Turkish Historical Memorabilia

This shoe polish set is a stunning piece of decorative art from the 20th century with an oriental flair. The brass body is elegantly crafted with mother-of-pearl inlays that create a...

The theme of the hand carving to this 19th century meerschaum pipe is that of a full bodied boar in full stride outside of a brick house with foliage above. A floral bouquet is carved in high relief to the underside of the bowl. The rough hewn long stem is characteristic of wood from a hard root tree; the stem ends in a horned mouthpiece. Meerschaum refers to the mineral sepiolite which was soft enough to carve with, yet hard enough to ward off the ill effects of the heat and tar, both in the long term aesthetics to the bowl, and to provide the short term pleasure of a "cool" smoke. This mineral is predominantly found in Turkey and is derived from fossilized remains of sea urchins. The 19 1/2" overall length of the pipe makes it one of the longer pipes you'll find, and along with the meerschaum bowl and hard wooden stem, both of these factors provided ample opportunity for the smoke to cool down before reaching the smoker. Pipes of this length are called "Churchwarden Pipes" and were made so that those smoking a pipe for a long period of time, like readers, could do so without getting smoke in their eyes. Worth noting is the date "1856" carved into the side of the bowl, obviously to commemorate an event; possibly the Crimean war between Russia and the Ottoman Empire, which ended in that year and concluded with the Treaty of Paris in March of the same year. Being that the mineral used to make Meerschaum pipes...

This pair of exquisite Turkish weaving shuttles are made of wood, horn, lead, and bronze, each mounted on its custom stand. Each is a beautifully forme...

An authentic ancient Greek bronze coin from Ephesos, Ionia (circa 400-300 BC) custom mounted within a 22-karat gold band and flanked with rubies. Ancient Greek coins from Ephesos (of...

An authentic ancient Greek bronze coin from Ephesos, Ionia, circa 400-300 BC, set in a custom rounded 22-carat gold bezel with 22-carat gold bail. Ancient Greek coins from Ephesos (o...

An authentic medieval Coin of the Crusades (11th-12th century), set in a custom rounded 925 sterling silver drop pendant with rope and ball trim accent d...

A truly fascinating and remarkable object; one of the very earliest coins ever minted. Struck from a weighty piece of electrum, a naturally occurring alloy of gold and silver, by the Lydian King Alyattes, circa 610 - 561 BC at the Sardes mint. The obverse with the iconic image of early coinage; the head of a roaring lion, shown with open mouth, bristling mane and sun, surrounded by multiple rays on the forehead. The reverse with two incuse punches - impact marks that showed the purity of the metal. Since the beginnings of civilization man has used pieces of precious metal to facilitate the trade and exchange of goods. However, it was the entrepreneurial inhabitants of 7th Century BC Lydia who took the next step; carefully weighing small lumps of electrum and guaranteeing their value with stamped designs. This brilliant new innovation spread like wildfire across the Mediterranean and within a hundred years mints all over the Greek world had also begun to issue coins, proudly struck with the emblems, produce and deities of their cities. This important little coin...

A superb, three dimensional ancient silver tetradrachm minted under the Satrap of Caria, Hidrieus. Struck at Halicarnassus, western Asia Minor, circa 351 - 344 BC. The obverse wit...

An attractive ancient silver tetradrachm bearing an exceptional portrait of the deified Alexander the Great, minted under one of Alexander's top generals and successors, King Lysimac...

A fascinating and important object; the first truly standardized silver coin. This double siglos was minted under the famously wealthy ancient King of Lydia, Croesus. An excellent ex...

A superb, beautifully preserved ancient silver tetradrachm bearing an exceptional portrait of the deified Alexander the Great, minted under one of Alexander's top generals and succes...