Russian Cast Iron Mortar from the Crimean War

This mesmerizing antique bronze death mask of the Emperor Napoleon I is cast from the mold created by Dr. Francesco Antommarchi, Napoleon’s personal physician and companion during th...

An incredible and extremely rare artifact of world history, this mutton bone model of a guillotine was created during the Napoleonic wars by a French prisoner of war. Many of the inmates at the prisoner of war camps were skilled artisans long before they were soldiers, and because of the long duration of the conflict and cost of care, their captors encouraged detainees to use their skills to create objects to be sold at civilian open markets. Because of the intricacy of these fascinating objets d'art, very few of these models have survived the test of time. This masterpiece is impeccably detailed with soldiers and cannons lining the platforms. Adding to the rarity of this piece is that it has moving parts, as only a scant few model carvings were ever created with such mechanical accuracy. The soldiers have movable arms, while the guillotine features a movable "blade" for added authenticity. By many accounts, Napoleonic prisoners of war...

One of only a handful ever made, this Double DeLuxe Violano Virtuoso, created by the Mills Novelty Company, is an extremely rare example of American musical automata, featuring not one, but two brilliantly tuned violins. Singled out by the U.S. government in 1909 as one of the eight greatest inventions of the decade when it was introduced at the Alaska Yukon Pacific Exposition, the Mills DeLuxe Violano-Virtuoso stands as one of the most important and incredible musical devices ever made. The “Double Mills,” as it was nicknamed, plays classical, operatic and popular music. It can play on a single or up to 15 nickels and has the ability to run for approximately an hour. It produces exceptional sound with a crisp tonal quality and melodious notes. Housed in a beautiful quarter-sawn oak case, each violin produces 64 notes and is accompanied by a 44-note piano. It is truly rare to find a historical musical mechanism so complete, with such remarkable sound quality and in excellent condition. This particular Violano has been updated with a digital player system that allows song selections to be made over a WiFi connection. This gives the user a choice between digital downloads or traditional paper rolls for added convenience. Perfected and patented in 1912 by Henry K. Sandell, the Violano-Virtuoso was produced in limited quantities until 1929 and could be found in the very finest restaurants, hotels and oceanliners. In fact, the Violano-Virtuoso was one of the few American-made mechanical musical devices to be distributed worldwide to the most exclusive international clientele. The below testimonial was sent to the Mills Company by the Governor of Idaho, aptly describing the incredible music produced by the Violano-Virtuoso. Dear Sir, Have just had the pleasure of listening to your wonderful Automatic Violin and Piano on exhibition at the Government Building here. This marvelous instrument certainly far surpasses anything that I have eve heard in automatic music. The tone and expression of the violin and the piano are so perfect and clear that is really hard to believe but that there is the human hand playing..." Indeed, for the price of a nickel, the Mills Violano...

This impressive Chicago upright coin-operated slot machine was built by the leader of the slot machine movement in Chicago and around the world, the Mills Novelty Company. Manufactur...

A monumental piece of history, this exquisite silver punch set was made for Czar Alexander III as a gift to British Captain Joseph Wiggins. Heavily decorated with rich engravings and proverbs in old Slavic lettering, this service is a grand symbol of celebration and a testament to the beauty of Russian Imperial silver. The punch set, a standalone treasure in its own right, was gifted by Czar Alexander III to Captain Wiggins in recognition of his pioneering expedition along the Enisei River. Driven by a desire to establish a sea route with Siberia, Captain Wiggins’ journey is notable for being the first successful endeavor by a British seaman in 300 years to extend commercial interests with the northern coasts of Russia. Even more notable is the presentation of this elaborate gift by the Russian government to a foreign national, particularly when the British government all but ignored Wiggins' efforts. In fact, the British government refused his modest request for surveying and observational instruments. Even so, the Czar was impressed, and chose to honor Wiggins with this exceptional punch service — as pictured and discussed in Henry Johnson’s book Captain Joseph Wiggins, written in 1907. The service was commissioned by the Czar from the House of Sazikov, the oldest silversmith and jewelry firm in Russia. Sazikov was established in 1793 by the merchant Pavel Sazikov, and became supplier to the Imperial Court in 1837. The firm, which maintained factories in Moscow and St. Petersburg, became renowned for its high quality silverware, silver sculptures, cloisonné enamels and statuettes with national motifs. The firm exhibited several cups and centerpieces at the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London, and from 1846, held the Imperial Warrant. The unique charm of this punch service lies not only in its craftsmanship and historical relevance, but also in the inclusion of old drinking...

A triumph of ingenuity and craftsmanship, this Swiss cipher machine is a fabulous example of mechanical precision. Cipher machines are used to encrypt a...

A cast iron mortar with a bas-relief band in the center.

16th century cast iron mortar with two very beautiful handles Beautiful original object with a great patina and in very good condition.

The map, with the title "MARE INTERNUM cum populis adiacentibus a bello Hannibalico usque ad Vespasiani M. princip," depicts the Mediterranean Sea and its surrounding territories, ex...

Elegant late 19th-early 20th century cast iron cannon from England. We can find the inscription RM1 on its side very decorative canon side that can ...

Antique print titled 'Die Krim - Trachten'. Original antique print of Crimean costumes. Source unknown, to be determined. Artists and Engravers: Anonymous.

pair of ,antique Mortar ,cheer masculine, fuse. (bombard) made of cast heavy metal. it was used to fire rudimentary fireworks in military parades and also as a test for gunpowder. go...