even the novice user and its appearance was rather intimidating to those unfortunate enough to be staring down the business end. As with modern firearms, the Blunderbuss also made for an excellent security-minded weapon and soon found popularity amongst all matter of operators - military, civilian and, of course, criminal parties - by the middle of the 1700s. Even George Washington championed the Blunderbuss for Continental Army "Dragoon" units of the burgeoning American military as opposed to the carbine this being nothing more than a full-featured long gun of lesser overall length, proving suitable for horse-mounted handling. In fact, the short-form version of the Blunderbuss came to be known as the "Dragon", giving rise to the term "Dragoon" for such gun-wielding cavalrymen. Dragoons went on to form specialized units of mounted infantrymen within their respective armies during the end of the 17th Century and into the middle of the 18th Century - in a way, becoming an evolutionary step of the fabled mounted knight of the Middle Ages. Their use of Dragons soon gave way to the widely-accepted carbine musket. Thus this fabulously impressive arm began to be known as the "Blunderbuss" or Thunder Gun

As with all our antique guns no license is required as they are all unrestricted antique collectables. Overall 33.5 inches long, barrell length 18 inches.  read more

Code: 23168