Antique Armor LLC

BOMBARD OF WROUGHT IRON CIRCA 1425:

Description: This cannon is too big and heavy to be considered a hand cannon and not big enough to be a bombard designed to tear down castle walls. Instead, it would have been attached to a carriage or castle wall and possibly used as an anti-personnel weapon. It can be identified from its short, relatively stout proportions as an early example of its kind. It would have been secured to its stock using iron bands. The lug recoil hook on the rear bottom would serve the function of a recoil suppressor by transversing the stock and absorbing the recoil. The lifting ring at the top would have been used to lift and transport the hexagon powder chamber with roping decoration, a touch point with a channel, and moldings at the muzzle.

Dating: This example certainly postdates the vase-shaped Loshult example. It was probably made in the first half of the 15th-century.

Dimensions: Bore 65mm. Length 290mm. The height from the vertical lifting ring and the bottom of the lug is 290mm.

Discussion: The introduction of the hand cannon/gun likely closely followed that of the cannon itself. The earliest unequivocal evidence for the existence of guns dates from 1326 when the Council of Florence passed a decree authorizing the appointment of two men to make metal cannons (cannones de metallo) for the defense of the Republic. The “English Royal Privy Wardrobe Accounts” for the year 1346 refers to guns with tillers (cum telariis), probably meaning handguns. The accounts of the Italian commune of Perugia in 1364 specifically refer to “500 bombards of a span in length, which can be carried in hand” (Blair, op. cit., p. 40; and Blackmore, op. cit., p. 5). The earliest reference to the...

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RARE ETCHED CLOSE HELMET, CIRCA 1560, IN THE PEFFENHAUSER FASHION FORMERLY IN THE BIDERMANN COLLECTION: Peffenhauser fashion refers to the distinct style of Anton Peffenhauser (1525–1603), one of the most prolific and celebrated armorers of Augsburg, Germany.

Introduction: The most sought-after Arms and Armor item by collectors and decorators is the “close helm” (closed helmet). The most sought-after close helm is etched. An etched close helm indicates that the original owner, who commissioned the helmet’s creation, was wealthy and had exceptional taste. The same can be said of a collector who owns one.
Even a person who knows very little about Arms and Armor will recognize a Medieval/Renaissance “close helm” and understand its historic value, artistic value, beauty, and mystique. The etching elevates it to a new and much higher level. When you walk into a room and look across and see a Renaissance helmet, it makes a statement of chivalry, power, class, and elegance , which reflects on its owner. Closed helmets, like fine statues, display exceptionally well on flat surfaces, such as shelves, tables, or desks.
Description: Constructed with a round one-piece skull that rises to a roped medial comb. The visor, upper bevor, and lower bevor are attached by a common pivot (restored). The upper bevor is pierced with sixteen circular ventilation holes displayed evenly within a circle on both side.

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A VERY FINE MUSEUM-QUALITY GILDED NORTH GERMAN SWEPT HILT RAPIER, CIRCA 1600:

Introduction: This is an exceptional rapier. A highly expensive, ornate rapier such as this one was the equivalent of a person in our day and age making a fashion or opulence statement by wearing very expensive jewelry, such as a Rolex or Audemars Piguet watch. High fashion was an essential status and power symbol during the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. High fashion was especially important among the mega-wealthy, who wanted to outdo their rivals, neighbors, and peers in the fashion arena. Not all wars were fought on the battlefield with swords, lances, and armor. A non-bloody war was in the fashion and status arena. Fashion also extended deeply to Arms and Armor. The phrase… “keeping up with the Joneses” … is not a new 20th-century concept.
Discussion: In an age lacking effective policing, the private citizen was forced to protect himself from society’s criminal dregs. The weapon of choice was the rapier from the middle of the 16th to the end of the 17th century. The rapier is a simple yet highly effective sword against non-armored opponents. The rapier was primarily a thrusting weapon that could inflict serious injury to an adversary‚ vital organs with minimal effort. It was also an exceptional slashing and cutting weapon; however, the slash was not as lethal as the thrust. The slash was used more as a feint to set up a finishing thrust. The slash was also a dire...

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