The Heritage of European Arms & Armor

Collectors of antique arms and armor are in good company. Historically associated with wealth and power, most royal families had a passion for arms and armor generating family collections along with private arsenals- many of which lasted into the 19th Century and some of which are intact today. Individual collectors include such notables as Rembrandt, Napoleon, William Randolph Hearst and Herman Groening. Today a broad spectrum of examples in held in private hands, while a diverse collecting interest seems the most rewarding, several specialists have emerged. Armor evolved to full body encasement in the 15th Century and fell into disuse in the 17th Century with the increasing efficiency of firearms. A full armor- the archaic term “suit of armor” is no longer preferred – has a presence and personality about it derived from its anatomical form and ultimately personal use. Like the vacated shell of a tarantula, the armor is the warrior absent the man. Homogeneous armors are quite rare, the majority of them having been altered in the 17th Century and restored in the 19th Centuries. Of surviving individual elements, helmets, understandably are the most valued by collectors.

Antique arms include the weapons of the warrior and the hunt as well as arms necessary for personal protection. The latter includes a variety of swords which evolved from military types and changed with fashion from rapier to smallsword. Military officers, who were not expected to fight, generally carried smaller swords into battle. Numerous examples from the plainest and mass produced to elegant silver, gold, and jewel mounted arms of the wealthy are available to the collector today.

Like personal arms, military swords show a constantly changing form in response to changing military tactics. The symmetrical cruciform sword of the 15th Century Knight had no need to provide protection for his armored hand. As armor was used more selectively, swords with a variety of handguards were produced reaching their epitome in the Scottish basket hilt broadsword of the Scottish Rebellion, circa 1715. The effectiveness of a lightly protected and highly mobile cavalryman was learned at great cost in the 16th Century. From the Ottoman Turks and specialized swords evolved with hand guards and long blades, both straight and curved, which could effectively deliver a fatal blow from horseback. With the increasing efficiency of cannon, the importance of naval power grew throughout the period and specialized weapons for ship boarding evolved. Ships were drawn together by grappling hooks whose lines could be cut on the rails with boarding axes, which also served as weapons. Simultaneously, boarding pikes were used to repel the boarders. The naval cutlass with its short blade evolved for the extremely close quarters fighting on ships decks. As seamen were often impressed into service against their wishes, all weapons were kept in locked storage until a battle was imminent. As an integral part of the ships stores they were often marked with the name of the ship in which they served adding a provocative historical note for the collector. The 19th Century brought dramatic changes in weaponry and its use with edged weapons (sword and lance) used to great effect in the Crimean War and Sepoy Rebellion, and slightly later in the Civil American War. As with most change, the transition was gradual but, owing to the economical production of increasingly sophisticated firearms with minor exceptions, the sword became a symbol of authority to be used as a last resort after that time.

The concept of hunting in Europe as it was practiced prior to the Industrial Revolution is often misunderstood today. At that time, the production of cereal crops was too labor intensive to allow their use for animal feed so they were reserved for human consumption. Grazing and foraging animals (such as pigeons) provided a portion of the meat consumed, but great hunts in the fall of the year provided a meat harvest for the winter. Game belonged to the land owner and accordingly, largely to the titles. The hunt was an elaborate affair steeped in ceremony and, in peace time, served to demonstrate the prowess of the noble hunter. Bear, deer and boar were engaged in combat with swords and their carcasses later dismembered with elegant trousse sets which bore a great resemblance to the surgical instruments of the time. Equally elegant were the weapons of the hunt, often stocked by the hundreds in hunting lodges to accommodate large parties of guests. Owing to their unique relationship with their owners, time has been kind to antique weapons. Substantial quantities in virtually every field have survived and are available to collectors today. The products of a society of now extinct craftsmen, many show skills, artistry and technology beyond the suspicion of the casual observer. Market values belie their achievements. It is said that the original cost of a full armor can be compared to the cost of an automobile today, and, in-fact, current values lie within that range as well. 18th Century silver hilted swords cost no more than silver candle sticks of the period, and a 16th Century helmet can be purchased for less than the price of a pewter charger of the period. Just as the attainability of antique arms and armor is a benefit of their special place in history, they carry with them an obligation universally understood by collectors: To study and enjoy but also preserve, as the baton inevitability must be passed.