A Very Good & Beautiful, Late Koto Samurai Katana, Mounted With A Full Suite of Higo Mounts

Circa 1590. All original Edo period koshirae and a leather bound tsuka over bird menuki on a giant rayskin covered hilt, ishime stone lacquer finish saya in bull's blood sang de boeuf lacquer. Very fine Higo mounts including a sayagaki. Fine blade with suguha hamon.

A great sword in very nice condition. Made and used in the time of the greatest battle in samurai history. The Battle of Sekigahara Sekigahara no Tatakai) was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 that preceded the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate. Initially, Tokugawa's eastern army had 75,000 men, while Ishida's western army numbered 120,000. Tokugawa had also sneaked in a supply of arquebuses. Knowing that Tokugawa was heading towards Osaka, Ishida decided to abandon his positions and marched to Sekigahara. Even though the Western forces had tremendous tactical advantages, Tokugawa had already been in contact with many daimyo in the Western Army for months, promising them land and leniency after the battle should they switch sides.

Tokugawa's forces started the battle when Fukushima Masanori, the leader of the advance guard, charged north from Tokugawa's left flank along the Fuji River against the Western Army's right centre. The ground was still muddy from the previous day's rain, so the conflict there devolved into something more primal. Tokugawa then ordered attacks from his right and his centre against the Western Army?s left in order to support Fukushima's attack.

This left the Western Army's centre unscathed, so Ishida ordered this unit under the command of Shimazu Yoshihiro to reinforce his right flank. Shimazu refused as daimyos of the day only listened to respected commanders, which Ishida was not.

Recent scholarship by Professor Yoshiji Yamasaki of Toho University has indicated that the Mori faction had reached a secret agreement with the Tokugawa two weeks earlier, pledging neutrality at the decisive battle in exchange for a guarantee of territorial preservation, and was a strategic decision on Mori Terumoto's part that later backfired.

Fukushima's attack was slowly gaining ground, but this came at the cost of exposing their flank to attack from across the Fuji River by Otani Yoshitsugu, who took advantage of this opportunity. Just past Otani's forces were those of Kobayakawa Hideaki on Mount Matsuo.

Kobayakawa was one of the daimyos that had been courted by Tokugawa. Even though he had agreed to defect to Tokugawa's side, in the actual battle he was hesitant and remained neutral. As the battle grew more intense, Tokugawa finally ordered arquebuses to fire at Kobayakawa's position on Mount Matsuo to force Kobayakawa to make his choice. At that point Kobayakawa joined the battle as a member of the Eastern Army. His forces charged ?tani's position, which did not end well for Kobayakawa. Otani's forces had dry gunpowder, so they opened fire on the turncoats, making the charge of 16,000 men mostly ineffective. However, he was already engaging forces under the command of Todo Takatora, Kyogoku Takatsugu, and Oda Yuraku when Kobayakawa charged. At this point, the buffer Otani established was outnumbered. Seeing this, Western Army generals Wakisaka Yasuharu, Ogawa Suketada, Akaza Naoyasu, and Kutsuki Mototsuna switched sides, turning the tide of battle  read more

Code: 21331

A Most Rare, Original, Romanov Era, Russian Cossack Solid Silver Shashka & Matching Silver Cossack Whip With Concealed Dagger, 'The Imperial Russian Sword & Nagaika Awards of Gallantry' The Russian Equivalent to the British Victoria Cross

Awarded and dated in 1883. In 50 years we have never seen a matching pair of honour sword and dagger complete and together, they may not even have a pair in the St Petersburg Hermitage Museum. One of the greatest museum collections in the world. A Most Rare 19th Century Romanov, Russian Shashka, 'Sword of Chivalry' complete with its matching, rare, and fabulous silver Niello presentation Romanov Cossack's nagaika [Cossack whip with hidden dagger]. Both were awarded for gallantry and heroism in combat during the Romanov era of Czarist Russia, in the reign of Czar Alexander IIIrd, father of Czar Nicolas IInd the last Czar, executed by firing squad in Yekaterinburg, by the revolutionaries in July 1918 .
The sword and whip combination are the Imperial Russian equivalent to the Victoria Cross or the American American Medal of Honour. For such a great honour, as well as the 'Badge of St Anne' the recipient may also be awarded a presentation silver sashqua [sabre], engraved with the award presentation and emblazened with a silver enamel badge of the Order of St. Anne. A Cossack could also be awarded, as a very special extra honour, a silver Niello nagaika [Cossack whip] with a concealed thrusting dagger which also has a matching silver and enamel St Anne award for gallantry badge mounted on the body of the whip. The dagger was for use against attacking wolves or for close combat battle use. We show in the gallery a picture of a Cossack lieutenant with his awarded silver Cossack sashqua of gallantry, and also with his matching presentation nagaika. Also we show a cossack charge with sabres and the nagaika on the cossack's wrists. The picture is a standing lieutenant, of the 2nd Volgski Regiment, Terek Host.

The epitome of the Caucasian Cossack officer; the highly decorated weapons and kaftan are typical of these units throughout the war. The cartridge pockets on each breast, gaziri, were functional as well as decorative. The undershirt, beshmet, was often privately made and did not always conform to regulations. During the war supply problems led to khaki replacing the grey kaftans. The rank of this sotnik or first lieutenant is identified by the three stars and single stripe on his shoulder boards, which also bear the regimental number '2 and the Cyrillic initial of the Terek Cossacks, which resembles 'Br. Light blue was the traditional distinguishing color of the Terek Host. He wears the Order of Vladimir 4th Class with Swords, the Order of St. Anne 4th Class with Swords, a Terek Cossack badge and that of the Novocherkask Cossack School. His handsome weapon is a St. Anne's Sword 'for Bravery' - note the rosette in the pommel. He carries the matching silver Cossack nagaika whip with badge. A most rare desirable and collectable sword of the Imperial, Russian, Romanov period. A sword of gallantry and honour awarded to an officer who displayed the finest valour serving his Czar, the equivalent at the time to the Victoria Cross medal in England or the US Medal of Honour in America. The hilt is silver surrounding a central carved ribbed grip of bone and it is engraved on the pommel in Russian to represent gallantry and there's the red enamel badge of Saint Anna of Russia the blade is simply superb decorated in fine scrolls and imperial scenes of cavalry, stands of arms and flags, and the crest of Czar Alexander of Russia, the father of Czar Nicholas II, the executed last Czar of all the Russias. The spine of the blade bears a cyrillic Russian inscription by the maker Zlatoust, and date 1883. The silver pommel is engraved in Russian, the closest translation in English is 'for Bravery'. The blade is superbly etched with panels of charging cossack cavalry, the crest of the Romanov Czar, Alexander III, the Cross of St Anna, and numerous scrolls and geometric designs, plus traces of original blue and gilt in the fullers. Swords of this nature are some of the most desirable Russian swords ever made and collected from the old Imperial Romanov Russia, and this one is certainly one of the finest we have ever seen. The Order of Saint Anna ("Order of Saint Ann" or "Order of Saint Anne") was established as a Holstein ducal and then Russian imperial order of chivalry established by Karl Friedrich, Duke of Holstein-Gottorp, on 14 February 1735, in honour of his wife Anna Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great of Russia. The motto of the Order is "Amantibus Justitiam, Pietatem, Fidem" ("To those who love justice, piety, and fidelity"). Its festival day is 3 February (New Style, 16 February). Originally, the Order of Saint Anna was a dynastic order of knighthood; but between 1797 and 1917 it had dual status as a dynastic order and as a state order. The Head of the Imperial House of Russia always is Master of the imperial Order of Saint Anna. The Order of St. Anna continued to be awarded after the revolution by Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich, and Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna.

Membership of the Order was awarded for a distinguished valour and distinguished service in the military. The Order of Saint Anna entitled recipients of the first class to hereditary nobility, and recipients of lower classes to personal nobility. For military recipients, it was awarded with swords such as this wonderful superior rank example. The blade makers marks of Zlatoust. The House of Romanov was the second dynasty to rule Russia, after the House of Rurik, reigning from 1613 until the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II on 15 March 1917, as a result of the February Revolution.

The Romanovs achieved prominence as boyars of the Grand Duchy of Moscow, later the Tsardom of Russia. In 1613, following years of interregnum (Time of Troubles), the zemsky sobor offered the Russian crown to Mikhail Romanov. He acceded to the throne as Michael I, becoming the first Tsar of Russia from the House of Romanov. His grandson Peter I established the Russian Empire and transformed the country into a continental power through a series of wars and reforms.

The direct male line of the Romanovs came to an end when Elizabeth of Russia died in 1762. After an era of dynastic crisis, the House of Holstein-Gottorp, a cadet branch of the House of Oldenburg that reigned in Denmark, ascended the throne in 1762 with Peter III, a grandson of Peter I. All rulers from the middle of the 18th century to the revolution of 1917 were descended from that branch. Though officially known as the House of Romanov, these descendants of the Romanov and Oldenburg dynasties are sometimes referred to as Holstein-Gottorp-Romanov.

In early 1917 the Romanov dynasty had 65 members, 18 of whom were killed by the Bolsheviks. The remaining 47 members went into exile abroad. In 1924, Grand Duke Kirill Vladimirovich, the senior, surviving male-line descendant of Alexander II of Russia by primogeniture, claimed the headship of the defunct Imperial House of Russia. Since 1991, the succession to the former Russian throne has been in dispute, largely due to disagreements over the validity of dynasts' marriages, especially between the lines of Grand Duchess Maria Vladimirovna of Russia and Prince Nicholas Romanovich Romanov, succeeded by Prince Andrew Romanov. The sword has no scabbard.


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: 23150

A Superb Ancient Bronze Age Mace Head 3000 to 4000 Years Old, From The Age Of Rameses The Great, The Greatest Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt.

Ist to 2nd Millennium B.C.Although displayed on a short stand In use it would have slotted onto a wooden haft. For over 100 years we have been delighted to acquire such fabulous historical original Items such as this, originally collected in the 18th and early 19th century by British noblemen and women touring Europe and the Middle East on their personal expeditions known as a ‘Grand Tour’. Originally placed, after being purchased on their journeys, to be placed on display in the family’s classical gallery or 'cabinet of curiosities', within their country house upon their return home.

A popular pastime in the 18th and 19th century, comprised of English ladies and gentlemen travelling for many months, or even years, throughout classical Europe, and the Middle East, and Western Asiatic region, acquiring antiquities and antiques for their private collections. The use of the stone headed mace as a weapon and a symbol od status and ceremony goes back to the Upper Palaeolithic stone age, but an important, later development in mace heads was the use of metal for their composition. With the advent of copper mace heads, they no longer shattered and a better fit could be made to the wooden club by giving the eye of the mace head the shape of a cone and using a tapered handle.

The Shardanas or warriors from Sardinia who fought for Ramses II against the Hittities were armed with maces consisting of wooden sticks with bronze heads. Many bronze statuettes of the times show Sardinian warriors carrying swords, bows and original maces. Persians used a variety of maces and fielded large numbers of heavily armoured and armed cavalry (see cataphracts). For a heavily armed Persian knight, a mace was as effective as a sword or battle axe. In fact, Shahnameh has many references to heavily armoured knights facing each other using maces, axes, and swords. The enchanted talking mace Sharur made its first appearance in Sumerian/Akkadian mythology during the epic of Ninurta. Roman though auxiliaries from Syria Palestina were armed with clubs and maces at the battles of Immae and Emesa in 272 AD. They proved highly effective against the heavily armoured horsemen of Palmyra. Photos in the gallery of original carvings from antiquity in the British Museum etc.; Ashurbanipal at the Battle of Til-Tuba, Assyrian Art / British Museum, London/ 650-620 BC/ Limestone,, An Assyrian soldier waving a mace escorts four prisoners, who carry their possessions in sacks over their shoulders. Their clothes and their turbans, rising to a slight point which flops backwards, are typical of the area; people from the Biblical kingdom of Israel, shown on other sculptures, wear the same dress, on a gypsum wall panel relief, South West Palace, Nimrud, Kalhu Iraq, neo-assyrian, 730BC-727BC.
A recovered tablet from Egypt's Early Dynastic Period (3150-2613 BCE) shows a Pharaoh smiting his foe with a war mace. The mace is complete with its display stand as shown. Part of an original collection we have acquired, of antiquities, Roman, Greek, Middle Eastern, Viking and early British relics of warfare from ancient battle sites recovered up to and around 220 years ago on a Grand Tour.

Richard Lassels, an expatriate Roman Catholic priest, first used the phrase “Grand Tour” in his 1670 book Voyage to Italy, published posthumously in Paris in 1670. In its introduction, Lassels listed four areas in which travel furnished "an accomplished, consummate traveler" with opportunities to experience first hand the intellectual, the social, the ethical, and the political life of the Continent.

The English gentry of the 17th century believed that what a person knew came from the physical stimuli to which he or she has been exposed. Thus, being on-site and seeing famous works of art and history was an all important part of the Grand Tour. So most Grand Tourists spent the majority of their time visiting museums and historic sites.

Once young men began embarking on these journeys, additional guidebooks and tour guides began to appear to meet the needs of the 20-something male and female travelers and their tutors traveling a standard European itinerary. They carried letters of reference and introduction with them as they departed from southern England, enabling them to access money and invitations along the way.

With nearly unlimited funds, aristocratic connections and months or years to roam, these wealthy young tourists commissioned paintings, perfected their language skills and mingled with the upper crust of the Continent.

The wealthy believed the primary value of the Grand Tour lay in the exposure both to classical antiquity and the Renaissance, and to the aristocratic and fashionably polite society of the European continent. In addition, it provided the only opportunity to view specific works of art, and possibly the only chance to hear certain music. A Grand Tour could last from several months to several years. The youthful Grand Tourists usually traveled in the company of a Cicerone, a knowledgeable guide or tutor.

The ‘Grand Tour’ era of classical acquisitions from history existed up to around the 1850’s, and extended around the whole of Europe, Egypt, the Ottoman Empire, and the Holy Land.

This wonderful piece would have been made and traded throughout the Western Asiatic region. 10.5 inches high including stand.
Every single item from The Lanes Armoury is accompanied by our unique Certificate of Authenticity. Part of our continued dedication to maintain the standards forged by us over the past 100 years of our family’s trading  read more

Code: 23025

A Most Fine Imperial German & WW2 General Officer's & Field Marshal's Grade Sabre As Carried By Field Marshal von Kliest With Ruby Eye Lion's Head Pommel

Lioness head quillon end and langets decorated with a panel to the reverse langet, and a pair of crossed cannon barrels on the front langet. Remarkably the hilt still retains around most of all its original highest grade gold plate surface.

P hilt guard with oak leaf with acorn decoration across the bow, laurel leaf patterning around the ferrule and wire bound sharkskin grip. It looks truly, spectacularly beautiful.
The blade is double side fully etched with Romanesque scroll patterning combined with stands of arms.

In the gallery is a portrait photo of WW2 Field Marshal von Kleist holding his near identical Imperial service lion's head pommel sword.

Almost all WW2 German Generals and Field Marshals served in WW1 and thus continued to use their previous war service sword, just as this one. The added benefit was often that the Imperial German made swords could be better quality than the later period replacements, especially the superior deluxe versions like this one, which were the next grade below the presentation Damascus bladed German Grosse Degan sabre. the sword hilt and blade is is superb condition for age.
The scabbard is steel, blued overall, with a copper-gilt suspension belt mount. Truly one of the best quality and condition examples apart from the light scabbard denting we have seen in 20 years. Curiously we have seen exactly the same kind of denting on the scabbards of known WW2 General officer's swords, often caused by sword scabbards being caught in Mercedes staff-car doors

The scabbard has several service dings and dents  read more

Code: 24759

A Very Good WW1 & WW2 Royal Naval Officer's Sword with Service Knot

Made and used in WW1 and WW2, yet perfectly serviceable for current service.

Near mint gilt, fully etched blade with traditional anchor and the King George Vth cypher.

The original Royal Naval sword was designed in 1805, although elegant in design it proved impractical and was replaced in 1827 by the solid hilt variant. In 1846 the Royal Naval blade was standardised for all Royal Naval officers, with the current lighter, straight single-edged blade being commissioned into service in 1929.

During World War I, the Royal Navy's strength was mostly deployed at home in the Grand Fleet, confronting the German High Seas Fleet across the North Sea. Several inconclusive clashes took place between them, chiefly the Battle of Jutland in 1916. The British fighting advantage proved insurmountable, leading the High Seas Fleet to abandon any attempt to challenge British dominance. The Royal Navy played an important role in securing the British Isles and the English Channel, notably ferrying the entire British Expeditionary Force to the Western Front without the loss of a single life at the beginning of the war.
The Royal Navy nevertheless remained active in other theatres, most notably in the Mediterranean Sea, where they waged the Dardanelles and Gallipoli campaigns in 1914 and 1915. British cruisers hunted down German commerce raiders across the world's oceans in 1914 and 1915, including the battles of Coronel, Falklands Islands, Cocos, and Rufiji Delta, among others

At the start of World War II in 1939, the Royal Navy was still the largest in the world, with over 1,400 vessels. The Royal Navy provided critical cover during Operation Dynamo, the British evacuations from Dunkirk, and as the ultimate deterrent to a German invasion of Britain during the following four months. The Luftwaffe under Hermann Göring attempted to gain air supremacy over southern England in the Battle of Britain in order to neutralise the Home Fleet, but faced stiff resistance from the Royal Air Force. The Luftwaffe bombing offensive during the Kanalkampf phase of the battle targeted naval convoys and bases in order to lure large concentrations of RAF fighters into attrition warfare. At Taranto, Admiral Cunningham commanded a fleet that launched the first all-aircraft naval attack in history. The Royal Navy suffered heavy losses in the first two years of the war. Over 3,000 people were lost when the converted troopship Lancastria was sunk in June 1940, the greatest maritime disaster in Britain's history. The Navy's most critical struggle was the Battle of the Atlantic defending Britain's vital North American commercial supply lines against U-boat attack. A traditional convoy system was instituted from the start of the war, but German submarine tactics, based on group attacks by "wolf-packs", were much more effective than in the previous war, and the threat remained serious for well over three years

Fully etched blade with old aged pitting at the tip end now surface polished bright.  read more

Code: 25221

A Delightful Piece of Large Quality 'Trench Art'. A German Shell Trench Engineered Into The Form Of A British 1905 Pattern Trench Service Cap. Wonderful Quality

In near mint condition.

‘Trench art’ is a term used to describe objects made from the debris and by-products of modern warfare. Trench Art is usually associated with the First World War, although similar items have been produced in other conflicts too.



Most trench art was made by servicemen to pass the time when not in the front line. While much of it was simple and amateurish, the production of some examples required metalworking skills or workshop facilities. Prisoners of war, faced with a constant battle against boredom, produced similar items.

The standard service dress cap prescribed for wear by all non-commissioned ranks of the British Army from 1905, excluding Scottish regiments. With its round top and stiff peak, the cap was not an entirely practical form of headdress in sunshine or windy weather. One concession to wet conditions was that it was lined with a waterproof black oilskin composition to the crown. The cap continued in service throughout the First World War but was augmented by the 1915 pat. winter trench cap, known as the 'Gor Blimey', and the later soft peaked field cap in 1917. Both of the latter had their merits, and had the uppermost regard of comfort to the soldier in mind and could be folded away and stowed easily when not worn. Naturally as shrapnel helmets became available on a wider scale of issue from 1916, cloth headdress was worn less in the trenches.

Shell case by Polte Werk in Magdeburg
This trench art piece is most likely made from a German 77 x 230mmR cartridge case

Produced by Polte Werke, Magdeburg, in October of 1915.
“St” indicates a reinforced (stronger) cartridge case construction.
“160” = serial number
“Sp252” identifies the inspector for quality control.

This cartridge case was used in the German "7,7cm leichte Feld Kanone (l.F.K.) 96 n/A " or 7.7cm (77mm) light field cannon, 1896 new model.  read more

Code: 25220

An Original WW2 British 6 Pounder Tank Shell, Head and Brass Case

The six-pounder antitank gun was Great Britain’s premier tank killing weapon when it first appeared in the Western Desert, proving able to pierce the armour of any German tank the Afrika Korps could field. The technological arms race of World War II produced new tanks with ever thicker armour, however, and ultimately the six-pounder became ineffective well before war’s end. This obsolescence made little difference for many of the Allied soldiers who used it; since there was no comparable replacement that worked better, the cannon was still in wide use when the war ended.
The weapon the British Army eventually got was a marked improvement over its predecessor. The six-pounder Mk2 production model weighed in at 2,521 pounds, almost 800 pounds heavier than the two-pounder but still light enough for crews to manhandle it into position when necessary. It was mounted on a conventional two-wheeled carriage with “split” trails; that is, the two trailing arms that extended to the rear of the carriage could be separated to increase stability. The barrel on the six-pounder was 43-caliber, meaning the bore’s length was 43 times its diameter of 57mm. The weapon could traverse 45 degrees to either side and elevate from minus five to plus 15 degrees.

When firing the standard six-pound armour-piercing round, the six-pounder had a maximum range of 5,500 yards with a muzzle velocity of 2,693 feet per second and could penetrate 74mm of armour at 1,000 yards. Over time, improved ammunition was developed, culminating in June 1944 with an APDS (Armour Piercing Discarding Sabot) round that had a tungsten core. This increased penetration to 146mm at 1,000 yards. Tungsten was a valuable commodity in war production, so shortages meant there were never as many APDS rounds available as needed.

Photo in the gallery of a Panzer tank crew comparing our six pounder shell to their 88mm shell. As you can see much merriment was had that day by the jolly German crew, famously known for their sense of humour.

Inert, deactivated and completely safe  read more

Code: 25218

A Stunning Original Horseguards Officer's Pattern Helmet Plate. In Gold, Red Enamel Cross, Blue Enamel Garter, And Frosted Silver Cut Steel Order of the Garter Badge Star

Probably the worlds most beautiful helmet plate ever designed.
This fabulous quality officer’s helmet plate, in use since the Queen’s coronation in 1953, was used by an officer of the Queen’s mounted bodyguard, from either the Blues and Royals or the Life Guards regiments, that combined, make up the Royal Horseguards. The helmet plate is identical for both helmets, only the colour of the yak hair plume was different, white for Life Guards, red for Blues and Royals.

The Albert helmet is the current ceremonial headgear of the British Army's Household Cavalry, for both the Life guards regiment and the Blues and Royals regiment, known collectively as Horseguards.

This pattern will now be changed very soon for the design designated for His Majesty King Charles lII. The crown will be changed to the single domed crown of all the kings since Edward VIIth. The domed crown is called either The King’s Crown or the Imperial State Crown. The late Queen’s crown, is known as St Edwards Crown.

The Albert pattern helmet was introduced by Prince Albert in 1842 and adopted by the Household Cavalry the following year. In 1847 the helmet was introduced to all heavy cavalry regiments. It remains in use as the full dress headgear of the two remaining Household Cavalry regiments, the Blues and Royals and the Life Guards. The magnificent helmet remains in use with the two current Household Cavalry regiments, the Blues and Royals with red plume and the Life Guards with white plume. These regiments are amalgamations of the four earlier regiments. The Life Guards retain the white plume and the onion from the 2nd Regiment, the Blues and Royals retain the red plume of the Royal Horse Guards. Blues and Royals officers wear a yak hair plume. Farriers in both regiments wear different plumes, the Life Guards farrier wear black and Blues and Royals farrier red.

The regiments also differ in how they wear the helmet's chin strap. The Blues and Royals wear it under the chin while the Life Guards wear it under the lower lip. The helmet is now in white metal for all ranks and the same helmet plate is worn by both regiments (they were different historically).

The Albert helmet is only worn in full dress review order, guard order and front yard order by other ranks and in full dress, levee dress and ceremonial rehearsal dress by officers. Medical and veterinary officers do not wear the helmet, instead wearing a cocked hat.

The other ranks of the Mounted Band of the Household Cavalry wear the helmet in full dress (with the plumes of their parent regiments), except when parading in the presence of the royal family, when they wear state dress with jockey caps. Band officers wear Albert helmets on both occasions.

Its condition is considered by us as mint. A complete Horseguards officer’s helmet from the 1953 coronation period, in mint condition, will cost today somewhere between £6,500 to £10,000.  read more

Code: 24065

A Beautiful Late Edo Bakumatsu Copper Katana Tsuba With NBTHK Papers.

Bakumatsu copper tsuba, NBTHK Kicho Kodugu papers from 2020. With a translation, the "ninteisho" is introducing the document as recognition written in calligraphy. The tsuba is decorated with Aki kusa, Autumn grass [flowers], unsigned. The Nihon Bijutsu Tōken Hozon Kyōkai is a public interest incorporated foundation established in February 1948 to preserve and promote Japanese swords that have artistic value. Tsuba are usually finely decorated, and are highly desirable collectors' items in their own right. Tsuba were made by whole dynasties of craftsmen whose only craft was making tsuba. They were usually lavishly decorated. In addition to being collectors items, they were often used as heirlooms, passed from one generation to the next. Japanese families with samurai roots sometimes have their family crest (mon) crafted onto a tsuba. Tsuba can be found in a variety of metals and alloys, including iron, steel, brass, copper and shakudo. In a duel, two participants may lock their katana together at the point of the tsuba and push, trying to gain a better position from which to strike the other down. This is known as tsubazeriai pushing tsuba against each other. The tsuba has north and south kuchi-beni.
Literally "lipstick", but refers to the copper plugs of the nakago-ana. Their function is to secure the tsuba firmly when mounted on a blade. These plugs are sometimes called sekigane.  read more

Code: 23510

A Superb Piece of 'Potential', Unique History. Admiral Lord Nelson's Hair Woven Into a Piece of Memorium Jewellery, A Lyre Brooch of Extraordinary Quality

Acquired from an Admiral Lord Nelson family of collectors, together with a small miniature portrait of the Admiral, the miniature of the full sized one painted by Lemuel Francis Abbott in 1797 for Lady Nelson.

Said to be, by the family, made from a small lock of hair {given to them by Lady Hamilton, Nelson's mistress}, that, some years after his tragic death, was intricately woven into a rigid weblike structure, and formed around very finely crafted gilt metal, into a mourning brooch of lyre form, to wear as a wedding gift, and it has been in the family ever since. The hair colour has subsequently darkened somewhat, from its original lighter colour, due to being lacquered to aid rigidity, handled and worn, possibly for decades. It originally had a small ivory slip engraved with its distinguished origin, and that it was given by Lady Hamilton to her relatives by marriage. Lady Hamilton, Nelson's infamous mistress, was married to Sir William Hamilton, who was the 4th son of Lord Archibald Hamilton, who was the 7th son of the 3rd Duke of Hamilton. We have been acquiring fascinating artefacts and antiquities from descendants of the 10th Duke of Hamilton these past 30 years or more.

That ivory slip was with it until just a very few years ago, when it was discarded by the dear ladies that last recently owned it, and from whence it came, to us. It was purposely removed due to HRH Prince William disapproving of ivory artefacts. This we consider a great shame, as it was very old, an antique of around 210 years vintage, and simply nothing was gained by its sad removal and loss.

Of course there is absolutely no possibility for us to definitively state it was indeed Nelson's hair, as a provable fact, as any DNA test would likely damage its integrity, but its most highly likely potential, due to its origin, is most intriguing.

The miniature that came with it {and is not for sale} bears a hand written label glued at its back, still present, to note it was it's full sized original was in the National Portrait Gallery that {opened in 1856}. The original is by Lemuel Francis Abbott
an oil on canvas, was painted in 1797
This is one of the many portraits Abbott painted of Nelson and it is perhaps the most widely recognised of the whole Nelson iconography. It depicts him in rear-admiral's uniform wearing the Star and Ribbon of the Bath and the Naval Gold Medal, awarded for his victory at the Battle of St Vincent (1797). The original portrait was painted for Captain Locker of the Greenwich Hospital. This full sized version, commissioned for Lady Nelson, was also taken from life. Although Nelson only sat to him twice, Abbott subsequently copied the picture over forty times. The copies gradually declined in quality as the artist became mentally ill but this was no bar to their popularity. Many were purchased by Nelson's naval colleagues, his family and friends.
In July 1798, Nelson's wife wrote to him: 'My dearest Husband - I am now writing opposite to your portrait, the likeness is great. I am well-satisfied with Abbott… it is my companion, my sincere friend in your absence…

Nelson's pigtail (or queue), was cut off after his death at the Battle of Trafalgar 21 October 1805. It is sandy-coloured hair, bound with black ribbon, which is tied in a bow. Surgeon William Beatty records in his "Narrative of the Death of Lord Nelson" that Nelson asked that Lady Hamilton should have his hair. The pigtail was cut off after his death and Hardy delivered it to Emma Hamilton after the Victory's arrival in England. Small locks of hair were given to relations and close friends, and some pieces were mounted in special mourning rings and lockets. What remains of Nelson’s queue is now part of the National Maritime Museum Collection.  read more

Code: 25210