PETER FINER
and are today specialists in antique Arms and Armour from cultures worldwide, Bronze Age to the 19th century, with a London gallery on historic Duke Street, St James’s.
We have a hard-earned reputation for handling the rarest and highest-quality pieces of antique Arms and Armour and have helped to build superb private and institutional collections.
We maintain excellent relationships with museums across the globe, and are honoured to count The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and The Royal Armouries of the United Kingdom among our clients. We work with leading independent scholars and curators in the field to comprehensively research the works of art we handle. Armed with this expertise, we guarantee the authenticity of the objects we sell and strive to establish long-term relationships, built on trust, with our clients.
38 & 39 Duke Street, St James’s
London SW1Y 6DF
Redmond Finer
+44 (0)20 7839 5666
gallery@peterfiner.com
www.peterfiner.com
This exhibition, and catalogue Mythical Beasts & Worldly Creatures, focuses on representations of animals on arms and armour from Indian, Chinese, Tibetan, Japanese and European cultures. Dating from the seventh century to the last decades of the 19th century, these works were purposeful as well as works of art, each decorated with imaginings of mythical, legendary and ‘real’ animals. Artists have assigned meaning to animals both existent and imaginary since prehistory.
Many representations of animals herein are realistic. Some are stylised, bearing little relation to the ‘real’ creature. However, the line between mythological and zoological animals was imprecise in historical eras when few individuals had ever seen species found only on another continent. Artists’ drawings were often the only knowledge of an animal available to fellow artists, especially those without access to royal courts.
While some appreciation of the symbolism of these animals helps, our ultimate goal is to focus the eye on the astonishing artistry and careful detail found in each object’s unique portrayal and representation of animals, and the imagination evident in a diversity of mediums, including precious metals, prized stones, and vibrant man-made lacquers and alloys.
Monday-Friday: 10:00 – 20:00
Saturday: 11:00 – 17:00
Sunday: 11:00 – 17:00
A Quiver, or Jian, 18th century, China. Qing Dynasty
An Exceptional Sword, or Shamshir
Early 19th century
North India, Rajasthan
A Rare Dagger, or Khanjar
Early 19th century
India, possibly Jaipur
An Exceptionally Fine Saddle, or Gser Sga
15th – 17th century
Eastern Tibet or China
A Very Fine Pair of Stirrups
16th – 18th century
Tibet. Iron, silver and gold
A Rare Ritual Flask, or Yung Zor
18th – 19th century
Tibet.
A Horse-Tack Plaquette
15th – 17th century
Sino-Tibetan
A Bridle Mount
17th – 18th century
Tibet. Brass and gold.
A Horse Pendant
7th – 9th century
North-West China, Tang Period
Bronze and gold
A Finely Cast Bronze Ruji Sceptre
Meiji period (1868 – 1912)
Japan Bronze. 34cm / 13 in
Signed Hideaki
An Iron Helmet, or Jingasa
18th – 19th century
Japan, Edo Period
A Fine and Rare Dagger, or Ken Tantō
Meiji period (1868 – 1912) Japan
Mounts possibly by Seiryōken Hagiya Katsuhira, c. 1880
A Helmet, or Jingasa
19th century
Japan, Edo Period
Wood, lacquer, gold and fabric
A Helmet, or Jingasa
19th century
Japan, Edo Period
Wood, lacquer, gold and fabric
A Guardless Dagger, or Aiguchi Tantō
Blade c. 1650 – 1700; mounts c. 1800 – 1850
Japan, Edo period
Steel, silver, gold, lacquer, copper alloy, wood, ray skin and silk
A Short Sword, or Wakizashi
Late Edo period, Japan
Steel, silver, gold, copper alloy, cloisonné enamels, wood, leather and ray skin
A Fine Sword Guard, or Mokko Tsuba
By Gotō Mitsumori, dated 1783
Japan
Sentoku, gold, copper, shibuichi, shakudō
An Exceptionally Rare Helmet, or Namban Kabuto
c. 1590 – 1640
Japan, Momoyama Edo period
