Art Deco Arms, Armor and Weapons

Mid century brass medal / badge / brooch pin from the 1957 Chicago World Metallurgical Congress. American Society for Metals, R.J. Raudebaugh, USA, Group 8, Struck by Medallic Art Co...

The table lighter's design captivates with an elongated tank shape reminiscent of vintage artillery shells. The textured silver surface display...

Mughal ladies Tom Pouce lighter designed by Cartier. Fabulous and extremely rare ladies cylindrical gasoline lighter. Created in Paris during the art deco period by the house of Cartier, back in the middle of the 1920's. This miniature Tom Pouce lighter, takes its name from the classic short fairy tales by the Grimm's brothers, Tom Thumb (Tom Pouce being the French translation). It was crafted with Champlevé colored enamels over rustic bronze and accented with details in yellow gold of 18 karats. Embellished with natural lapis lazuli and an emerald. The main outside body is decorated with organics elements and figures of red and blue birds. Gorgeous look and surely a great conversation piece which is accompanied by the round Cartier red box. Champlevé, in the decorative arts, is an enameling technique or an object made by the champlevé process, which consists of cutting away troughs or cells in a metal plate and filling the depressions with pulverized vitreous enamel. The raised metal lines between the cutout areas form the design outline. Emerald: Accented on top in a bezel setting, with 1 square faceted cut of a natural green emerald of about 0.15 carats. Lapis: Mount with 1 flat round cabochon cut, carved from lapis lazuli of about 1.25 carats. Birthstone: Emerald for the month of May. Weight: 21.95 Grams, (14.07 Dwt). Measurements: Have a diameter of 16 mm and a height of 33 mm (0.63 x 1.30 Inches). Hallmarks Stamped with the maker's mark, the serial numbers, the French taxation mark for luxury items BL inside a rectangular cartouche and signed, "CARTIER 5554", stamped with matching cases numbers, 13 & 13. Ministere Des Finances Lighter Tax 1911-1945 Note: On 10th December 1910 the French state adopted a new tax regulations on all devices indented to produce spark or fire by friction, or by any other means, and of the combustion of a flammable substance. Since 1st January 1911 every lighter in France that was intended for sale in the French market had to be taxed and adequately marked. To confirm that the excise duty was paid to the Ministry of Finance a special duty metal plate (stamp) was attached (usually welded) to the lighter by the lighter manufacturers. The fees charged by the French state were high but the tax rates levied by the state were varying depending on the type and finish of the lighter. Following tax rates were used: 2 French francs for common pocket lighters, 5 Fr for pocket lighters made of silver, 20 Fr for luxury pocket lighters (e.g. made of gold), 5 Fr for common table/desk lighters (over 10 cm), 10 Fr for table/desk lighters (over 10 cm) made of silver, 50 Fr for luxury table/desk lighters (over 10 cm) made of gold or platinum. Between 1911 and 1916 a simple copper plate was used which had the date 1911 engraved. Later, between 1916 and 1945 a new plate (undated) was introduced with the letters "C" and "I" (stands for indirect taxes) and a profile of Mercury (patron god of financial gain, commerce and messengers) with an inscription "Ministère Des Finances" (eng. Ministry of Finance). Two shapes were used for the plate – oval for table lighters, the other one for pocket lighters. Additional to the two duty plates a marking "BL" (Briquet de Luxe, eng. luxury lighter) was introduced in 1926. It was a small hallmark which was considered as more discreet and applied only on luxury lighters like Quercia or Lancel. It is worth to mention that France was not the sole country where lighters were taxed and marked with special plates...

Very unique Trench art, WW1 era brass petrol lighter, on one side is the portrait of Marshal Joseph Joffre. Marshal Joffre was the Commander in Chief of the French forces on the Wes...

Take a piece of history into your home with these authentic English bombshells from the First World War (WWI 1914-1918). Made of brass, the impressive pieces of artillery are round i...

Nicolas Boutet (1761-1833) Pistolet d’Officer Général Platine à corps plat marquée « Manuf a Versailles », chien à corps plat à col de cygne, toutes...

SILVER KNIFE XIX CENTURY COLLECTIBLE KNIFE MADE IN SILVER. POSSIBLY MOROCCO. MEASURES: 40 CM TOTAL LENGTH good condition.

Graphic collection of assorted steel spacemen and robot molds from the 1940s.

A Very Fine & Rare Example of a Mariner’s Whale Bone Walking Cane of exceptional quality. First half of the Nineteenth Century, possibly of English origin. The hand carved decorati...

Very unusual and stylish heavy gauge Mother of Pearl Lady’s or Gentleman’s Travelling two-piece Walking Stick with lavish allover inlay of multi colour Mother of Pearl. Mid Century p...

W.J. Campbell designed this art deco cocktail smoker in 1934 for the Climax Machinery Company of Indianapolis. The smoke stand and ashtray feature a circular ring which doubles as a ...

This Swiss-engineered cipher machine is a fascinating piece of 20th-century military and engineering history, and this particular example is one of the ...