1929 Graf Zeppelin Round the World, White Bisque Porcelain Meissen Medal 1929

From a small collection of most rare Meissen porcelain medals of the Graf Zeppelin round the world flight. three different variations of the same medal. Perfect for either early aviation and airship collectors, rare medal collectors, or collectors of finest German porcelain from the Weimar period

This rare medal was made by the famous Meissen factory in Germany to commemorate the first circumnavigation of the world by an airship, the ‘Graf Zeppelin’ in August 1929. Designed by Ludwig Durr but conceived and operated by Dr Hugo Eckener, Chairman of the German company Luftschiffbau Zeppelin, the rigid airship was built at their works at Friedrichshafen between 1926 and 1928 and was intended to demonstrate the viability of intercontinental commercial air travel. It was the largest airship in the world at that time.

Co-sponsored by the American newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, the round the world flight took off from Lakehurst Naval Air Station, New Jersey, on 8 August heading east with Eckener in command. As well as the crew there were 20 passengers on board and four Hearst staff including the Australian explorer Hubert Wilkins, a cameraman and a British reporter, Lady Grace Drummond-Hay, who became the first woman to circumnavigate the world by air. Having refuelled at Friedrichshafen the flight continued across Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union to Tokyo, then on to California, landing at Los Angeles to complete the first ever nonstop flight across the Pacific Ocean. The final leg from Los Angeles to Lakehurst ended on 29 August, three weeks after the airship had departed. Actual flying time was 12 days, 12 hours, and 13 minutes, the fastest circumnavigation of the globe at the time.

The company then used the airship on its transatlantic service and for 5 years provided a commercial passenger and mail service between Germany and Brazil. ‘Graf Zeppelin’ made 590 flights totalling almost 1.7 million kilometres and was the first aircraft to fly over a million miles. It flew a total of 17,177 hours (nearly two years), without injuring a passenger or crewman. It was operated by a crew of 36, and could carry 24 passengers, who were treated to 3 hot meals a day with fine wines in the dining room and entertainment on board. The operational spaces, common areas, and passenger sleeping cabins were built into a gondola structure beneath the airframe.

Eckener had been outspoken in his dislike of the Nazi Party so that when they took power in 1933 he was replaced by his former colleague Lehmann and the ‘Graf Zeppelin’ was commandeered for a new airline. The Nazis used the airship as a propaganda tool until it was withdrawn from service after the Hindenburg disaster in 1937. The airship was scrapped and the metal airframes melted down for military aircraft production in 1940 - a dismal end for the most successful airship of all time, about which Lady Drummond-Hay had written:

“The Graf Zeppelin is a ship with a soul. You have only to fly in it to know that it's a living, vibrant, sensitive and magnificent thing”

With its extraordinary fineness and silky matt surface, bisque porcelain exudes an unmistakable charm. Sculptural qualities, modelling skills and decorations such as reliefs are shown to full effect and are further accentuated by the material’s fascinating tactile quality. Developed in the 18th century by the French painter Jean-Jacques, the fine material rose to prominence as a substitute for ivory, alabaster and marble in the manufacture of the Château Vincennes. To this day, bisque porcelain is often compared to marble because of its unique way of diffusing light rather than reflecting it. At MEISSEN, this effect and material quality is achieved by polishing the unglazed surface of fired porcelain pieces in painstaking detail, resulting in the bisque's characteristic velvety soft surfaces.
Porcelain in its purest form. Contrary to popular belief, bisque porcelain has the same properties as its glazed counterparts in terms of density, hardness, strength and resistance. By omitting the glaze, details, such as sculptural swerves, elaborate embossing work and decorations, such as reliefs, are highlighted and given a unique tactile quality, showing off the skills of Meissen artisans in a particularly compelling way  read more

Code: 25121

1929 Graf Zeppelin Round the World, White Bisque Porcelain Meissen Medal 1929. Flat Rimmed, with Silvered Zeppellin

From a small collection of most rare Meissen porcelain medals of the Graf Zeppelin round the world flight. three different variations of the same medal. Perfect for either early aviation and airship collectors, rare medal collectors, or collectors of finest German porcelain from the Weimar period.

The photos show the medal as somewhat grey porcelain, because, although it is brilliant white in reality, we have to darken it in the gallery in order to photograph its detail. See photo 6 in the gallery showing its more accurate whiteness, but no detail can be seen.

This rare medal was made by the famous Meissen factory in Germany to commemorate the first circumnavigation of the world by an airship, the ‘Graf Zeppelin’ in August 1929. Designed by Ludwig Durr but conceived and operated by Dr Hugo Eckener, Chairman of the German company Luftschiffbau Zeppelin, the rigid airship was built at their works at Friedrichshafen between 1926 and 1928 and was intended to demonstrate the viability of intercontinental commercial air travel. It was the largest airship in the world at that time.

Co-sponsored by the American newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, the round the world flight took off from Lakehurst Naval Air Station, New Jersey, on 8 August heading east with Eckener in command. As well as the crew there were 20 passengers on board and four Hearst staff including the Australian explorer Hubert Wilkins, a cameraman and a British reporter, Lady Grace Drummond-Hay, who became the first woman to circumnavigate the world by air. Having refuelled at Friedrichshafen the flight continued across Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union to Tokyo, then on to California, landing at Los Angeles to complete the first ever nonstop flight across the Pacific Ocean. The final leg from Los Angeles to Lakehurst ended on 29 August, three weeks after the airship had departed. Actual flying time was 12 days, 12 hours, and 13 minutes, the fastest circumnavigation of the globe at the time.

The company then used the airship on its transatlantic service and for 5 years provided a commercial passenger and mail service between Germany and Brazil. ‘Graf Zeppelin’ made 590 flights totalling almost 1.7 million kilometres and was the first aircraft to fly over a million miles. It flew a total of 17,177 hours (nearly two years), without injuring a passenger or crewman. It was operated by a crew of 36, and could carry 24 passengers, who were treated to 3 hot meals a day with fine wines in the dining room and entertainment on board. The operational spaces, common areas, and passenger sleeping cabins were built into a gondola structure beneath the airframe.

Eckener had been outspoken in his dislike of the Nazi Party so that when they took power in 1933 he was replaced by his former colleague Lehmann and the ‘Graf Zeppelin’ was commandeered for a new airline. The Nazis used the airship as a propaganda tool until it was withdrawn from service after the Hindenburg disaster in 1937. The airship was scrapped and the metal airframes melted down for military aircraft production in 1940 - a dismal end for the most successful airship of all time, about which Lady Drummond-Hay had written:

“The Graf Zeppelin is a ship with a soul. You have only to fly in it to know that it's a living, vibrant, sensitive and magnificent thing”

With its extraordinary fineness and silky matt surface, bisque porcelain exudes an unmistakable charm. Sculptural qualities, modelling skills and decorations such as reliefs are shown to full effect and are further accentuated by the material’s fascinating tactile quality. Developed in the 18th century by the French painter Jean-Jacques, the fine material rose to prominence as a substitute for ivory, alabaster and marble in the manufacture of the Château Vincennes. To this day, bisque porcelain is often compared to marble because of its unique way of diffusing light rather than reflecting it. At MEISSEN, this effect and material quality is achieved by polishing the unglazed surface of fired porcelain pieces in painstaking detail, resulting in the bisque's characteristic velvety soft surfaces.

Porcelain in its purest form. Contrary to popular belief, bisque porcelain has the same properties as its glazed counterparts in terms of density, hardness, strength and resistance. By omitting the glaze, details, such as sculptural swerves, elaborate embossing work and decorations, such as reliefs, are highlighted and given a unique tactile quality, showing off the skills of Meissen artisans in a particularly compelling way.  read more

Code: 25120

An Edo Period Iron Mokko Form Tsuba Engraved with Geometric Manji Design

The tsuba, is a fundamental element in the mounting of the Japanese sword, it is the guard, the most important element of the fittings, and has two main functions: the first to protect the hand against the slashes and lunges of an opposing sword; the second is to prevent that the hand ends up directly on the cutting edge of the blade. Over the course of more than ten centuries of history, the tsuba has undergone a number of important changes, as regards the materials used for its manufacture and its appearance.

During the centuries of wars that characterised Japan until the advent of the Tokugawa Shogunate during the first half of the 17th century, the tsuba was essentially made of iron or steel. From the mid-17th century onwards the tsuba became a real work of art, with the use of soft metals used in various ways, with engravings, incrustations; well made tsuba were the pride of hundreds of craftsmen’s schools whose value sometimes exceeded that of the same blades of the mounting where tsuba was part of.
72 mm. height  read more

Code: 25117

Ashigaru Samurai Foot Soldier's Conical Jingasa Helmet Edo Period With the Ando Clan’s, Agari-Fuji Mon Motif of Wisteria

Toppai jingasa with agari-fuji mon. The clan claims descent from Abe Hirafu and Abe Nakamaro. The clan served the Tokugawa clan during Edo Period. Their first recorded family head, Andō Naotsugu was eldest son of Andō Haruyoshi and grandson of Ando Ieshige, retainer of Matsudaira Hirotada (father of Tokugawa Ieyasu). Ashigaru were foot-soldiers employed by the samurai class of feudal Japan. The first known reference to ashigaru was in the 14th century, but it was during the Ashikaga shogunate, Muromachi period, that the use of ashigaru became prevalent by various warring factions. shigaru were commonly armed with naginata, yari, yumi and swords. Ashigaru armour varied depending on the period, from no armour to heavily armored and could consist of conical hats called jingasa made of lacquered hardened leather or iron, cuirasses (do), helmets (kabuto), armoured hoods (tatami zukin), armored sleeves (kote), greaves (suneate), and cuisses (haidate).

The warfare of the Sengoku period (15th and 16th centuries) required large quantities of armour to be produced for the ever-growing armies of ashigaru. Simple munition quality cuirasses and helmets were produced including tatami armour which could be folded or were collapsible. Tatami armour was made from small rectangular or hexagonal iron plates that were usually connected to each other by chainmail and sewn to a cloth backing. In the 16th century the ashigaru were also armed with matchlocks of the type known as tanegashima. Small banners called sashimono could be worn on their backs during battle for identification. In the Sengoku period the aspect of the battle changed from single combat to massed formations. Therefore, ashigaru became the backbone of many feudal armies and some of them rose to greater prominence.

Those who were given control of ashigaru were called ashigarugashira. The most famous of them was Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who also raised many of his warrior followers to samurai status. Yamauchi Kazutoyo was one of such samurai and later daimyo who rose from ashigaru. Ashigaru were considered to be of the samurai class in some han (domains), but not in others  read more

Code: 21731

Around 6000 Year Old, A Fabulous Neolithic Period Stone-Age Polished Hand Axe

Some of the most fascinating, interesting and intriguing hand made tools and weapons come from a time so far distant to us, it was thousands of years before history was ever recorded, yet they can be extraordinarily affordable. So beautiful and tactile, in fact as much an object d’art as an implement.
To hold within ones hands an implement that was last used by a person up to 4000 years before Julius Caesar even set foot upon this land with his cohorts of Roman Legionaries is simply awe inspiring. It is extraordinary that we have a remarkable knowledge about how they lived, farmed and thrived upon the earth, but not the remotest clue about how they spoke, what form of language they used, and even remotely how it might have sounded. Yet here one can be, holding a piece of amazing hand crafted Neolithica, a tool and vital artefact of person who had hopes, dreams, desires, fears, wants and needs just as we do, but not having the faintest clue how they thought, or communicated them, or even expressed them vocally to others. Ironically from a period around 4600 before the era known to the British as the Dark Ages, due to so precious little is known about British history between when the Roman’s left our shores and the Anglo Saxons ruled this land.

Mankind has effectively long past created a time machine, it is, simply, language, but only when combined with the ability to set it down, to be visually communicated from one to another, albeit on rock or stone, slate tablets, scrolls, parchment vellum or paper. That way once it can be understood, translated if you like, can we communicate with the past by knowing what they had recorded about their time. This is why the printed word, and not electronic data, is so absolutely vital to the continuation of humanity. Imagine, just, say 50 years into the future, it is possible that by then all recorded information around the world will be by electronic data alone, then imagine the simplest possibility of all electronic data being lost or inaccessible, by say an electro magnetic pulse. If that occurred 200 years in the future, without those 150 years being saved in print, we would have a new Dark Age, simply by not having any form of a hand held viewable and readable record.

Around 4,000-2,500BC, In the later Neolithic period, (known as the later stone age) people started to settle down and start farming. At places such as Springfield Lyons, these early settlements have been identified. It was also at this time when stone tools, which up until this point had been purely functional, started to take on a more symbolic meaning. Polished stone axes and other tools that were never used have been found across the county, showing changes in social hierarchy and possibly even the development of religion. The Neolithic also known as the "New Stone Age", the final division of the Stone Age, began about 12,000 years ago when the first development of farming appeared in the Epipalaeolithic Near East, and later in other parts of the world. The division lasted until the transitional period of the Chalcolithic from about 6,500 years ago (4500 BC), marked by the development of metallurgy, leading up to the Bronze Age and Iron Age. In Northern Europe, the Neolithic lasted until about 1700 BC, while in China it extended until 1200 BC. Other parts of the world (the New World) remained in the Neolithic stage of development until European contact.

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

The term Neolithic derives from the Greek neos and lithos "New Stone Age". The term was coined by Sir John Lubbock in 1865 as a refinement of the three-age system2.5 inches long As with all our items it comes complete with our certificate of authenticity.  read more

Code: 22388

Germany 1912 Gordon Bennett Zeppelin Airship Flight, 12 Poster Vignette Cinderella Stamps

Original, period vignette for 1912 Gordon Bennett air show with pioneering German Zeppelin before WWI. Size 1.5 x 2 inches Gum: MH {Mint Hinged} Photographed against a card background, but all the stamps are gummed and separate.

Very rare to get large number sets. Two sets of x 12, we have 24 but we have split them for sale into 2 sets of 12.

The 1914 Cazin and Rochas catalog claims they were printed in nine colours of ink on nine different papers

The Gordon Bennett Cup (or Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett) is the world's oldest gas balloon race, and is "regarded as the premier event of world balloon racing" according to the Los Angeles Times. Referred to as the "Blue Ribbon" of aeronautics, the first race started from Paris, France, on September 30, 1906. The event was sponsored by James Gordon Bennett Jr., the millionaire sportsman and owner of the New York Herald newspaper. According to the organizers, the aim of the contest "is simple: to fly the furthest distance from the launch site." The contest ran from 1906 to 1938, interrupted by World War I and in 1931, but was suspended in 1939 when the hosts, Poland, were invaded at the start of World War II. The event was not resurrected until 1979, when American Tom Heinsheimer, an atmospheric physicist, gained permission from the holders to host the trophy.

With its extraordinary fineness and silky matt surface, bisque porcelain exudes an unmistakable charm. Sculptural qualities, modelling skills and decorations such as reliefs are shown to full effect and are further accentuated by the material’s fascinating tactile quality. Developed in the 18th century by the French painter Jean-Jacques, the fine material rose to prominence as a substitute for ivory, alabaster and marble in the manufacture of the Château Vincennes. To this day, bisque porcelain is often compared to marble because of its unique way of diffusing light rather than reflecting it. At MEISSEN, this effect and material quality is achieved by polishing the unglazed surface of fired porcelain pieces in painstaking detail, resulting in the bisque's characteristic velvety soft surfaces.

Porcelain in its purest form. Contrary to popular belief, bisque porcelain has the same properties as its glazed counterparts in terms of density, hardness, strength and resistance. By omitting the glaze, details, such as sculptural swerves, elaborate embossing work and decorations, such as reliefs, are highlighted and given a unique tactile quality, showing off the skills of Meissen artisans in a particularly compelling way  read more

Code: 25113

Germany 1912 Gordon Bennett Zeppelin Airship Flight, 12 Poster Vignette Cinderella Stamps

Original, period vignette for 1912 Gordon Bennett air show with pioneering German Zeppelin before WWI. Size 1.5 x 2 inches Gum: MH {Mint Hinged} Photographed against a card background, but all the stamps are gummed and separate.

Very rare to get large number sets. Two sets of x 12, we have 24 but we have split them for sale into 2 sets of 12.

The 1914 Cazin and Rochas catalog claims they were printed in nine colours of ink on nine different papers

The Gordon Bennett Cup (or Coupe Aéronautique Gordon Bennett) is the world's oldest gas balloon race, and is "regarded as the premier event of world balloon racing" according to the Los Angeles Times. Referred to as the "Blue Ribbon" of aeronautics, the first race started from Paris, France, on September 30, 1906. The event was sponsored by James Gordon Bennett Jr., the millionaire sportsman and owner of the New York Herald newspaper. According to the organizers, the aim of the contest "is simple: to fly the furthest distance from the launch site." The contest ran from 1906 to 1938, interrupted by World War I and in 1931, but was suspended in 1939 when the hosts, Poland, were invaded at the start of World War II. The event was not resurrected until 1979, when American Tom Heinsheimer, an atmospheric physicist, gained permission from the holders to host the trophy.  read more

Code: 25112

A French, Mid to Late 19th Century, Elite Cuirassiers, Heavy Cavalry Sword

Typical Cuirassier double fullered 95 cm straight blade, aresenal engraved along the spine, Manf D'armes Du Chatl: Avril 1874 Cavalrie De Reserve Cuirassiers Mdl. 1854. All steel, single ring combat scabbard. Brass guard, somewhat of the Sabre de Cavalerie modele M1822 type, with replaced leather bound grip. Much of the French heavy cavalry wore armoured cuirass and were armed with their straight swords, pistols and carbines. Though the armour could not protect against contemporary flintlock musket fire, it could deflect shots fired from long-range, stop ricochets and offer protection from all but very close range pistol fire. More importantly, in an age which saw cavalry used in large numbers, the breastplates (along with the helmets) provided excellent protection against the swords and lances of opposing cavalry and against infantry bayonets. It also had some psychological effect for the wearer (effectively making the cuirassier more willing to plunge into the thick of fighting) and the enemy (adding intimidation), while it also added weight to a charge, especially in cavalry versus cavalry actions.
Napoleonic French cuirasses were originally intended to be proof against three musket shots at close range; however, this was never achieved in practice. The regulations eventually recognised this, and cuirasses were subsequently only expected to be proof against one shot at long range. Dragoon regiments were not armoured.

The French cuirassiers numbered 11 regiments at the outbreak of war but had not seen active service since the Battle of Waterloo. A brigade comprising the 6th and 9th Regiments had served in the Crimean War but had not actually encountered the enemy. Accordingly, the prospect of action against the Prussian Army, which included 10 cuirassier regiments of its own, was seen as an opportunity for a strongly traditional branch of the French cavalry to prove its continuing relevance. In the event, in a series of massed charges against Prussian infantry and artillery at Froeschwiller and Rezonville, the French cuirassiers suffered very heavy losses for little return. To cover the French retreat General Michel's brigade of cavalry was ordered to charge. The order was somewhat vague, and in his position under cover near Eberbach, General Michel's had no knowledge of the actual situation. Thus it came about that, without reconnoitering or manoeuvering for position, the French cavalry rode straight at the first objective which offered itself, and struck the victorious Prussians as they were crossing the hills between the Albrechtsh?userhof and Morsbronn. Hence the charge was costly and only partly successful. However, the Prussians were ridden down here and there, and their attention was sufficiently absorbed while the French infantry rallied for a fresh counterstroke. This was made about 13:20 h with the utmost gallantry. The Prussians were driven off the hillsides between the Albrechtsh?userhof and Morsbronn which they had already won. But the counter-attack turned into disaster when 700 French cuirassiers were trapped inside Morsbronn and massacred within a few minutes by rapid close-range fire. The rest of the French cavalry eventually came under fire from the great artillery mass above Gunstett; von Bose having at length concentrated the main body of the XI corps in the meadows between the Niederwald and the Sauer, the French had to withdraw. The story of the Cuirassiers at Reichshoffen displayes well the courage of the French cavalrymen. The French infantry withdrawal involved the retreat of the troops who had fought all day in defence of the Niederwald.
In desperation, MacMahon ordered General Michel's Cuirassier brigade (8th and 9th Cuirassiers) to attack the Prussians and buy his infantry the time they needed to fall back. Morsbronn and the flank of the Prussian XI Corps was to be the target of the charge.
Obediently Michel led his cuirassiers out of Eberbach where they had been held in reserve all morning. Sunlight glinted off polished cuirasses and helmets and harness jangled as the magnificent cavalry trotted off towards the south. As they emerged from the narrow Eberbach valley, Michel quickly lined up his squadrons and sounded the charge. Their swords drawn and horsetail crests streaming behind them, the cuirassiers thundered towards the Prussians. Suddenly the charging troopers were met not by a hail of bullets, but by hedged fields, fences, and trellised vineyards. The formation began to come apart. The various captains rallied their squadrons and continued the advance, but momentum had been lost. Now Prussian infantry opened on the French cavalry at point-blank range, and Krupps guns tore huge gaps in the charging ranks as horses and riders plunged and went down in writhing masses. A few squadrons actually reached Morsbronn where the Prussians blasted them from second story windows and trapped them in barricaded streets. Nine squadrons were shot to pieces.  read more

Code: 20222

A Very Good British WW1, 1915, .455 MKVI Revolver Holster. An Absolute Corker!

The standard-issue Webley revolver at the outbreak of the First World War was the Webley Mk V (adopted 9 December 1913, but there were considerably more Mk IV revolvers in service in 1914, as the initial order for 20,000 Mk V revolvers had not been completed when hostilities began. On 24 May 1915, the large calibre Webley Mk VI .455 {manstopper} was adopted as the standard sidearm for British and Commonwealth troops and remained so for the duration of the First World War, being issued to officers, airmen, naval crews, boarding parties, trench raiders, machine-gun teams, and tank crews. The Mk VI proved to be a very reliable and hardy weapon, well suited to the mud and adverse conditions of trench warfare, and several accessories were developed for the Mk VI, including a bayonet (made from a converted French Gras bayonet), speedloader devices (the "Prideaux Device" and the Watson design), and a stock allowing for the revolver to be converted into a carbine.

Demand exceeded production, which was already behind as the war began. This forced the British government to buy substitute weapons chambered in .455 Webley from neutral countries. America provided the Smith & Wesson 2nd Model "Hand Ejector" and Colt New Service Revolvers.  read more

Code: 21348

1st Edition, Japanese Spears Polearms and Their Use in Old Japan Roald Knutsen,

Hardcover. Condition: Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Good.
By our local, world renowned sensei, and martial art expert and exponant, Roald Knutsen, who was the sensei of our 30 year late colleague, senpei, Christopher Fox, who was both a nihonto and Iaido expert of 40 years, and a remarkable exponent of all his martial arts in his own right.

This book charts the evolution of Japanese pole-arms from the bronze spears of the Yayoi period right up to to the Meiji Restoration; deals with the history and development of each category of spear; besides the blades, the shafts & mounts are described in detail; outlines the schools of spear and sword fencing from the early 14th century; a very necessary addition to the library of anyone interested in arms and armour; fully illustrated. Japanese spear-weapons mainly comprise the naginata (similar to the European glaive) and types of yari (pike / halberd). Hoko are a hook weapon.

This is the first book in English to provide a fully illustrated guide to the use of polearms - ranging from the earliest halberds and spears reaching Japan from the Asian mainland to the sophisticated naginata, nagamaki and various forms of yari used by the Japanese samurai through the medieval period. While the sword remains the best known of Japanese weapons, it was the halberd (naginata) and then the yari that dominated the battlefields up to the early seventeenth century, and thereafter the yari became an important status symbol to many warrior families. Additionally, the authors focus on the actual method of use of these weapons, hitherto an almost unknown aspect in the West.  read more

Code: 25110