Antique Arms & Militaria

A Really Rare Chevasse & Co Confederate Contract Pattern 1856, 1856/8 Two Band Enfield Rifle Sword Bayonet with Yataghan Blade. American Civil War Import From Birmingham England, by Confederate Supply Contractor.

A British Victorian Export Enfield Pattern 56, bayonet pattern 1856-58, for the two band Enfield Rifle, a Yataghan blade sword bayonet, the regulation bar-on-barrel, model. The blade is 22 3/4", with Birmingham retailers name CHAVASSE(Horace Chavasse), at the ricasso/forte, with serial number and Confederate regimental stamps. And no British government inspector or ordnance marks, just as it shouldn’t.

Overall in superb condition for age.

You really don't see such rarities available in the UK market today, and precious few in the American market actually, especially one that came from the States 50 odd years ago.

We bought the entire small collection from the widow of a 'Best of British Empire and German' Rifles and Bayonets' collector, who acquired them over the past 40 years, and only ever kept the very best he could afford to keep. Act fast they are selling really fast. All are top quality and condition,19th and 20th century scarce British and German collectables are always the most desirable of all. This bayonet he bought in Louisiana in the USA, in 1970's

Horace Chavasse of Alma Street, Aston, Birmingham (1860-1868) is known for his export contract of these M1856/8 sword bayonets to the Confederate States during The US Civil War,

It has standard chequered leather grip plates, and is production three digit numbered 509, {Confederate bayonets are often recognised as bearing four digit engraved, or, three or four number stamped serial numbers, } and it also bears Confederate regimental stamp number, '10' on the pommel top, with a good working spring catch, and usual wear on the grips, the overall condition is very good,

In 1861 Chavasse & Co, produced the 1853 Enfield socket bayonet, and sword bayonets
under contract with no British government markings or stampings to link with British government indicating that all the bayonets were made for export to America for the American Civil War Confederate States. The company was used because of its manufacturing abilities and its connections and successes in sales in the foreign market, markings on bayonet rear pommel of the hilt and blade ricasso of the sword bayonet. The mark of "CHAVASSE & Co" or 'Chavasse'. Total manufactured 11,173 of the bayonets.

It also details in the records that the 1853 and 1856 Enfield pattern rifle’s socket and sword-bayonet batches, sent to American Confederate States, did not have any British government stamps or markings.
All the above details are from their company records, and the company was based at the Crocodile Works Alma Street, Ashton Newton, Birmingham, England from 1860 to 1869

Chavasse supplied his sword-bayonets and socket bayonets from early on during the Civil War, and it was through this that he became acquainted with William Joshua Grazebrook. Their partnership was formalised in early 1862, and the pair brought a large amount of military weapons to sell to the Confederacy. Their attempt at blockade running was disastrous however, as well as financially ruinous, as the ship, the ill fated Modern Greece was wrecked off of Wilmington, North Carolina in June 1862.

Although some damaged cargo was salvaged by Confederate authorities and sold at auction, Chavasse would not receive any money from the cargo, and his partner, Grazebrook, would soon declare bankruptcy in June of 1863 after the capture of the Dolphin and Nicolai I in March of that year.

Chavasse would continue legal action against Grazebrook to no avail, as the courts determined that Grazebrook was insolvent in 1865. The financial ruin brought on by his support of the Confederacy would cause Chavasse himself to declare bankruptcy in 1868. He died virtually penniless in 1917 at the age of 87.

No scabbard, as is more usual than not for surviving sword-bayonets by Chevasse  read more

Code: 26287

An Extraordinary Original Conversation Piece. A Superb, Original, Late Queen Elizabeth Ist to King James Ist Period Miniature Pistol. Late 1500's, To The Turn of The 17th Century, Functioning Miniature Pistol

A pistol made in bronze, many hundreds of years ago, to fire off for the entertainment of the nobility and their children. Dark blue-black bronze aged patination

An extraordinary little piece of rarely known history, from the earliest age of the black powder pistol. These intriguing miniature functioning pistols were called petronel, named after the original early name of matchlock and wheellock pistols, and very much of the period, from the Elizabethan to the Carolean age.

A petronel is a 16th and 17th century black powder muzzle-loading firearm, defined by Robert Barret (Theorike and Practike of Modern Warres, 1598) as a horsemans peece. It was the muzzle-loading firearm which developed on the one hand into the pistol and on the other into the carbine. The name (French petrinel or poitrinal) was given to the weapon either because it was fired with the butt resting against the chest (French poitrine, Latin pectus) or it was carried slung from a belt across the chest. Petronels are found with either matchlock or wheellock mechanisms.

The sclopus was the prototype of the petronel. The petronel is a compromise between the harquebus and the pistol. Early petronels date back to the end of the 14th century, with a crude buttstock. Generally the touch hole is on the right side, and fired by a separate slow match. Sometimes they had small hinged plate covers to protect the priming from moisture. By extension, the term petronel was also used to describe the type of light cavalry who employed the firearm. The petronel (cavalryman) was used to support the heavy cavalry such as demi-lancers and cuirassiers. The petronel was succeeded by a similarly armed cavalryman called the harquebusier.


We acquired a stunning little collection of miniature petronel, effectively toys, and they are the Zenith of original, and historical conversation pieces, especially when one considers they are around 450 year old working pistols. Naturally they were not made with the action mechanism of a full sized petronel, one just ignited them with a smouldering match cord, to create an instantaneous small bang and puff of smoke.
Please note, under no circumstances should one try to use them today. Each pistol is to be sold seperately.  read more

Code: 26288

A Simply Outstanding Norman Period Medieval Sculpture Circa 11th Century. A Biblical Portrait Bust From The Old Testament. Likely Removed From a Norman Church or Monastery In the Dissolution of the Monasteries

Up to 1000 years old or later, a carved stone ancient British corbel, weighing almost 55 pounds, from such as a Norman church, monastery or even castle. It is a fabulous carved head of a the grimacing first man, Adam, he from the Garden of Eden, as told in the Old Testament Book of Genesis. His face likely revealing his regret of his being cast out by God, with his wife Eve, to face the misery of life after leaving God’s paradise, after succumbing to the serpents temptation via Eve. No doubt an allegory of the warning of the consequence that awaits those that fail in their devotion and duty. Interestingly it is one of the great historic myths that it was an apple tree within which the serpent appeared, with his poisonous apple, but there is no mention of an apple or apple tree at all in the tale. It was simply the fruit of the forbidden tree that bore peri, which just means fruit, of no particular or defined kind. It could just have easily been a peach, or even a kumquat.

The tradition of using carved stone corbels perhaps derives from stone vaults, although their ribs normally rise from capitals on wall shafts and these are usually foliate or moulded. However, Romanesque churches had external corbels below the eaves which have their architectural origins in classical brackets (and before that, the ends of roof timbers). Although most frequently carved as human heads, they could be animals, figures or grotesques. Explaining the relative lack of external decoration of churches in comparison with their interiors, William Durandus {who died in Rome in 1296 wrote: ‘for although its outward appearance be despicable, the soul which is the seat of God is illuminated from within’. It has therefore been taken that the grotesques and gargoyles seen on church exteriors are there to defend the building (heaven) and those within it from ever-present evil by fighting the Devil with his own. While literacy increased in the Middle Ages, the great majority of people entering a church would not have been able to read (and in any case, any script was most likely to be in Latin before the 16th century). Medieval people certainly recognised many more scenes from the Bible than modern churchgoers, but there were plenty of other sources of inspiration for painted and carved decoration. Hagiographical stories were widely used to convey Christian messages of morality and duty, yet the stories that concluded in considerably less than perfection also convey the consequences of failing to abide by such positive devotions. Thus in this case Adam started as the ideal of hagiographical perfection, at least in God’s eyes, but faced the painful reality after falling from God’s grace and his expulsion from paradise.

After the Norman Invasion of 1066.
William was quick to bring in Norman nobles, administrators and clerics to run this new section of his Norman empire, and, in fact, he soon left to return to pressing business in Normandy, leaving instructions as he sailed back across the English Channel, returning only when he needed to lead his armies against rebellion.
Most notably this included the Harrying of the North in 1069-70 with the Domesday Book, written some 16 years later, still recording that many villages across the northern counties were ‘laid waste.’ Such was the shocking power and devastation of the occupying Norman force.

At the heart of these plans was Feudalism that, in essence, demanded the domination of the Anglo-Saxon population, both high born and low. But given that the invading force never numbered more than some 10,000 Normans, help would be needed to achieve the subjugation demanded by the new king.
As a result, Odo ordered, on the new king’s instructions, a massive castle building programme, using the famous Norman motte and bailey plans that were so well copied in other parts of the world soon after.
These Norman castles were quickly built by masons and engineers brought in from Normandy, who worked on individual projects up and down the country under the watchful eye of the Master Mason. In general, there would be 2 types of masons who worked under him, the hewers, who carved the stones, and the layers, who placed the stones in to the building.
All of this, of course, was paid for by draconian taxes extracted from the local population. Taxes and tax collection, after all, lay at the heart of why the Domesday Book of 1086 was commissioned and why the surveyors sent out to every English town and village were ordered to be so thorough.
But alongside this huge Norman castle building programme, a huge mirror programme of cathedral building was also put in place, with 15 new Norman masterpieces put up in the next 90 years or so. Of these, 13 still remain, with only 2 lost to us: Old St Paul’s, burnt down in the Great Fire of London in 1666, and Old Sarum, soon replaced by Salisbury Cathedral, pulled down in the reign of Richard the Lionheart.


Photos in the gallery from the Norman church of Saint Mary and Saint David in Kilpeck, Herefordshire, England. It shows one of the well-preserved carved corbels supporting the roof, depicting a hound and a hare, in a delightful style of cartoon-like simplicity. Carved during the mid 12th century AD (late Norman period) by an unknown sculptor of the "Herefordshire School". (Photo by Simon Garbutt).

Another corbel from the Norman Kilpeck Church by Andy Dolman Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
Four corbels by Ciaran Byrne

13.5 inches high, approx, 55 pounds weight

THE LANES ARMOURY, THE PREMIER HOME OF ORIGINAL AND AFFORDABLE ANCIENT ANTIQUITIES , MILITARY ARMOURY ANTIQUES & COLLECTABLES IN BRITAIN

Every single item from The Lanes Armoury, Britain's most famous, favourite, and oldest original Armoury Antique store, 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, and thus, it is a lifetime guarantee.  read more

Code: 25806

A Very Good Victorian 1881 British Army Garter Star Helmet Plate

A very good example of the helmet plate used on the Home Service and tropical sun helmets used by all the foot regiments of the British Army in the late 19th century. In excellent condition.

In 1881, the British Army standardized its headgear by rolling out the Home Service Helmet across most line infantry and corps. Also known as the Foreign Service Helmet or pith helmet, this headdress was characterized by its cork core, cloth covering, and distinctive brass or silver fittings.Key details surrounding the 1881 Home Service Helmet
The helmet was constructed of stiff cork covered with blue cloth (or sometimes green/grey for specific light infantry and rifle regiments). The fittings varied by branch and rank; officers used gilt or silver-plated insignia, while other ranks used brass.The 1881 Childers Reforms: This specific year is historically significant because the Childers Reforms amalgamated numbered regiments into localized territorial regiments. As a result, the large, star-shaped helmet plates mounted on the front of the headdresses were heavily updated to reflect the new regional and amalgamated titles.
Helmets were topped with either a fluted metal spike (for infantry) or a "ball in a leaf cup" device (for artillery, engineers, and specific service corps).
While originally intended as a universal field and dress headdress, the introduction of khaki during the 1903 uniform updates restricted this helmet to pure Full Dress. It was phased out for field operations and eventually limited to specific ceremonial duties  read more

Code: 26286

An Absolutely Stunning Napoleonic Ist Empire Mercurial Gilt Library Clock From Paris, Circa 1804, Depicting the Bust of Roman Poet Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso) As A Youth, Atop A Library Bookcase In Napoleon's Working Cabinet, in The Tuileries Palace

NOW SOLD!!
A fabulous statement centrepiece for a collector of original Napoleonic antiques and arms and armour from the 1st Empire of France

The 'working cabinet' is an early term for a working office library, hence the now well known term of the cabinet, and 'The Cabinet Office' in 10 Downing St.

This is exactly the kind of timepiece one would find in the Tuileries, and other great palaces and chateaux’s libraries and offices, of the great statesmen and marshals of France during Napoleon’s early empire period. The magnificent Palais Des Tuileries was Napoleon's Parisian palace and had been used by the kings of France since the 1500's. Sadly it was burnt to the ground in the Communard's revolt in Paris in 1871. Fortunately all its furniture and fittings were in storage at the time, and thus unharmed, it is said there were three of these library clocks made for Napoleon in the palace, each with a different bust atop the clock, one may indeed have been the same version as Ovids, but of Napoleon, and one hopes they are still safe in the storage house in Paris.

The bust of Ovid is in one of Napoleon's chosen poses, adorned with a laurel leaf gold crown of victory. Napoleon chose to have a bust made of himself in the same Julius Caeser pose with the crown of victory, in 1804, by Davide, likely the same year as this masterpiece of beauty was created. Another indication of its likely direct route to Napoleon. The concept of the depiction of Tuileries Palace library bookcases was emulated by other master clockmaker artistes at the time, thus likely the symbolic connection to education and science as the root and substance of Napoleon’s Empire. Napoleon saw himself in many ways as France’s Julius Caesar, crowning himself as Emperor of France with the power and position to create vassal kings of his newly conquered empire throughout the whole of Europe.

Napoleon Bonaparte and the Roman poet Ovid (Publius Ovidius Naso) are connected by the historical irony of their exiles. Ovid famously suffered banishment to Tomis on the Black Sea by Emperor Augustus, and this theme of exile—specifically their own downfalls—became intertwined in history.The shared connection largely revolves around the geography of their punishment and historical reflections of Elba to Tomis.

Ovid's fate is often juxtaposed against Napoleon's. In a twist of historical irony, Ovid discovered his ultimate fate in exile on the island of Elba, which later became the exact location of Napoleon’s first exile in 1814.
The "Carmen et Error":

Both men saw their lives defined by a combination of political indiscretions and fateful errors. While Augustus exiled Ovid for what the poet vaguely called a "poem and a mistake," Napoleon was permanently exiled to Saint Helena after losing his empire.

Napoleon was known to have a classical education, and scholars sometimes compare the isolation experienced by Ovid in Dacia to Napoleon’s own attempts to learn English while captive in Saint Helena.

The genius Roman poet Ovid was born in 43 BC at Sulmo, near Rome. At the age of 50 he was exiled to Tomis on the Black Sea where he died in the year 17 AD. Delacroix imagines what Ovid's exile was like in his painting Ovid among the Scythians. Ovid was banned and never ever made it back to Rome. He spent the rest of his life writing letters begging to be allowed back home, and he never was. He died nine years later in Tomis

He is chiefly famed for the 'Metamorphoses', a long verse narrative which retells ancient Greek and Roman legends, unifying them as a sequence and through the theme of the title. The poem, originally written in Latin, was translated and much admired in the Middle Ages; it subsequently provided a rich source of subject matter for artists as diverse as the Pollaiuolo brothers, Titian and Poussin.

Other well-known poems by him include the 'Fasti', which describes the rites of the pagan Roman calendar, and the 'Ars Amatoria' (the 'Art of Love').

A popular quote from Ovid’s Heroides anticipates Machiavelli's "the end justifies the means". Ovid had written "Exitus acta probat" – the result justifies the means.

A tangible connection to the artistic and political ideals of early 19th-century France.
Timeless Aesthetic, These clocks complement both traditional and modern interiors with ease.
With their artistic merit and historical relevance, Empire clocks such as this are the epitome of style and taste.

French Empire mantel clocks reflect the ideals of the time through their stately architectural forms, rich ornamentation, and use of precious materials. Symmetry, grandeur, and the radiant sheen of mercury-gilded bronze (ormolu) define the style. These clocks were designed as centrepieces for refined interiors, admired not only for their precision but for their narrative power and sculptural finesse.

Technically advanced, the movements were often produced by master clockmakers such as Bazile-Charles Le Roy, Louis Moinet, Louis Berthoud and Jean-Simon Bourdier, while master bronziers like Claude Galle, Pierre-Philippe Thomire, André-Antoine Ravrio, Pierre-Victor Ledure and Jean-André Reiche.

Following Napoleon’s proclamation as Emperor of the French, France entered a new cultural era known as the Empire period (1804–1815). This epoch marked a flourishing of the decorative arts, culminating in what we now recognise as the Empire style. Closely associated with Napoleon himself, this aesthetic drew heavily upon the classical world, particularly Greco-Roman architecture, sculpture, and mythology.
Probably, this timepiece was created by master clockmaker Thomire, Pierre-Philippe (1751-1843)

Mercurial gilding or fuming was already used in antiquity, treats the bronze design with 'gold amalgam' - gold powder dissolved in mercury under heating. The mercury is then driven off with a flame. The gold forms a compound (alloy) with the bronze. This process was then repeated several times to obtain a gold layer of sufficient thickness.
The poisonous mercury fumes released during fire gilding were particularly unhealthy, which is why the technique was banned around 1830.

The applied gold layer is thick but contains pores, which gives a matt appearance. The pores can be rubbed closed so that a high-gloss surface is created. This technique is called bruncheren. The alternation of high-gloss and matt parts is a characteristic of fire-gilded objects.

Mercurial or Fire-gilded clocks like this were only owned by the richest and most important citizens at the time, as a result of the artistry of various master craftsmen.
During the Ancien Régime (the period before the French Revolution), reading books was mainly aimed at acquiring knowledge.

In the gallery are two original pictures of Napoleon, both of him in his working cabinet in Le Palais des Tuileries

8 day silk suspension movement striking on a bell  read more

Code: 26285

A Stunning Antique Rock Quartz Crystal 'Witch' or 'Scrying' Ball. Containing Internal Veils, Wisps, and Tiny Fissures & Areas Of Incredible Clarity.. A Most Intriguing Classic Antique Collector's Item Of The Esoteric Mystical Arts and Occultism

Superbly polished with perfect surface. On a composition gilt stand. Showing incredible optical views and imagery. Incredibly it is like staring into our galaxy, the Milky Way itself yet with a notational movement of a mere fraction, it is interspersed with rainbows

A late 18th-century rock quartz crystal ball is a remarkably rare historical artifact. Authentic pieces from this era are highly prized for their clarity and historical significance, often linked to the Victorian revival of scrying or early, natural specimens cut from deep-earth quartz. Genuine antique crystal balls were painstakingly crafted by cutting large chunks of natural quartz rock—such as those historically mined in Burma or Brazil—against the grain using abrasive sand and water, before being laboriously hand-polished. Genuine late-1700s natural quartz spheres almost always contain internal veils, wisps, and tiny fissures.

In ancient times, quartz was fashioned into beads or used to make talismans. It was used by the inhabitants of Mesopotamia roughly 7000 years BC and, more recently, by the ancient Greek, Roman and Egyptian civilizations who followed. There was a belief that quartz was actually composed of super-cooled ice which had hardened, given its clear, transparent appearance.

Quartz was an important crystal to the Gaels, the ancient tribes which became the Irish. In the Irish language, quartz is known as ‘Grianchloch’ (sunstone) and was used extensively across Europe for passage tombs, such as the famous prehistoric monument at Newgrange or Carrowmore, Ireland. The outer wall at Newgrange is covered with a finishing layer of white quartz.

Unlike the typical crystal ball used by a magician or fortune teller, the largest crystal ball weighs 106.75 pounds, is 12.9 inches in diameter, and is 242,323 carats. It is the largest flawless quartz sphere in the world. The quartz was cut and polished in China sometime between 1923 and 1924 before arriving at the Smithsonian in 1930. Because of its spherical shape, the crystal ball makes the room appear upside-down.

It is on display in the Hall of Geology, Gems, and Minerals at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History.

Rock crystal spheres of this large size are rare. The largest, at around 32.8 cm., is now in the collection of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC. The Smithsonian sphere was reportedly fashioned by Chinese lapidaries in Shanghai between 1920-1924, from a half-ton block of Burmese rock crystal. The second largest sphere is believed to be one in the collection of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology (accession no. C681A) measuring 25.4 cm. in diameter. It is said to have been made for the Empress Dowager Cixi (1836-1908) and was one of her prized posessions. Another slightly larger sphere, balanced on a wave stand very similar to the present stand, is in the collection of the Philadelphia Art Museum (accession no. 1944-20-2a,b).

The current sphere, like those above, was made entirely by hand in a laborious process. The final hand polishing, using finely powdered iron oxide, gave these spheres a luster rarely achieved using modern gem-polishing machinery.
Rock crystal carvings have long been prized by the Chinese, warranting a dedicated discussion chapter in collecting guides, such as the late Ming aesthete Zhang Yingwen's Pure and Arcane Collecting. Rock crystal symbolizes purity and perfection, while the sphere represents completeness and the infinity of space.

Antique carved Rock Crystal Quartz Witch's 'crystal ball', also known as a scrying ball, the crystal ball was 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. A fascinating treasure - of great artistic quality

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.

The history of the crystal ball as a device can be traced as far back as to the Medieval Period in central Europe (between 500 – 1500 AD) and in Scandinavia (1050 – 1500 AD). The very ancient art of using reflective surfaces in divination is called scrying and is almost as old as man himself. Queen Elizabeth I consulted Dr John Dee, philosopher, mathematician and alchemist for advice in government and a smoky quartz ball that belonged to Dee is now in the British Museum. Any antique crystal spheres are very desirable especially if a well-known reader has used them. This is the best one we have ever seen quite simply and it must have belonged to someone who took their craft incredibly seriously as it would have been tremendously expensive to make at the time.

Occultism, a group of esoteric religious traditions emerging primarily from 19th-century Europe. In particular, the term occultism is associated with the ideas of the French Kabbalist and ceremonial magician Éliphas Lévi as well as the various figures, both in France and abroad, who were strongly influenced by his writings. In the academic study of esotericism, the term is often used in a broader sense to characterize all esoteric traditions that have adapted to an increasingly secular, globalized, and scientific world, including Spiritualism, Spiritism, Wicca, and the New Age milieu.
History
The term occultism derives from occult, itself adopted from the Latin word occultus, meaning “hidden” or “secret.” In medieval and early modern Europe this term had been used in reference to “occult properties,” or forces that, even if invisible to the human eye, were believed to exist within material objects. In the 16th century the term occult gained additional meanings, coming to also describe specific traditions of thought, usually called “occult sciences” or “occult philosophies.” Among the traditions repeatedly labeled under these terms were alchemy, astrology, and magia naturalis (“natural magic”), all of which are now typically regarded as forms of esotericism.
The earliest known use of the term occultism comes from French, where l’occultisme appears in Jean-Baptiste Richard’s 1842 work Enrichissement de la langue française (“Enrichment of the French Language”). The word’s popularization nevertheless results largely from its use by Alphonse Louis Constant, a French author who published a series of books under the pseudonym Éliphas Lévi in the 1850s and ’60s. Sometimes referred to as the “founder of occultism,” Lévi was a committed Roman Catholic and socialist interested in many older esoteric traditions, including ceremonial magic, Kabbalah, and the use of the tarot. In his writings, most notably his highly influential Dogme et rituel de la haute magie (The Doctrine and Ritual of High Magic; 1854–1856), he wrote about a purported ancient and universal tradition of spiritual wisdom, the knowledge of which could help bridge the modern divide between science and religion. During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many of the influential French figures who were inspired by Lévi—including Stanislas de Guaita, Joséphin Péladan, and Papus—also went on to describe their beliefs and practices as occultisme.
Scrying, also referred to as "seeing" or "peeping," is a practice rooted in divination and fortune-telling. It involves gazing into a medium, hoping to receive significant messages or visions that could offer personal guidance, prophecy, revelation, or inspiration

Scrying has been practiced in many cultures in the belief that it can reveal the past, present, or future. Some practitioners assert that visions that come when one stares into the media are from the subconscious or imagination, while others say that they come from gods, spirits, devils, or the psychic mind, depending on the culture and practice. There is neither any systematic body of empirical support for any such views in general however, nor for their respective rival merits; individual preferences in such matters are arbitrary

Undoubtedly, Nostradamus is the most recognized of scryers. In the sixteenth century, in ancient France, he was an astrologer and physician. He wrote in poetic quatrains which referenced future events. In his day, working as a magician conflicted with the law. His predictions were veiled to allow him to fly under the radar in that sense.

The Crystal Ball is a painting by John William Waterhouse completed in 1902. Waterhouse displayed both it and The Missal in the Royal Academy of 1902. The painting shows the influence of the Italian Renaissance with vertical and horizontal lines, along with circles "rather than the pointed arches of the Gothic".

Another painting in the gallery. Part of a private collection, the painting, by Pieter Claesz circa 1628, Still Life with Crystal Ball which depicts a crystal ball, a wand, a book of ceremonial magic, and a woman "weaving a spell", has been restored to show the skull which had been covered by a previous owner.

Yet another painting is Leonardo da Vinci's 'Salvator Mundi' Circa 1500, of Jesus Christ bearing a crystal ball in his left hand.


5 1/2 inches, 140mm  read more

Code: 26284

1796 Pat. Foot Artillery Officer's Sword of Capt. Andrew {Andreas} Cleeves of the Kings German Legion at Waterloo & Previously at the Peninsular War in 1809. The KGL Were Stationed Near La Haye Sainte, & Supported the Right of the Line Near Hougemont

The sword is in beautiful condition with much original mercurial gilt remaining, and silver wire bound grip. Twin shell guards, with one folding down action in order the wear against the uniform. Straight blade, with just traces of old engraving overall traces of russetting polish beautifully bright, with urn shaped pommel hilt. Leather and brass mounted scabbard, with twin ring mounts and a frog mount button We acquired this superb historic sword with a 3 pounder cannon ball recovered by Captain Cleeve at Waterloo after it was fired by his battery at the French.

The King’s German Legion (KGL) Artillery was a highly elite, veteran contingent within Wellington’s army at Waterloo. They were organized into two horse artillery troops and one foot artillery battery, fielding a total of about 543 men, and primarily utilized standard British 9-pounder cannons and 5.5-inch howitzers, and with 3 pounders.
The KGL Artillery units played pivotal roles in holding the centre and right flank of the Allied line:
1st Horse Artillery (Captain Augustus Sympher): Stationed near the critical crossroads of La Haye Sainte, this battery engaged in heavy counter-battery fire and helped repel aggressive French cavalry charges.
2nd Horse Artillery (Captain Heinrich Jakob Kuhlmann): Placed with the Allied reserve, this unit moved into the frontline as casualties mounted, delivering devastating canister fire to break French infantry columns.
2nd Foot Artillery (Captain Andreas Cleeves): Supported the right of the Allied line near Hougoumont, maintaining continuous artillery fire against French artillery and infantry throughout the day.
The KGL artillerymen served with incredible distinction; their exceptional resilience resulted in approximately 130 casualties. For their bravery during the battle, Majors Kuhlmann, Sympher, and von Arentsschildt were knighted into the Order of the Bath.

The 4th Foot Battery saw action at Copenhagen and throughout the Peninsular War distinguishing themselves at Oporto, Talavera, Busaco, Albuera, Ciudad Rodrigo, Salamanca, Vittoria and Orthes. Then, final glorious action occurring at Quatre Bras and culminating in the battle of Waterloo, holding position behind La Haye Sainte in the centre-right of the Allied line on Mont St. Jean ridge. The regiment was commanded by Colonel Christian von Ompteda. Second-in-command was initially Major von Linsingen who was later succeeded by Majors Röttiger then Hartmann. The 4th foot battery was commanded initially by Captain Heise, then Sympher and finally, Capt. Cleeves at the Battle of Waterloo.

Normal more usual ordinance for this battery in the latter stages of the war were six nine-pounder guns and two 5.5-inch Howitzers. The 3 pounders were light artillery bronze cannon, known affectionately as British "Grasshopper" Guns: Famously used by the British Army as light field guns, these highly mobile 3-pounders were designed to be dragged by infantry or horses through rough terrain. Their lightweight split-trail mounts and propensity to jump backward upon firing earned them the nickname "grasshopper"

Prior to Waterloo Capt. Cleeves was in the Peninsular Campaign
Campaign of 1809
Under the Immediate Command of Beresford
Three Portuguese batteries under the command of Major Victor von Arentschild, of the King's German Legion, with guns of 6 pounders, a light battery with of 3 pounders.
A
The Napoleonic Wars combat-dress sword, used by him in service in the KGL, of Capt. Cleeve, that he carried from around 1808 to the mid 1820's, {after the KGL was disbanded in 1816}. He died in the North of England in 1830

Hilt bears his monogram and KGL stamp,

Photo in the gallery of a similar, and same period 3 pounder bronze cannon, used at The Battle at Seringapatam by the Tiger of Mysore, Tipu Sultan. That cannon, sold for 1.4 million pounds at auction in 2015
Very small contemporary leather slit repair to the scabbard  read more

Code: 26280

Battle Of Waterloo Recovered Near The Crossroads of La Haye Sainte, 3 Pounder Cannon Ball Used By The Kings German Legion at Waterloo Commanded by Cpt Andrew {Andreas} Cleeves. And Kept By Him after The Battle

The 3-pounder cannon were cast for the KGL at the Royal Woolwich Brass Foundry, by I.H. King. Master General of the Ordnance, 1806-1807. Mounted on a field carriage for battle, together with a limber and other accoutrement

The Royal Armouries at the Tower of London, holds two 3 pounder guns see H.L. Blackmore’s book “The Armouries of the Tower of London” page 84. Original documents from 1807 located at The National Archives, London, and, listed in the Order Book from The Board of Ordnance to the Royal Woolwich Brass Foundry, that show that the cannon were commissioned, {and they were subsequently present at the Battle of Waterloo} as per entry 11th June 1807, for the King’s German Legion – Hanoverian Regiment –
They were using their 3- pounders at the Battle of Waterloo, under Capt Andreas {Andrew} Cleeves} KGL, but prior to that, in 1809, with Capt Cleeves KGL in the Peninsular.

We also have his {Captain Andreas Clevees'} sword. For sale seperately.

The King’s German Legion (KGL) Artillery was a highly elite, veteran contingent within Wellington’s army at Waterloo. They were organized into two horse artillery troops and one foot artillery battery, fielding a total of about 543 men, and primarily utilized standard British 9-pounder cannons and 5.5-inch howitzers.The KGL Artillery units played pivotal roles in holding the center and right flank of the Allied line:1st Horse Artillery (Captain Augustus Sympher): Stationed near the critical crossroads of La Haye Sainte, this battery engaged in heavy counter-battery fire and helped repel aggressive French cavalry charges.2nd Horse Artillery (Captain Heinrich Jakob Kuhlmann): Placed with the Allied reserve, this unit moved into the frontline as casualties mounted, delivering devastating canister fire to break French infantry columns.2nd Foot Artillery (Captain Andreas Cleeves): Supported the right of the Allied line near Hougoumont, maintaining continuous artillery fire against French artillery and infantry throughout the day.The KGL artillerymen served with incredible distinction; their exceptional resilience resulted in approximately 130 casualties. For their bravery during the battle, Majors Kuhlmann, Sympher, and von Arentsschildt were knighted into the Order of the Bath.

The 4th Foot Battery saw action at Copenhagen and throughout the Peninsular War distinguishing themselves at Oporto, Talavera, Busaco, Albuera, Ciudad Rodrigo, Salamanca, Vittoria and Orthes. Then, final glorious action occurring at Quatre Bras and culminating in the battle of Waterloo, holding position behind La Haye Sainte in the centre-right of the Allied line on Mont St. Jean ridge. The regiment was commanded by Colonel Christian von Ompteda. Second-in-command was initially Major von Linsingen who was later succeeded by Majors Röttiger then Hartmann. The 4th foot battery was commanded initially by Captain Heise, then Sympher and finally Cleeve at the battle of Waterloo.

Normal more usual ordinance for this battery in the latter stages of the war were six nine-pounder guns and two 5.5-inch Howitzers. The 3 pounders were light artillery bronze cannon, known affectionately as British "Grasshopper" Guns: Famously used by the British Army as light field guns, these highly mobile 3-pounders were designed to be dragged by infantry or horses through rough terrain. Their lightweight split-trail mounts and propensity to jump backward upon firing earned them the nickname "grasshopper"

Recovered from the battle site by Capt. Cleeves  read more

Code: 26279

A Fabulous, Rare Early 19th Cent. British Explosive 10" Mortar Bomb From the War of 1812 In America. Likely, Fomerly Part of The Armament of HMS Terror, During The Bombardment of Fort McHenry in Baltimore. The Battle Site of “The Star Spangled Banner”

One of four exceptionally rare 10" Royal Naval mortar balls we are delighted to have acquired from our private historical Royal Naval collector in Plymouth, the same city where Admiral Cochrane, fleet commander at the attack on Fort McHenry, became Commander-in-Chief of the naval base in Plymouth, England, after the war of 1812.

They were apparently unloaded from ships of the line from Admiral Cochrane's returning fleet, with Commander John Sheridan of HMS Terror, supposedly in Plymouth, during the war of 1812 and the 90 pound bronze mortars were removed from his fleet. They are all in a very good state of preservation but with differing amounts of surface russetting. It is said the Admiral and his crew loathed and feared these particular huge mortars due to their likely hood of miss-fire. The 90 pounder shell had to be first primed, and then lit, before it entered the muzzle of the bronze cannon, that had previously been loaded with pounds of gunpowder, the cannon mortar was then lit and fired which thus ejected, with a massive force explosion, the explosive ball high into the sky to the centre of the enemy's ranks. However, the shell might have accidentally exploded while it was being manouvered, it might also have ignited the powder within the breech of the cannon, or, the fizzing mortar might have not have been ejected at all due to a cannon miss-fire. Any one of these horrifying events would be catastrophic, and the resulting explosion would be of of such magnitude it would likely have killed most on board, and probably sunk the vessel entirely with all hands. This a series of events that any ships captain or admiral would not consider to be entirely advantageous

The previous two 10” mortar bombs, that we had two years ago, were the very first we had had in 50 years. The first of those two we sold to an esteemed private museum in Florida USA, the other to an American private collector

We are not expecting ever to see any more of their like again. It would make a fabulous and impressive historical display piece of significant and particular Royal Naval and early American history interest

These 10" mortars explosive balls were fired by the 10" mortars used by Admiral Cochrane's fleet {with Commander John Sheridan aboard HMS Terror} against Fort McHenry, Baltimore Harbour, September 12–14, 1814, and the resulting 10" mortar bomb shell's mid air explosions, against the backdrop of the US flag flying at Fort McHenry, Baltimore Harbour, inspired the patriotic anthem, the
"Star Spangled Banner".

It was the sight of these very 10" mortar bombshells, that originally weighed around 90 pounds each, including powder therein, that when they exploded over Fort McHenry in Harbour, it inspired Francis Scott Key to write his poem that became the US anthem.
Naturally, this is a perfectly intact surviving example, and one of the 10" mortar shells that either wasn't fired, or, failed to explode.

With Washington in ruins, the British next set their sights on Baltimore, then America’s third-largest city. Moving up the Chesapeake Bay to the mouth of the Patapsco River, they plotted a joint attack on Baltimore by land and water. On the morning of September 12, General Ross’s troops landed at North Point, Maryland, and progressed towards the city. They soon encountered the American forward line, part of an extensive network of defences established around Baltimore in anticipation of the British assault. During the skirmish with American troops, General Ross, so successful in the attack on Washington, was killed by a sharpshooter. Surprised by the strength of the American defences, British forces camped on the battlefield and waited for nightfall on September 13, 1814, planning to attempt another attack under cover of darkness.

Meanwhile, Britain’s naval force, buoyed by its earlier successful attack on Alexandria, Virginia, was poised to strike Fort McHenry and enter Baltimore Harbour. At 6:30 AM on September 13, 1814, Admiral Cochrane’s ships began a 25-hour bombardment of the fort. Rockets whistled through the air and burst into flame wherever they struck. Mortars fired 10- and 13-inch bombshells that exploded overhead in showers of fiery shrapnel. It is said many exploded too soon as the fuses were set too short, which created the firework effect. Major Armistead, commander of Fort McHenry and its defending force of one thousand troops, ordered his men to return fire, but their guns couldn’t reach the enemy’s ships. When British ships advanced on the afternoon of the 13th, however, American gunners badly damaged them, forcing them to pull back out of range. All through the night, Armistead’s men continued to hold the fort, refusing to surrender. That night British attempts at a diversionary attack also failed, and by dawn they had given up hope of taking the city. At 7:30 on the morning of September 14, Admiral Cochrane called an end to the bombardment, and the British fleet withdrew. The successful defense of Baltimore marked a turning point in the War of 1812. Three months later, on December 24, 1814, the Treaty of Ghent formally ended the war. "The Star-Spangled Banner" is the national anthem of the United States. The lyrics come from the "Defence of Fort M'Henry", a poem written on September 14, 1814, by 35-year-old lawyer and amateur poet Francis Scott Key after witnessing the bombardment of Fort McHenry by British ships of the Royal Navy in Baltimore Harbour during the Battle of Baltimore in the War of 1812. Key was inspired by the large U.S. flag, with 15 stars and 15 stripes, known as the Star-Spangled Banner, flying triumphantly above the fort during the U.S. victory. During the bombardment, HMS Terror and HMS Meteor provided some of the "bombs bursting in air".

The 15-star, 15-stripe "Star-Spangled Banner" that inspired the poem
Key was inspired by the U.S. victory and the sight of the large U.S. flag flying triumphantly above the fort. This flag, with fifteen stars and fifteen stripes, had been made by Mary Young Pickersgill together with other workers in her home on Baltimore's Pratt Street. The flag later came to be known as the Star-Spangled Banner, and is today on display in the National Museum of American History, a treasure of the Smithsonian Institution. It was restored in 1914 by Amelia Fowler, and again in 1998 as part of an ongoing conservation program. Pictures in the gallery of the siege from contemporary paintings and engravings, a commemorative stamp issued in 2014, and an original War of 1812 bronze British mortar now kept at Yorktown Visitor Centre, and a photo of the flag in the National Museum of American History, 1989. The original flag that was illuminated by these very 10" mortar shells.

Sir Alexander Cochrane was born into a Scottish aristocratic family as a younger son, and like many in this position made a career out of military service. Cochrane joined the Royal Navy as a boy and fought in the American Revolution. Following this war he rose quickly in the Napoleonic Wars, earning renown in the Battle of San Domingo and the Conquest of Martinique in 1809.

By the beginning of the War of 1812, Cochrane was a well-seasoned and high-ranking officer. As a vice admiral, he was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the new North American naval station in Bermuda. He devised a clever plan to weaken the American defenses and turn America’s slaves against the country by inviting any American – slave or free – to join the British Navy. Many slaves took this offer, escaping to British lines for military service in exchange for their freedom.

By the summer of 1814, Cochrane had returned to the waters of the United States, overseeing the raids of the Chesapeake. Lieutenant General Sir George Prevost, governor of Upper Canada, suggested launching an invasion somewhere in the United States in retaliation against the sack of York and to weaken the American forces, relieving pressure on Canada. Cochrane landed the ground troops to invade Washington, and presided over the bombardment of Fort McHenry in the Battle of Baltimore.

After only moderate success in the Chesapeake, Cochrane wanted to push toward New Orleans in order to cement the British position in the United States. He orchestrated an amphibious attack on the city via Lake Borgne, an inlet of the Gulf of Mexico that could bring troops close to the city.

Although Cochrane was successful in the Battle of Lake Borgne, allowing the British Army to advance toward New Orleans, the disastrous defeat at the Battle of New Orleans damaged his reputation. The influential Napoleonic War hero the Duke of Wellington in particular blamed Cochrane of the death of his brother-in-law, Sir Edward Michael Pakenham, the British general overseeing land troops at the Battle of New Orleans.

However, despite the criticisms and ultimate failure to get a foothold in the United States, Cochrane was promoted to admiral after the war, and served out the rest of his military career as Commander-in-Chief of the naval base in Plymouth, England.

The fictional nautical adventures of Captain Horatio Hornblower were supposedly based on Cochrane’s notable maritime achievements.

HMS Terror had a most remarkable later history, alongside HMS Erebus
Franklin's lost expedition was a failed British voyage of Arctic exploration led by Captain Sir John Franklin that departed England in 1845 aboard two ships, HMS Erebus and HMS Terror, and was assigned to traverse the last un-navigated sections of the Northwest Passage in the Canadian Arctic and to record magnetic data to help determine whether a better understanding could aid navigation.The expedition met with disaster after both ships and their crews, a total of 129 officers and men, became icebound in Victoria Strait near King William Island in what is today the Canadian territory of Nunavut. After being icebound for more than a year, Erebus and Terror were abandoned in April 1848, by which point two dozen men, including Franklin, had died. The survivors, now led by Franklin's second-in-command, Francis Crozier, and Erebus's captain, James Fitzjames, set out for the Canadian mainland and disappeared, presumably having perished

The mortar is empty, inert and completely safe.

The mortar is empty, inert and completely safe. Seated on an old iron ring for the photograph, not included with the mortar  read more

Code: 25058

A French Four Pounder Cannon Ball Fired at Waterloo Recovered at La Haye Sainte, the Battle of Waterloo. Approx 3 inches Diameter

The surface is very russetted by is nicely preserved overall, and it is a fabulous, historical, conversation piece.

Recovered alongside some relic items of combat, soldiers thimbles plus another cannon balls etc. discovered around La Haye Sainte (named either after Jesus Christ's crown of thorns or a bramble hedge round a field nearby).

It 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.

By 1812 the French had cannon operating on several organizational levels. Most infantry regiments had their own guns, each division would likely have a battery or two of artillery, and on top of that there would be several batteries in the reserve artillery of each Corps. It can get a bit confusing, so I decided to organize what I have and also plan ahead to make sure that I don't make too many mistakes when buying these impressive pieces.
Regimental Guns
Napoleon experimented with regimental guns already in 1809. To bolster both the impact and morale of his regiments he sprinkled out light cannon to give them some extra local firepower. This unfortunately had tactical disadvantages, since the guns could hinder the troops both when moving on the battlefield and during marches.

These were mostly smaller guns, by now completely outmatched in regular batteries. The regular infantry in 1812 were, according to research, largely equipped with 3-pounder cannon captured from Austria's impressive record of military misfortune. As far as I know these cannon came with or without a strange kind of fork-like attachment at the front.

The 9lb British “Blomfield” cannon used at the Battle of Waterloo. The heaviest type of artillery used by the British Army at Waterloo, {apart from the howitzers} it fired a solid cannonball weighing around nine pounds (about four kilos). Cannons were a vital part of warfare at the time of Waterloo, with the ability to rip through massed ranks of troops and inflict terrible casualties.

In 1780 Captain Thomas Blomfield RA was appointed Inspector of Artillery and Superintendent of the Royal Brass Foundry. Three years later he was given responsibility for re-organising the Ordnance Department. At the same time he was experimenting with new forms of ordnance. The resultant Blomfield guns had thicker breeches, thinner chases and a cascabel ring to control recoil, making them stronger without increasing their weight.

The Blomfield 9-pounder cannon, fired a round shot ball around 4 inches in diameter, was introduced to the Royal Artillery (RA) in 1805 as a response to the heavier French calibre guns. At Waterloo Wellington had 157 pieces but only 60 were 9-pdrs, in 12 batteries. The remaining 13 batteries had 6-pdrs and howitzers. Interestingly, the Dutch-Belgian and Brunswick Artillery, who fought alongside the British at Waterloo, used French cannons (known as An. XI Ordnance). Wellington employed his Royal Horse Artillery very effectively during the battle as a mobile reserve to plug holes in his line. For example, with Hougoumont under attack, Major Bull’s troop was brought forward in support from its original position towards the rear of the allied position.

The allied artillery faced 246 pieces in 34 French batteries. As was his usual tactic, Napoleon started the battle with a heavy artillery bombardment on the Allied line to soften up the enemy.

Cannons on both sides used round-shot of six nine or twelve pounds but the French also had four pounders, as is this ball. They were all lethal against columns of infantry, knocking down several men at once for as long as the ball continued to travel. Case shot or canister (tin coated iron cans) packed with smaller iron balls was devastating at close range. Only the British used spherical case (Shrapnel) where a shell was filled with small iron balls. A specially cut wooden fuse detonated a bursting charge.

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: 26165