An Absolutely Perfect Discerning Collectors Piece, by Charles Dickens. A Fabulous 3 Volume Charles Dickens Ist Edition, The Old Curiosity Shop & Barnaby Rudge, In, Master Humphrey's Clock. London: Chapman and Hall, 1840-41,

Alongside A Christmas Carol, the Old Curiosity Shop ranks as a true iconic tale of Victorian England, and ideal for the Christmas season.

Could one imagine anything better than settling down to read, or better still, to be read to, over a few cosy candle lit nights, a succession of Dicken’s short stories. These are the very first, original volumes, that were read at the very same time, in the very same same way, but some two centuries ago in Victorian England, and likely, dozens of times subsequently since by their various, most fortunate owners.

First edition of this collection of short stories. Large octavo, 3 volumes bound in red half morocco over marbled boards with gilt tooling to the spine in five compartments within raised gilt bands, morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers, engraved frontispiece to each volume, illustrated by George Cattermole and Hablot Browne. In very good condition.

Master Humphrey's Clock was a weekly serial that contained both short stories and two novels (The Old Curiosity Shop and Barnaby Rudge). Some of the short stories act as frame stories to the novels so the ordering of publication is important. Although Dickens' original artistic intent was to keep the short stories and the novels together, he himself cancelled Master Humphrey's Clock before 1848, and described in a preface to The Old Curiosity Shop that he wished the story to not be tied down to the miscellany it began within. Most later anthologies published the short stories and the novels separately. However, the short stories and the novels were published in 1840 in three bound volumes under the title Master Humphrey's Clock, which retains the full and correct ordering of texts as they originally appeared.

First edition in book form of what Gordon Ray describes as "the pinnacle of Dickensian Gothic". He goes on to note that Phiz (H. K. Browne) "is in excellent form" and that George Cattermole's "wonderful clutter of antiquarian or architectural detail is well suited to Dickens's chosen subjects".

Master Humphrey was a publishing experiment on Dickens's part, unique in his canon, of issuing two novels together: The Old Curiosity Shop and Barnaby Rudge.

3 volumes, large octavo (256 x 173 mm). Contemporary red half morocco, marbled sides ruled in gilt, spines lettered, ruled, and tooled in gilt, marbled endpapers, top edges gilt, green silk bookmarkers.

Printed frontispieces and 194 woodcut illustrations, of which 154 are by Browne, 19 by Cattermole, and 1 by Daniel Maclise.

Covers rubbed, slight rubbing and wear to extremities, vol. I front joint split at foot but remains firm, light foxing to margins, small marks to a few pages, generally bright. A superb set.

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Eckel, p. 67 ff; Ray, The Illustrator and the Book in England from 1790 to 1914, 60; Smith I, 6.  read more

Code: 24092

A Fabulous Victorian Set of 24 of Charles Dickens Works, Superbly Bound In 17 Volumes By Chapman And Hall. The Ideal Christmas Present!

If you wanted a stunning set to enjoy or as an heirloom for future generations you would likely never see a better set of this type. Very good condition indeed, 17 beautiful volumes octavo, finest calf leather with marbled boards, five raised bands across each spine, with titles, in gilt on red leather with green leather title labels, and gilt decoratio. Marbled edges, with marbled end papers original illustrations, all contents clean and bright and bindings firm.
Charles Dickens
TWENTY-FOUR Works in Seventeen Volumes
COMPLETE
Sketches by Boz.

The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club.

The Adventures of Oliver Twist & A Tale of Two Cities.

The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.

The Old Curiosity Shop.

Barnaby Rudge.

The Life and Adventures of Martin Chuzzlewit.

Christmas Books & Hard Times. Including A Christmas Carol

Dombey and Son.

The Personal History of David Copperfield.

Bleak House.

Little Dorrit.

Great Expectations & The Uncommercial Traveller.

Our Mutual Friend.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood & Reprinted Pieces.

American Notes for General Circulation & Pictures from Italy & A Child's History of England.

Christmas Stories & Master Humphrey's Clock.  read more

Code: 25195

A Perfect, Very Special Christmas Gift or Personal Choice. The Collected Ghost Stories of M. R. James Published in 1931, Printed in 1949 Edward Arnold & Co London

Every year around this time we try our best to find a super original early post war edition of probably the very finest book of ingenious yet disturbing ghost stories ever written.
This year we have managed once more.

Montague Rhodes James, who used the publication name M.R. James, was a noted British mediaeval scholar & provost of King's College, Cambridge (1905–18) & of Eton College (1918–36). He's best remembered for his ghost stories which are widely regarded as among the finest in English literature. One of James' most important achievements was to redefine the ghost story for the new century by dispensing with many of the formal Gothic trappings of his predecessors, replacing them with more realistic contemporary settings.
the stories contained are;
"Canon Alberic's Scrap-Book"
"Lost Hearts"
"The Mezzotint"
"The Ash Tree"
"Number 13"
"Count Magnus"
"'Oh, Whistle, and I'll Come to You, My Lad'"
"The Treasure of Abbot Thomas"
"A School Story"
"The Rose Garden"
"The Tractate Middoth"
"Casting the Runes"
"The Stalls of Barchester Cathedral"
"Martin's Close"
"Mr Humphreys and His Inheritance"
"The Residence at Whitminster"
"The Diary of Mr Poynter"
"An Episode of Cathedral History"
"The Story of a Disappearance and an Appearance"
"Two Doctors"
"The Haunted Dolls' House"
"The Uncommon Prayer-Book"
"A Neighbour's Landmark"
"A View from a Hill"
"A Warning to the Curious"
"An Evening's Entertainment"
"Wailing Well"
"There Was a Man Dwelt by a Churchyard"
"Rats"
"After Dark in the Playing Fields"
plus " Stories i have tried to write"

According to James, the story must "put the reader into the position of saying to himself, 'If I'm not very careful, something of this kind may happen to me!'" He also perfected the technique of narrating supernatural events through implication and suggestion, letting his reader fill in the blanks, and focusing on the mundane details of his settings and characters in order to throw the horrific and bizarre elements into greater relief. He summed up his approach in his foreword to the anthology Ghosts and Marvels: "Two ingredients most valuable in the concocting of a ghost story are, to me, the atmosphere and the nicely managed crescendo. ... Let us, then, be introduced to the actors in a placid way; let us see them going about their ordinary business, undisturbed by forebodings, pleased with their surroundings; and into this calm environment let the ominous thing put out its head, unobtrusively at first, and then more insistently, until it holds the stage."

He also noted: "Another requisite, in my opinion, is that the ghost should be malevolent or odious: amiable and helpful apparitions are all very well in fairy tales or in local legends, but I have no use for them in a fictitious ghost story."

Despite his suggestion (in the essay "Stories I Have Tried to Write") that writers employ reticence in their work, many of James's tales depict scenes and images of savage and often disturbing violence. For example, in "Lost Hearts", pubescent children are taken in by a sinister dabbler in the occult who cuts their hearts from their still-living bodies. In a 1929 essay, James stated:

Reticence may be an elderly doctrine to preach, yet from the artistic point of view, I am sure it is a sound one. Reticence conduces to effect, blatancy ruins it, and there is much blatancy in a lot of recent stories. They drag in sex too, which is a fatal mistake; sex is tiresome enough in the novels; in a ghost story, or as the backbone of a ghost story, I have no patience with it. At the same time don't let us be mild and drab. Malevolence and terror, the glare of evil faces, 'the stony grin of unearthly malice', pursuing forms in darkness, and 'long-drawn, distant screams', are all in place, and so is a modicum of blood, shed with deliberation and carefully husbanded; the weltering and wallowing that I too often encounter merely recall the methods of M G Lewis.
The condition overall is good with commensurate wear for age, with its original paper slip cover, although the original slip cover does have a tear and a small section over the spine lacking. It bears the original 1949 owners name on the inner blank page.  read more

Code: 23812

After Waterloo By Frye Beautiful Leather and Gold Tooled Volume Published 1908

beautiful leather binding with gold tooling. bearing the ex libris label with family crest of its owner Cecil E Byas, reknown collector who died in 1938, and part of his collection was bequethed to the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.
Printed on handmade paper. The account by British Army major W E Frye of his travels around Europe in the aftermath of the Battle of Waterloo. As well as giving his opinions on the various European towns and cities he passes through, he vividly describes European culture in the early 19th Century, with detailed accounts of the Theatre, Opera and the Arts in France, Italy & Switzerland in particular. His experiences of post-Waterloo Europe left him with an generally positive view of Napoleon and the book gives an interesting insight into the contemporary opinions of the French leader and his effect on Continental Europe.  read more

Code: 23765

1st Edition Napoleon, by Hewiston W. B. The Life of Napoleon Bonaparte. In Two Volumes Printed in 1814

London: Printed & Published by J. Wallis, and sold by S. A. Oddy, J. Goodwin, and Davies & Eldridge, Exeter, c. 1810
London: Wallis, 1814. 1st Edition. Hardcover. Two volume set. Good condition.

Illustrated with numerous b/w engraved plates. A popular British life of Napoleon. The two volumes are the first edition which ends with Napoleon's abdication to Elba. Photos to add of both books on Monday 23rd. Each volume is 8.25 inches x 5.25 inches x 1.25 inches
Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), also known as Napoleon I, was a French military leader and emperor who conquered much of Europe in the early 19th century. Born on the island of Corsica, Napoleon rapidly rose through the ranks of the military during the French Revolution (1789-1799). After seizing political power in France in a 1799 coup d’état, he crowned himself emperor in 1804. Shrewd, ambitious and a skilled military strategist, Napoleon successfully waged war against various coalitions of European nations and expanded his empire. However, after a disastrous French invasion of Russia in 1812, Napoleon abdicated the throne two years later and was exiled to the island of Elba. In 1815, he briefly returned to power in his Hundred Days campaign. After a crushing defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, he abdicated once again and was exiled to the remote island of Saint Helena, where he died at 51. Napoleon was, and remains, famous for his battlefield victories, and historians have spent enormous attention in analysing them. In 2008, Donald Sutherland wrote:

The ideal Napoleonic battle was to manipulate the enemy into an unfavourable position through manoeuvre and deception, force him to commit his main forces and reserve to the main battle and then undertake an enveloping attack with uncommitted or reserve troops on the flank or rear. Such a surprise attack would either produce a devastating effect on morale, or force him to weaken his main battle line. Either way, the enemy's own impulsiveness began the process by which even a smaller French army could defeat the enemy's forces one by one.
After 1807, Napoleon's creation of a highly mobile, well-armed artillery force gave artillery usage increased tactical importance. Napoleon, rather than relying on infantry to wear away the enemy's defences, could now use massed artillery as a spearhead to pound a break in the enemy's line. Once that was achieved he sent in infantry and cavalry.  read more

Code: 23379

An 1806 Napoleonic Wars Period 'Brown Bess' Musket By James Yeomans Of London with Bayonet Regimentally Marked For the 79th Foot The Cameron Highlanders. Later Used By Native Troops, Such As The Ghurkas, Alongside The 79th at Lucknow.

Overall in stunning condition, wonderous walnut stock patina, no pitting to the barrel, bayonet or lock, just an absolute stunning example of its kind.

Bayonet, maker stamped by ordnance contracter, G.Salter, with ordnance inspection marks, crown 4 , crown and broad arrow and company and regimental number, D & 79 {Regiment of foot}. George Salter was granted his first board of ordnance contract to supply the regiments bayonets in July 1812.

All the fittings are very good, a superb 36 inch length barrel, fine lock, trigger guard, butt plate, etc, ramrod, sling swivels and brass mounts, new land pattern flush fitting side plate with central screw to avoid recoil damage to the side nails. With a fine leather strap, very nice upgraded from flintlock to percussion action, good proof marks, clear inspection stamps and dating. Lock marked Yeoman's and dated 1806 with Tower ordnance inspector stamp of Richard Duce. {the number 2} plus the EIC heart. Bayonet maker marked by Salter, regimentaly marked 79th Foot.
The 79th Regiment of Foot (Cameron Highlanders) was a line infantry regiment of the British Army raised on August 17, 1793, by Sir Alan Cameron of Erracht.

"D Company" of the 79th Foot, this refers to the standard sub-unit (company) structure of the battalion during its operational history.

The Cameron Highlanders most notably fought through the Napoleonic Wars, & the Crimean War.

One of the 142,970 British contract made 'India Pattern' muskets turned over by the East India Co. army to the British Board of Ordnance for the Napoleonic wars, due to the urgent need for arms to counter Napoleon's massive armament reserve.

The lock is stamped by the primary, senior ordnance inspector, Richard Duce {his mark of Crown 2}. Who was also the controller of tempering & hardening of locks, after their arrival from the stores for fitting to the musket, and apparently he inspected all the EIC bess that were handed over to the British Ordnance for the Napoleonic Wars. An account that was confirmed to us by our friend and historic colleague, Howard Blackmore of the Tower of London armoury.

Originally made for the Honourable East India Co. and the muskets were co-opted by the British Board of Ordnance for the regular British infantry from the EIC contract guns about to depart for India.

In around 1830-40's the flintlock actions of muskets and pistols could, and would, be converted from flintlock to percussion action, often if they were still in government service. The all new {at the time} percussion action could extend the life of a gun and make it considerably more efficient, as flintlock arms were rendered incapable of action in the rain, or even damp conditions. At this time this newer Brown Bess bayonet socket type was adapted for the gun.

While this musket was perfect for service in the regiment up to the 1850's, when the 1853 Enfield rifle-musket was designed and issued to front line regiments, and then, the 79th was sent to India to fight in the Mutiny in 1857. However their older muskets were likely sent to accompany them to India with the regiment in order to arm the loyal Indian regiments that fought alongside the 79th in combat.

While the 79th Foot was a purely British regiment raised in Scotland, British military operations during the rebellion relied heavily on integrated forces. British "Queen's" regiments rarely fought in isolation; instead, they routinely operated in mixed brigades alongside loyal native Indian units

During the siege of Lucknow, and the subsequent operations in Rohilkhand, the 79th Highlanders fought shoulder-to-shoulder with loyal native units, which included Sikh regiments, Punjabi infantry, and loyal Gurkha battalions {such as those from the Kingdom of Nepal and the East India Company's own loyal remnants}

The 'Brown Bess' musket began its life almost 300 years ago, and it helped in creating one of the greatest trading empires the world has ever seen and, among other achievements, made the 'British Square' the almost undefeated form of infantry defence throughout the world. Made in four distinct patterns it originally started life as a 46 inch barrel musket called the Long Land or Ist pattern Brown Bess. Then in around 1768 the gun evolved and the barrel was shortened to 42 inches as 46 was deemed unwieldy and renamed the Short Land or 2nd pattern. Although the Long Land was made continually for another 20 years. With the onset of the Napoleonic Wars in the 1790s, the British Board of Ordnance found itself woefully short of the 250,000 muskets it would need to equip its forces. It managed to produce around 20,000 short land pattern muskets but this was simply not sufficient. At that time the British East India Company maintained it own troops and had contracted with makers to produce a simplified version of the Brown Bess musket with a 39-inch barrel and less ornate furniture and stock work. It was generally felt that the standard of these "India pattern" muskets was not up to the standard of the earlier Besses, but necessity required action so the authorities convinced Company officials to turn over their stores to the Crown. By 1797 the urgencies of war ultimately created the demise of the Short Pattern, and all manufacture was turned to building the more simple 'India' pattern. For the most part, the gun underwent few changes from its introduction until Waterloo, with the exception of the cock, which was altered from the traditional swan-neck style to a sturdier, reinforced ringed version in around 1808.

The Brown Bess musket was the standard weapon of the British for more than a century. soldiers marched into battle with this musket—nicknamed “Brown Bess”—for more than 100 years. British redcoats used the Brown Bess to fight the War of Independence in the colonies, and many of their opponents in the Americans’ Continental army used it as well.
British soldiers fighting in the Napoleonic wars carried it into battle, and it was the principal firearm used by the infantrymen who fought the War of 1812.

Because the weapon was slow to load and relatively inaccurate (experienced soldiers generally estimated its range between 50 and 100 yards), armies developed tactics that helped compensate for its shortcomings. The limitations of smoothbore muskets like the Brown Bess forced units employ “linear tactics,” in which a hundreds of soldiers stood in neat lines, shoulder-to-shoulder and out in the open. While such tactics appear decidedly unstealthy to twenty-first century eyes, they proved essential on the battlefields of all the conflicts which Britain was involved.
There, stealth was a low priority. Packing the men into blocks allowed officers to coordinate their troops’ fire into synchronized volleys. Firing a hundred guns in the same direction at once helped ensure that at least some, often most of the inaccurate musket balls found their targets. And grouping the men into neat lines out in the open helped commanders ensure that few of their troops gave in to the natural instinct to flee.

Of course, packing troops into blocks and fighting in the open required tremendous discipline from the individual soldiers. Infantrymen had to stand exposed to enemy fire as they loaded and fired their own muskets. And in some situations, soldiers learned the grisly dangers of fighting in lines—as at the Battle of New Orleans in the 1812 war, where American artillery attacked the exposed British formations with devastating effect.

Engagements for the infantry were traditionally at relatively close distances, often the result of closely controlled battlefield management. In 1811 a soldier of the 71st Regiment of Foot, writing of fighting the French at Fuentes de Onõro, recorded: “… during our first advance a bayonet went through between my side and clothes, to my knapsack, which stopped its progress. The Frenchman to whom the bayonet belonged fell, pierced by a musket ball from my rear-rank man. Whilst freeing myself from the bayonet, a ball took off part of my right shoulder wing and killed the rear-rank man, who fell upon me. We kept up our fire until long after dark. My shoulder was black as coal from the recoil of my musket; for this day I had fired 107 round of ball cartridge.”

This was not an uncommon account and it would have been just as true of Waterloo. If we were to take an average of 80 cartridges fired by about 50,000 allied infantry at Waterloo the expenditure of ammunition would have amounted to more than four million cartridges. Although not scientific, it does give a flavour of the ferocity of battle that Sunday in June 1815.

The 79th's combat history during the Penisular and Waterloo;
Peninsular War (1808–1814): Landing in Portugal in 1808, the 79th fought across numerous critical engagements:• Corunna (1809): Part of the grueling winter retreat and subsequent evacuation.
• Busaco (1810): Held a key position on the ridge where men like Captain Alexander Cameron engaged in fierce hand-to-hand combat.
• Fuentes de Oñoro (1811)
• Salamanca (1812)
• Burgos (1812)
• Sorauren (1813)
• Nivelle & Nive (1813)
• Toulouse (1814)

The Waterloo Campaign (1815):• Fought at Quatre Bras and Waterloo (Mont St. Jean).
Displayed notable discipline and heroism—including Piper Kenneth McKay playing amidst the fighting—and earned a place as one of the select regiments specifically highlighted in the Duke of Wellington's official Waterloo Dispatch.

See Piper McKay's portrait in the gallery.


Former EIC armoury arsenal stamps to the barrel.  read more

Code: 26419

A Scarce and Original British Special Forces Designed Collector's Item, Cold War Period, Robert & John Wilkinson-Latham and Howard Evans 1960's MOD Contract Jungle Knife Made By Wilkinson Sword. Used In the Far East

This is a scarce survival / fighting knife produced by Wilkinson Sword Co in the 1960's. Intended for the M.O.D contract, of approximately 7,000 knives that were were made. But the MOD didn't pay the contract fee, so some were sold to Far East {special forces units} for jungle warfare.

The M.O.D. didn't officially adopt the knife so many were eventually sent to the Far East and sold to the various military as private purchase weapons (see page 123 of Flook's book ‘British & Commonwealth Military Knives).

Our example has a beautiful polished 8” fullered Bowie blade and 1908 pattern Cavalry sword hilt which features chequered panels & thumb recess for grip.
The blade is etched ' WILKINSON SWORD LONDON ENGLAND' on one side & ' RJH JUNGLE KNIFE' on the reverse. The hilt has the correct short brass finger guard and large brass pommel nut. The knife comes with its original brown leather scabbard which has an integral belt loop and retaining strap with press stud fastener. The scabbard has the correct ‘lift the dot’ stamped press stud fastener.

Ref; Apparently, the blades were sub-contracted out by Wilkinson to John Nowill & Son of Sheffield, and are respected today as a most efficient woodsman's knife.
Information kindly supplied by Mr James Dickson ,USA  read more

Code: 26417

A Breath Takingly Beautiful Chisa Katana Museum Piece, Signed Inshu Zumi Fujiwara Kanesaki (藤原兼先）Finest Silver Mon Mounts and Gold Inlaid iron Koshirae {Fittings} For a Retainer Of The Kamei Clan of Kamei Korenori (1557–1612) of the Tsuwano Domain

The blade is just amazing and its curvature is extraordinary. overall the sword is is superb plus condition. Japanese iron openwork sword guard (tsuba) from the Edo period (17th–19th century), likely attributed to the Kyo-Shoami or related provincial schools featuring a nature-inspired design with birds and river (sukashi)

Inshu Zumi Fujiwara Kanesaki(因州住藤原兼先) forged swords in the early Edo period. He first started his career in Mino province(Gifu prefecture), mastering MINO-DEN (one of the most famous Japanese sword styles). He is ranked in top-tier MINO-DEN swordsmiths in the early to mid-Edo period.

He moved from Mino province to Tottori province and served the Ikeda clan, who ruled the Tottori prefecture (Tottori domain) for about 240 years. Ikeda clan was one of the most powerful feudal lines in that region.It was a privilege to work for the feudal family, and only highly skilled swordsmiths were entitled to this honor.

Tottori prefecture is located in western Japan . He forged swords near Tottori castle. The swordsmith name’s Kanesaki (the total of 11th generations) lasted at the end of the Edo period when feudal society turned to modern society, and the Samurai government lost their authority.

MINO-DEN had its origin from YAMATO-DEN in the late KAMAKURA period(1280-1330). It flourished in the MUROMACHI period(1333-1573) and continued until the EDO period(1603-1868).

MINO-DEN especially prospered during Sengoku Jidai (Warring State period) due to the high demand for weapons. And the location of Mino province beat others. Akechi Mitsuhide controlled Mino province, and Nobunaga Oda ruled Owari province, and Tokugawa Ieyasu was the lord of Suruga (Neighboring areas).

There was high demand from those powerful feudal lords and their retainers. Furthermore, so many wars occurred between the Kanto region and the Kyoto area.

Mino is located in the middle, making feudal lords feel convenient to order swords from MINO-DEN. The blades forged in MINO provinces also had the reputation of its practical design and sharpness. Many feudal lords demanded swords forged in the Mino province. The tradition of excellent sword forging skills had been passed to the Edo period, and Kanesaki is a good example.

The four-diamond mon (family crest) of the Kamei clan is historically classified under the Meyui (目結) category of Japanese heraldry, specifically known as Yotsumeyui (四つ目結 - "four eyes") or Sumitate Yotsume (隅立て四つ目) The Kamei clan, led by Kamei Korenori, became Daimyo of the Tsuwano Domain until the Meiji Restoration, using these types of geometric emblems to signify their family lineage.

Geometric designs like the Yotsumeyui were highly favored by samurai clans during the Sengoku and Edo periods because their bold, minimalist structures made them instantly recognizable on banners, armor, and helmets across chaotic battlefields.

Historical records detail the military life of Kamei Korenori (1557–1612), tracking his transition from a desperate resistance fighter trying to revive his fallen master's clan into a strategically flexible daimyō who served all three great unifiers of Japan: Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Following the collapse of the Amago cause, Korenori transferred his allegiance directly to Toyotomi Hideyoshi For his combat distinction in subduing the San'in region, Hideyoshi granted Korenori Shikano Castle in Inaba Province

Korenori played an aggressive role in the subjugation of Tottori Castle. Records indicate that he joined Saimura Masahiro in a scorched-earth campaign, burning down the outer civilian settlements surrounding Tottori Castle to completely isolate the Mōri garrison, forcing its commander to commit seppuku to spare his starving men

Upon Hideyoshi's death, Korenori recognized the shifting political tides and sided with Tokugawa Ieyasu's Eastern Army during the pivotal Battle of Sekigahara.Korenori pleaded with Hideyoshi for coastal lands in Izumo. When diplomatic truces forced Hideyoshi to leave Izumo in Mōri hands, Korenori audaciously asked for the Ryukyu Islands (modern-day Okinawa) instead. Hideyoshi famously painted "Kamei, Lord of Ryukyu" onto a folding paper war fan as a symbolic grant. In 1590, Korenori assembled a fleet of 3,500 men at Nagoya Castle to invade the islands, but his fleet was physically blocked by the Shimazu clan of Satsuma, who claimed exclusive domain over the kingdom.

Korenori put his naval infrastructure to use during Hideyoshi's continental campaigns, commanding ships and troops under the Toyotomi banner. In a striking historical crossover, Korean records note that after a naval engagement, local warriors discovered Hideyoshi's signed "Lord of Ryukyu" war fan among the wreckage of a captured Japanese vessel
As a direct reward for his calculated realignment during the Sekigahara campaign, Tokugawa Ieyasu expanded Korenori's fiefdom from a minor 13,000 koku holding to a robust 43,000 koku domain. This established the financial power that secured his family's rule over the Tsuwano Domain for the next two and a half centuries.  read more

Code: 26416

A Beautiful, Handsome & Most Elegant Samurai Katana Around 600 Plus Years Old. Late Nanboku-chō period (南北朝時代, Nanboku-chō jidai) & Leading into the Sengoku Jidai, Warring States Era. A Beautiful, Handsome & Most Elegant Samurai Katana

Long elegant early wazamono blade with fine deep graduating curve Toriizori (鳥居反り) Uniform curve along the entire blade, with typical, early, ko-kissaki. The blade is jolly sharp {wazamono}, which is a great and positive indication of its quality, and fitted with a pure gold foiled copper habaki finely carved and with several sukashi pierced boars eyes.

The nakago may once have borne a signature by the smith but it is so ancient anything that was there is no longer visible.

It has always been traditional to never, under any circumstances to clean polish or preserve the nakago. It is entirely left to age naturally over the centuries, as opposed to the blade itself that is cared for with the utmost attention to preserve it as close to mint condition as possible.

The original lower mekugi-ana ( mounting circular peg aperture ) is low enough to suggest that in its earliest days it was once mounted as a longer tachi for combat. Ancient blades can as usual have two or more mekugi-ana to enable remounting, as the style of sword dress changed during its long use in combat.

Up until only a very few centuries ago it was a capitol offence, punishable by immediate execution, for a person of lesser station to touch a samurai’s sword without his express permission, even by accident.

Toriizori describes an even, graceful arc from tang to tip, named after the curved gates (torii) at Shinto shrines. This balanced curvature became standard during the mid to late Kamakura period (1200-1333) as fighting techniques evolved. The uniform curve optimizes both cutting and thrusting while maintaining excellent balance.
Versatile for multiple techniques, balanced feel, effective cutting geometry throughout blade length .

The saya is ishime lacquer in a beautifully rich, russet colour, with polished carved black buffalo horn fittings. The blade has just today returned from artisan cleaning and once more looks magnificent with new photos added.
Higo school fuchigashira, engraved with crashing waves in turbulant sea with low flying seabirds, large mokko gata iron plate tsuba, Edo period, chisselled with a small fishing boat with a mountain in the background. Signed. Menuki of deep takebori gilded copper carp in turbulant waves. green-blue tsukaito over traditional samegawa {giant rayskin}.

Picture 10 in the gallery is an original antique edo period Japanese woodblock print of a samurai bearing his sword in the very same livery as this sword. {For information only}

The Nanboku-chō era (1336–1392) in Japan was a tumultuous period of civil war between the Northern and Southern Imperial Courts, driven by rival claims to the throne after the Kamakura shogunate's fall, featuring significant shifts in warfare, art (increasing realism and warrior focus), and the rise of the Ashikaga shogunate, with key developments like extremely long swords no dachi also known as tachi, and guerrilla tactics amidst constant strife, culminating in the nominal reunification but underlying power struggles.

Key Aspects of Nanboku-chō Warfare & Era were the dual Imperial Courts: The imperial family split into a Northern Court (backed by Ashikaga) and a Southern Court (led by Emperor Go-Daigo and based in Yoshino).
The conflict facilitated the fall of the Kamakura Shogunate and the establishment of the Ashikaga (Muromachi) Shogunate, with Ashikaga Takauji emerging as a dominant figure.
The prolonged conflict saw the use of guerrilla warfare. Castles were built using suitable terrain, and ideal to survive sieges.
There was a move away from Heian-era courtly aesthetics towards more direct, virile, and realistic art reflecting the warrior class's values.
The era ended in 1392 when the Southern Court formally renounced its claim for the North, though this resolution left lingering questions of legitimacy.
Legacy: The period laid groundwork for the turbulent Muromachi era and the subsequent Sengoku period, shaping Japanese political identity and military. This led into the Ōnin War (1467–1477): A devastating civil war that shattered central authority and ushered in the Sengoku Jidai (Warring States).

There are many reasons why people enjoy collecting swords. Some people are drawn to the beauty and craftsmanship of swords, while others appreciate their historical and cultural significance. Swords can also be a symbol of power and strength, and some collectors find enjoyment in the challenge of acquiring rare or valuable swords.

One of the greatest joys of sword collecting is the opportunity to learn about the history and culture of different civilisations. Swords have been used by warriors for millennia, and each culture has developed its own unique sword designs and traditions. By studying swords, collectors can gain a deeper understanding of the people who made and used them.

Another joy of sword collecting is the sheer variety of swords that are available, and we are fortunate to have likely one of the most varied and largest selection of original swords, from all nations, in the world. There are swords in our gallery from all over the globe and from every period of history, going back almost 4000 years, Collectors can choose to specialize in a particular type of sword, such as Japanese katanas or medieval swords, or they can collect a variety of swords from different cultures and time periods. No matter what your reasons for collecting swords, it is a hobby that can provide many years of enjoyment. Swords are beautiful, fascinating, and historically significant objects.

This blades polish will be beautiful once more, with just the usual minuscule age surface marks, as all antique and ancient swords must always be expected to have at least some very small natural age appropriate flaws.

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 trading  read more

Code: 26405

A Very Good King George IVth {The Former Prince Regent} Constable's and Bow Street Runner's 'Weighted' Tipstaff Bearing the King's Crest. With a Leaden End In-Fill.

The tipstaff was a short, ornate staff made of wood, brass, or silver, often topped with a crown and engraved with the royal crest.
Many tipstaves were hollow in the centre, allowing the Runners to roll up and store their official arrest warrants inside.
Because the Bow Street Runners did not wear a standardized police uniform, brandishing or showing the tipstaff—or tapping a suspect with it—served as immediate proof of their legal authority under Crown power


George IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover. He was born on the 12th of August 1762, at St. James’ Palace, the eldest son of George III and Queen Charlotte.

He ruled as Prince Regent from 1811 when his father's illness was judged to be permanent and acceded to the throne in 1820. He ruled for ten years until his death on the 26th June 1830.

The Bow Street Runners were the law enforcement officers of the Bow Street Magistrates' Court in the City of Westminster. They have been called London's first professional police force. The force originally numbered six men and was founded in 1749 by magistrate Henry Fielding, who was also well known as an author.1 His assistant, brother, and successor as magistrate, John Fielding, moulded the constables into a professional and effective force. Bow Street Runners was the public's nickname for the officers although the officers did not use the term themselves and considered it derogatory.2 The group was disbanded in 1839 and its personnel merged with the Metropolitan Police, which had been formed ten years earlier but the London metropolitan detective bureau trace their origins back from there. The brothers set up horse patrols in 1753 which made their group much more advanced.

In the new century, crime rates diminished in the metropolis, therefore the contribution of the Runners to the policing of property offences decreased considerably; they continued to investigate offences in London, but not as actively as they had before. Their incomes from London crime diminished as the position that Bow Street had once held in the commitment of felons to trial continued to erode with the expansion of the patrol and the creation of new police offices from 1792. By the early 1820s, Bow Street was responsible for just over 10% of the accused felons being committed to trial at the Old Bailey.30 After 1815, the Runners' most regular employment was to respond to help requests from prosecutors outside London. These were likely cases in which their skill and experience was thought to be useful in investigating offences in the provinces.31

After the Metropolitan Police Act 1829, which established the Metropolitan Police, the policing responsibilities of the Bow Street magistrates were very considerably diminished. The Bow Street patrol was gradually absorbed into the new police force and Bow Street was left with only the Runners.32 Even then, the Home Office held much of the authority over the activity of the Runners and was mainly concerned to bring Bow Street's finances under control. The Bow Street magistrates' effective loss of authority over the activity of the Runners and the government's concern to control costs meant that the funds for the office were much diminished in the 1830s  read more

Code: 26420