Japanese

An Amazing Samurai Long-Sword Katana.Signed, Hizen kuni Dewa no kami Yukihiro Circa 1670 Made For the Nabeshima Clan. Yukihiro Acquired the Title of Dewa Daijo in 1648 & Was Ranked Up to Dewa (No) Kami in 1663. (Governor of Dewa Province)

A fabulous, signed, samurai katana of the Nabeshima clan lords. Likely, for such as a hatamoto (旗本, "Guardian of the banner") who was a high ranking samurai in the direct service of the Tokugawa shogunate of feudal Japan.

Hatamoto:
This term literally means "bannerman" and referred to the samurai who served directly under the Tokugawa Shogunate. They were a higher-ranking class compared to the Gokenin, who were the lower vassals.
Daimyo were powerful feudal lords who ruled their own domains and held significant power in Japanese society.
Karo, or clan elders, were the highest-ranking positions among a feudal lord's samurai retainers. They played a crucial role in managing political and economic affairs.

Overall in superb condition, and an absolute corker of an early samurai sword
All original Edo fittings to compliment the blade. A sword made circa 1670, with fine iron Higo school mounts with pure gold inlaid Imperial chrysanthemum mon to the fushi and kashira. Round iron signed Edo tsuba. Original Edo period urushi lacquer saya.

Yukihiro was a swordsmith of Hizen province, and as we believe this sword was made by him around 1670, he was making his swords for the Nebeshima at this time, so we believe it is very likely this was created for a high ranking samurai of that family clan, possibly such as a hatamoto. .
He was the Second son of Hashimoto Yoshinobu.
Yukihiro acquired the title of Dewa Daijo in 1648 and was ranked up to Dewa (No) Kami in 1663.
He travelled to Nagasaki to learn under Hisatsugu and Tanenaga who were highly informed about western steels brought to Japan by the Dutch. Yukihiro also studied Bizen-den style under the swordsmith that belonged to the Ishido School and sometimes added the character Ichi to his signature. Later he became a retained swordsmith of the Nabeshima family and lived in Nagase town. He passed away in 1683, aged 66. The clan controlled Saga Domain from the late Sengoku period through the Edo period.

The Nabeshima clan was a cadet branch of the Shoni clan and was descended from the Fujiwara clan. In the late 12th century, Fujiwara no Sukeyori, a descendant of Fujiwara no Hidesato in the 9th generation, received the title of Dazai Shoni (equivalent to that of vice-governor of the military government of Kyushu) from Shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo, and the title became the family name.

The clan played an important role in the region as early as the Muromachi period, when it helped suppress opposition to the Ashikaga shogunate's control of Kyushu. It did not take the name Nabeshima, however, until the late 15th century, when Shoni Shigenao established himself at Nabeshima in Hizen province (today part of Saga City, Saga prefecture). Later, in the Sengoku period (1467-1603), the Nabeshima were one of a number of clans which clashed over the island. The Nabeshima sided with the Ryuzoji clan against the Otomo clan, though this ultimately ended in failure and the death of Ryuzoji Takanobu at the 1584 battle of Okita Nawate. Several years later, however, the Nabeshima recovered power and prominence by aiding Toyotomi Hideyoshi in his 1587 invasion of Kyushu; Nabeshima Naoshige was granted the region of Saga as his fief, as a reward for his efforts. Naoshige also contributed to Hideyoshi's invasions of Korea in the 1590s.

The clan initially aided Ishida Mitsunari against Tokugawa Ieyasu in the Sekigahara Campaign in 1600. However, they switched sides to support the Tokugawa, who were ultimately victorious, before the campaign had ended, battling and occupying the forces of Tachibana Muneshige, who was thus prevented from contributing directly to the battle of Sekigahara. Though regarded as tozama daimyo ("outside" lords), and assigned particularly heavy corvee duties, the Nabeshima were allowed to keep their territory in Saga, and in fact had their kokudaka increased. The clan's forces served the new Tokugawa shogunate loyally in the years which followed; they remained in Kyushu during the 1615 Osaka Campaign as a check against a possible rebellion or uprising by the Shimazu clan, and aided in the suppression of the Shimabara Rebellion of 1637. In recognition of their service, members of the clan were granted the prestigious family honorific name of Matsudaira in 1648, Matsudaira being the original Tokugawa family name, the ruling Shogun of Japan for almost 300 years.

Samurai endured for almost 700 years, from 1185 to 1867. Samurai families were considered the elite. They made up only about six percent of the population and included daimyo and the loyal soldiers who fought under them. Samurai means one who serves."

Samurai were expected to be both fierce warriors and lovers of art, a dichotomy summed up by the Japanese concepts of bu to stop the spear exanding into bushido (the way of life of the warrior) and bun (the artistic, intellectual and spiritual side of the samurai). Originally conceived as away of dignifying raw military power, the two concepts were synthesised in feudal Japan and later became a key feature of Japanese culture and morality. The quintessential samurai was Miyamoto Musashi, a legendary early Edo-period swordsman who reportedly killed 60 men before his 30th birthday and was also a painting master. Members of a hierarchal class or caste, samurai were the sons of samurai and they were taught from an early age to unquestionably obey their mother, father and daimyo. When they grew older they may be trained by Zen Buddhist masters in meditation and the Zen concepts of impermanence and harmony with nature. The were also taught about painting, calligraphy, nature poetry, mythological literature, flower arranging, and the tea ceremony.


Very long 29.75 inch blade from tsuba to tip.

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

The Lanes Armoury, is world renown as Britain's favourite specialist collectors shop, and also a font of historical and educational information that is detailed with every single item. We detail each piece alongside its historical context, either generic or specific, for those that may wish to read, learn, or be informed, as opposed to simply acquire collectable items. We are probably one of the oldest companies of our kind in the whole of Europe and we have been established through generations, as specialists in armoury, military antiques, militaria collectables, and specialist books, since the early 1900’s, and thus we have continued to be one of the largest in the world today. We are also very pleased to know we are also studied and read by academics and students from hundreds of universities around the world, by those that are interested in not only British but worldwide history.
For this reason we are also well known to be a learning and researching website for students of history around the world.
Everyday we are contacted by historians that wish to make contributions to our detailed information for our pieces, and to thus add to our constant dedication to impart historical knowledge, that may be unknown to many of our millions of viewers.

Overall 39 inches long in saya.  read more

Code: 25760

A Simply Stunning Japanese Koto Period Wakazashi Bound In Imperial White & Devil Red Urushi Lacquer From The Time of The Battle of Sekigahara, The End of the Sengoku.

Late Koto period blade, circa 1590, in beautiful polish and fine suguha hamon. With a full suite of Edo period, gold and patinated shakudo fittings, a fine iron Edo tsuba, and a crayfish handled kodzuka utilty knife in patinated copper and gold. With a pair of pure gold overlaid takebori galloping ponies as menuki underneath the white silk ito.

It has a singularly beautiful and most scarcely seen colour combination of 'Red Devil' red and imperial white. White ito binding being the prerogative of only those of the highest level of status, due to it's obvious difficulty to maintain in pristine condition when worn regularly. Rich, so-called 'Red Devil' red, was the distinctive colour, and famous in Japanese samurai history, as the Li clan family’s colour, depicted with their imposing red lacquered suits of armour and weapons.
Rich red, as opposed to the more usual black and brown, was worn by all from the lord down to the foot soldiers, and it marked them out on the battlefield and advertised their origin to those who stood opposed to them. Known as the Red Devils, samurai under the rule of the Ii family played an integral part in the battles that ended the civil war and raised Tokugawa Ieyasu to the office of shogun, gaining great fame and a fierce reputation.

The Sengoku period was initiated by the Onin War in 1467 which collapsed the feudal system of Japan under the Ashikaga Shogunate. Various samurai warlords and clans fought for control over Japan in the power vacuum, while the Ikkō-ikki emerged to fight against samurai rule. The arrival of Europeans in 1543 introduced the arquebus into Japanese warfare, and Japan ended its status as a tributary state of China in 1549. Oda Nobunaga dissolved the Ashikaga Shogunate in 1573 and launched a war of political unification by force, including the Ishiyama Hongan-ji War, until his death in the Honnō-ji Incident in 1582. Nobunaga's successor Toyotomi Hideyoshi completed his campaign to unify Japan and consolidated his rule with numerous influential reforms. Hideyoshi launched the Japanese invasions of Korea in 1592, but their eventual failure damaged his prestige before his death in 1598. Tokugawa Ieyasu displaced Hideyoshi's young son and successor Toyotomi Hideyori at the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 and re-established the feudal system under the Tokugawa Shogunate. The Sengoku period ended when Toyotomi loyalists were defeated at the siege of Osaka in 1615.

The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: 関ヶ原の戦い; Kyūjitai: 關ヶ原の戰い, Hepburn romanization: Sekigahara no Tatakai) was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu Prefecture, Japan, at the end of the Sengoku period. This battle was fought by the forces of Tokugawa Ieyasu against a coalition of Toyotomi loyalist clans under Ishida Mitsunari, several of which defected before or during the battle, leading to a Tokugawa victory. The Battle of Sekigahara was the largest battle of Japanese feudal history and is often regarded as the most important. Mitsunari's defeat led to the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate.

Tokugawa Ieyasu took three more years to consolidate his position of power over the Toyotomi clan and the various daimyō, but the Battle of Sekigahara is widely considered to be the unofficial beginning of the Tokugawa shogunate, which ruled Japan for another two and a half centuries

Ii Naomasa, served as one of Tokugawa Ieyasu's generals, and received the fief of Hikone in Omi Province as a reward for his conduct in battle at Sekigahara. The colour of their armour meant that they were the easiest to recognise on the painted screens that depicted the great events of Japanese history, showing that the Ii family understood the benefits of good public relations. The Ii and a few sub-branches remained daimyo for the duration of the Edo period.

The family remained at the heart of events until 1860 when Ii Naosuke, the last of the lords of Hikone was murdered by anti-shogun and anti-Western rebels. He was deeply involved in the negotiations between the shogunate and the Western diplomats concerning the opening of Japan to trade  read more

Code: 25203

A Wonderful Late Koto to Early Shinto Period Samurai Katana In Superb Condition Circa 450 Years Old. Superb Original Full Suite of Original Edo Koshirae, Including Gold and Shakudo Goto School Mounts & Signed Tsuba

The blade is absolutely stunning in very fine polish, and showing a beautiful billowing, very deep hamon of extraordinary fine quality. Goto gold and shakudo fuchi kashira of deep takebori chrysanthemums and tendrils. Gold menuki of hawks, and a complimentary signed mokko form iron plate tsuba with a hawk in flight with gold highlights. Original Edo tsuka-ito and blade polish, and original Edo saya with fabulous original ishime pattern urushi lacquer of top quality, with minor age bruising and a saya jiri mount of pierced openwork.

Cherished for its infinite versatility, urushi is a distinctive art form that has spread across all facets of Japanese culture from the tea ceremony to the saya scabbards of samurai swords

Japanese artists created their own style and perfected the art of decorated lacquerware during the 8th century. Japanese lacquer skills reached its peak as early as the twelfth century, at the end of the Heian period (794-1185). This skill was passed on from father to son and from master to apprentice.

The samurai were roughly the equivalent of feudal knights. Employed by the shogun or daimyo, they were members of hereditary warrior class that followed a strict "code" that defined their clothes, armour and behaviour on the battlefield. But unlike most medieval knights, samurai warriors could read and they were well versed in Japanese art, literature and poetry.
Samurai endured for almost 700 years, from 1185 to 1867. Samurai families were considered the elite. They made up only about six percent of the population and included daimyo and the loyal soldiers who fought under them. Samurai means one who serves."

Samurai were expected to be both fierce warriors and lovers of art, a dichotomy summed up by the Japanese concepts of to stop the spear expanding into bushido (the way of life of the warrior) and bun (the artistic, intellectual and spiritual side of the samurai). Originally conceived as away of dignifying raw military power, the two concepts were synthesised in feudal Japan and later became a key feature of Japanese culture and morality.The quintessential samurai was Miyamoto Musashi, a legendary early Edo-period swordsman who reportedly killed 60 men before his 30th birthday and was also a painting master. Members of a hierarchal class or caste, samurai were the sons of samurai and they were taught from an early age to unquestionably obey their mother, father and daimyo. When they grew older they may be trained by Zen Buddhist masters in meditation and the Zen concepts of impermanence and harmony with nature. The were also taught about painting, calligraphy, nature poetry, mythological literature, flower arranging, and the tea ceremony.

It has been said that part of their military training, samurai were taught to sleep with their right arm underneath them so if they were attacked in the middle of the night and their the left arm was cut off the could still fight with their right arm. Samurai, it has been said, that if they tossed and turned at night were cured of the habit by having two knives placed on either side of their pillow.

Samurai have been describes as "the most strictly trained human instruments of war to have existed." They were expected to be proficient in the martial arts of aikido and kendo as well as swordsmanship and archery---the traditional methods of samurai warfare---which were viewed not so much as skills but as art forms that flowed from natural forces that harmonized with nature.

Long 29 inch blade, overall in saya 40.3 inches long

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: 24998

A Very Attractive, and Most Rare Original Antique Edo Era Ashigaru {Foot Samurai} Armour and Jingasa Helmet. Commanded in Battle By The Ashigarugashira 足軽頭 . Around 300 Years Old.

17th to 18th century. Its Jingasa helmet is made in hardened leather, decorated with black lacquer, with a large red sun mon, a do cuirass of frontis plate with the same red sun mon, that secures at the back with cords. It has kusari kote arm sleeves and gauntlets, three panels of ito bound kusazuri, this is the plate skirt that protects the lower part of the body as well as the upper leg. It is laced together to the upper plates.

Ashigaru armour was light, flexible and simpler to make than usual samurai armour. It was worn by spear men foot soldiers, in battle or defensive service, and they may be armed with yari or nagananata {polearms}, yumi {bows with arrows} or tanegashima {muskets}, in most samurai armies. It was the most common form of armour in Rokugan.

In the Ōnin War, ashigaru gained a reputation as unruly troops when they looted and burned Miyako (modern-day Kyoto). In the following 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 (足軽頭). The most famous of them was Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who also raised many of his warrior followers to samurai status.

Ashigaru formed the backbone of samurai armies in the later periods. The real change for the ashigaru began in 1543 with the introduction of matchlock firearms by the Portuguese. Almost immediately local daimyōs started to equip their ashigaru with the new weapon, which required little training to use proficiently, as compared with the longbow, which took many years to learn. As battles became more complex and forces larger, ashigaru were rigorously trained so that they would hold their ranks in the face of enemy fire.

The advantage of the matchlock guns proved decisive to samurai warfare. This was demonstrated at the Battle of Nagashino in 1575, where carefully positioned ashigaru gunners of the Oda and Tokugawa clans thwarted the Takeda clan's repeated heavy cavalry charges against the Oda clan's defensive lines and broke the back of the Takeda war machine.

After the battle, the ashigaru's role in the armies was cemented as a very powerful complement to the samurai. The advantage was used in the two invasions of Korea in 1592 and 1597 against the Koreans and later the Ming-dynasty Chinese. Though the ratio of guns (matchlocks) to bows was 2:1 during the first invasion, the ratio became 4:1 in the second invasion since the guns proved highly effective

Some samurai would consider wearing ashigaru armour if a mission required them to travel light and fast, such as scouting, and Ronin were also noted for commonly using ashigaru armour, because of it's availability and lesser cost than elaborate armour

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, as Britain’s oldest established, and favourite, armoury and gallery  read more

Code: 25006

A Majestic Edo Period Samurai Wakazashi Of Museum Quality. With a Pure Layered Gold Habaki of the Ryojin, The "Dragon King," & Fuchigashira With His Pure Gold Servants The Sea Turtles

A most splendid samurai sword, the secondary sword of likely a daimyo, clan lord, around 425 years old, untouched for around 150 years since it arrived from Japan. The blade bears a wonderous hamon of incredible activity with the Shinto Osaka school designs of gunome midare ba, with crab claws. The saya is one of the most beautiful we have seen with all its original urushi lacquer of a black base ground decorated with crushed abilone, over lacquered with clear urushi nad then takebori symbols of open ended infinity throughout. It has its all original Edo period shakudo and gold mounts of superlative beauty of the turtles. According to traditional Japanese beliefs, the turtle is a haven for immortals and the world mountain, and symbolizes longevity, good luck, and support. It is the symbol of Kumpira, the god of seafaring people especially. He is said to have lived tens of thousands of years.
Ryujin or Ryojin "dragon god", which in some traditions is equivalent to Owatatsumi, was the tutelary deity of the sea in Japanese mythology. This Japanese dragon symbolized the power of the ocean, had a large mouth, and was able to transform into a human shape. Ryujin lived in Ryugu-jo, his palace under the sea built out of red and white coral, from where he controlled the tides with magical tide jewels. Sea turtles, fish and jellyfish are often depicted as Ryujin's servants.

The tsuba is an absolute gem in shakudo with hammered pure gold onlaid paulownia leaves set in half surface decorated hand carved takebori open fretwork of tendrils. Paulownia is a symbol of good fortune, royalty, and the imperial family in Japan. It's depicted in the seal of the Prime Minister and used in various government emblems. The menuki are birds of paradise and shakudo and gold flying in clouds and match the very same design on the kodzuka, a bird of paradise, of gold and shakudo, utility knife, stored in the traditional kozuka saya pocket.

Samurai have been describes as "the most strictly trained human instruments of war to have existed." They were expected to be proficient in the martial arts of aikido and kendo as well as swordsmanship and archery---the traditional methods of samurai warfare---which were viewed not so much as skills but as art forms that flowed from natural forces that harmonized with nature.
An individual, in certain circumstances, apparently didn't become a full-fledged samurai until, some say, he wandered around the countryside as begging pilgrim for a couple of years to learn humility. Again this may be part of the myth. However, when all his training was completed a samurai trainee that achieved samurai status and received a salary from his daimyo, paid from taxes (usually rice) raised from the local populace, he truly became the very best at his art in the world of sword combat

Swords in Japan have long been symbols of power and honour and seen as works of art, which is exactly what they are.

In Japan the term samurai evolved over several centuries

In Japanese, they are usually referred to as bushi (武士,) or buke (武家). According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning 'to wait upon', 'accompany persons' in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau. In both countries the terms were nominalized to mean 'those who serve in close attendance to the nobility', the Japanese term saburai being the nominal form of the verb." According to Wilson, an early reference to the word samurai appears in the Kokin Wakashū (905–914), the first imperial anthology of poems, completed in the first part of the 10th century.

Originally, the word samurai referred to anyone who served the emperor, the imperial family, or the imperial court nobility, even in a non-military capacity.It was not until the 17th century that the term gradually became a title for military servants of warrior families, so that, according to Michael Wert, "a warrior of elite stature in pre-seventeenth-century Japan would have been insulted to be called a 'samurai'".

In modern usage, bushi is often used as a synonym for samurai

Every item is accompanied with our unique, Certificate of Authenticity. Of course any certificate of authenticity, given by even the very best and highly esteemed specialist dealers, in any field, all around the world, is simply a piece of paper,…however, ours is backed up with the fact we are the largest dealers of our kind in the world, with over 100 years and four generation’s of professional trading behind us. The current two partners alone, combined together, have over 96 years of professional experience within the trade.

Overall the condition is excellent for age, with just a few small marks withing the lacquered saya urushi, and very small pit marked spotting on the blade area that we can have removed  read more

Code: 25752

A Wonderful Samurai Sword Wakazashi Circa 1600 Mounted with a Fully Matching Original Edo Suite of Kiri 桐, The Japanese Empress Tree Design Mounts of Very High Quality, In Exceptional Overall Condition

In superb untouched condition. A fabulous museum quality original samurai sword around 400 years old, with a wonderful blade with a very fine midare hamon, itame hada, original urushi lacquer saya with matching koi-guchi, uragawara and kurikata. The koshirae are patinated copper decorated with crosshatched design of a rattan screen overlaid in pawlonia flowers and leaves known as the Kiri, the empress tree. Paulownia is a symbol of good fortune, royalty, and the imperial family in Japan. It's depicted in the seal of the Prime Minister and used in various government emblems.

Samurai have been describes as "the most strictly trained human instruments of war to have existed." They were expected to be proficient in the martial arts of aikido and kendo as well as swordsmanship and archery---the traditional methods of samurai warfare---which were viewed not so much as skills but as art forms that flowed from natural forces that harmonized with nature.
An individual, in certain circumstances, apparently didn't become a full-fledged samurai until, some say, he wandered around the countryside as begging pilgrim for a couple of years to learn humility. Again this may be part of the myth. However, when all his training was completed a samurai trainee that achieved samurai status and received a salary from his daimyo, paid from taxes (usually rice) raised from the local populace, he truly became the very best at his art in the world of sword combat

Swords in Japan have long been symbols of power and honour and seen as works of art, which is exactly what they are.

In Japan the term samurai evolved over several centuries

In Japanese, they are usually referred to as bushi (武士,) or buke (武家). According to translator William Scott Wilson: "In Chinese, the character 侍 was originally a verb meaning 'to wait upon', 'accompany persons' in the upper ranks of society, and this is also true of the original term in Japanese, saburau. In both countries the terms were nominalized to mean 'those who serve in close attendance to the nobility', the Japanese term saburai being the nominal form of the verb." According to Wilson, an early reference to the word samurai appears in the Kokin Wakashū (905–914), the first imperial anthology of poems, completed in the first part of the 10th century.

Originally, the word samurai referred to anyone who served the emperor, the imperial family, or the imperial court nobility, even in a non-military capacity.It was not until the 17th century that the term gradually became a title for military servants of warrior families, so that, according to Michael Wert, "a warrior of elite stature in pre-seventeenth-century Japan would have been insulted to be called a 'samurai'".

In modern usage, bushi is often used as a synonym for samurai

Every item is accompanied with our unique, Certificate of Authenticity. Of course any certificate of authenticity, given by even the very best and highly esteemed specialist dealers, in any field, all around the world, is simply a piece of paper,…however, ours is backed up with the fact we are the largest dealers of our kind in the world, with over 100 years and four generation’s of professional trading behind us. The current two partners alone, combined together, have over 99 years of professional experience within the trade.  read more

Code: 25749

The Lanes Armoury Probably The Largest Online Militaria Website in the World, After Over 100 Years of Brighton Trading, &, The 24th Anniversary of Our Best Antique & Collectables Shop in Britain Award

In this very special anniversary year of 80 years since VE Day in 1945.

Presented by MILLER'S Antiques Guide, THE BBC, HOMES & ANTIQUES MAGAZINE in 2001.

Five years ago we were approached by a most historically enthusiastic young person studying at Sussex University who asked if they could research through our archive to complete a 'paper' based on us as one of the oldest remaining Sussex family business's.
It resulted in some remarkable statistics, that we thought we would share with our regulars, for those that have interest. The research only included the types of items that we regularly buy, sell and export today, with general antiques, furniture, porcelain, clocks, silver and works of art excluded, as we haven't been devoted to that side of the trade since selling our antique export shipping companies in 1992.

In over 100 years of shop keeping in Brighton, at the time of his research, 80 of them pre-internet, apparently, we have likely sold over 200,000 books, {vintage and antique books were, and are, our largest selling single item}, 135,000 medals & badges, over 95,000 worldwide swords, knives and bayonets, over 32,000 Japanese samurai swords {for example, around 28 years ago we bought over 150 Japanese WW2 NCO swords in one vast lot, from the grandson of a WW2 British military surplus dealer, who acquired them for scrap in 1946 from the War Dept}. We have sold and exported,, apparently over 28,500 helmets of all origins and types, 27,000 pistols and muskets of all countries, at least 2450 suits of armour, European, British or Japanese, and over 1,500 cannon, both signal and full sized. Believe it or not, apparently, according to their research and calculations, these are potentially conservative figures, and the actual figure could indeed be much higher.
So, please enjoy our historical website, and remember, every thing you see is available and for sale, we try to never keep our webstore filled with past 'sold' items.

Being part of the centre of the historic Brighton Lanes, anything up 2,000 to 3,000 people, will visit us here most days {especially on Saturdays} winter and summer, rain or shine.

We issue our unique, certificate of authenticity, with every single item purchased, and in regards to our Japanese items, both weapons and fittings etc. our ability to do this is based on well over a century of experience, as probably the largest military antiques dealers in Europe. We detail within our certificates, their beauty, approximate age, style, and the feature of their fittings and mounts, and their potential position and status in Japanese samurai history. We will detail the translations, if known, of the kanji (names) chisselled upon the nakago of swords, under their hilt bindings, but purely for information only, although the myth persists that all Japanese master smiths signed their swords, historically, and factually, it is likely less than 30% of samurai blades were in fact ever signed. This fact is certainly found, and confirmed by us to be the case, due to our family’s 100 plus years experience. For example, it is said one of the greatest master smiths who ever lived, Masamune, was, apparently, most reluctant to ever sign his swords. Although this must be relative speculation, as so very few of his swords have been recognised to still exist

Our Certificates of Authenticity are our own unique version of a lifetime guarantee, based on our expertise honed over 100 years, containing a detailed description of any item purchased from our stock. In relation to our samurai weapons, the description with be a combination of our opinion of its style, approximate age and beauty, and for our Japanese samurai swords in particular, that it is an ‘original’, samurai sword, made and used by samurai, both ancient and vintage, within Japan, over the past 700 years, up to the last samurai period in the Meiji era of 1868, as well as up to 1945, if it is a military mounted shingunto sword.

Photos 4 and 5 are part of an editorial in Art and Antiques Weekly Magazine, featuring the story so far { in 1975} of the partner’s former family antiques export company, one of the largest in the world at that time. In 1992 Mark and David retired from the mass wholesale export market and morphed their business into the becoming one of the largest dedicated ‘military antiques’ businesses instead, both of their true passions.  read more

Code: 22565

A Wonderful 500 Year Old Koto Period Samurai 'Dragon' Wakizashi Samurai Short Sword, Another Absolute Beauty From Our latest collection

Based entirely around the legendary Japanese dragon, Bearing the dragon on all of its fittings and mounts including its kozuka utility knife. All of the fittings are original Edo period, of very nice quality the dragon tsuba is iron with gold highlights, of a chiselled takebori dragon signed by a very good tsuba maker, Kinai.

One has to bear in mind this tanto has been used by numerous samurai over more than a dozen generations, since the era, in England, when King Henry the VIIIth was a child.

The tsuka is superb and has its original, beautiful mid blue silk binding, that is patterned damask silk with a clan mon design theme. It is a very rare, and most infrequently seen form of deluxe quality tsuka-ito, that is wrapped over black samegawa giant ray-skin, over the gold dragon menuki. The fuchi is fine Soten school, of a pure gold decor takebori dragon, over a shakudo Nanak o ground. The kashira is hand carved and polished black buffalo horn.

The saya has its incredible Edo period urushi lacquer in a stippled ishime stone finish. and within its saya pocket is the kozuka utility knife, with a sinchu handle, decorated with a takebori carved sea dragon in crashing waves, the saya bears a shakudo mount of a deep and crisp, rare type takebori mythical flying sea dragon with a fishtail. The blade is in super and beautiful polish, showing a delightful light notare, based on suguha, hamon.

The original Edo period urushi lacquer on the saya is in simply excellent condition for age and shows most elegant patterning, it reveals within that intricacy the finest craftsmanship and beauty worthy of a master of the art of urushi decor. Japanese lacquer, or urushi, is a transformative and highly prized material that has traced it origins, and been refined, for over several thousands of years.

Cherished for its infinite versatility, urushi is a distinctive art form that has spread across all facets of Japanese culture from the tea ceremony to the saya scabbards of samurai swords

Japanese artists created their own style and perfected the art of decorated lacquerware during the 8th century. Japanese lacquer skills reached its peak as early as the twelfth century, at the end of the Heian period (794-1185). This skill was passed on from father to son and from master to apprentice.

The varnish used in Japanese lacquer is made from the sap of the urushi tree, also known as the lacquer tree or the Japanese varnish tree (Rhus vernacifera), which mainly grows in Japan and China, as well as Southeast Asia. Japanese lacquer, 漆 urushi, is made from the sap of the lacquer tree. The tree must be tapped carefully, as in its raw form the liquid is poisonous to the touch, and even breathing in the fumes can be dangerous. But people in Japan have been working with this material for many millennia, so there has been time to refine the technique!

Flowing from incisions made in the bark, the sap, or raw lacquer is a viscous greyish-white juice. The harvesting of the resin can only be done in very small quantities.
Three to five years after being harvested, the resin is treated to make an extremely resistant, honey-textured lacquer. After filtering, homogenization and dehydration, the sap becomes transparent and can be tinted in black, red, yellow, green or brown.

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