Arms and armour is the collecting field covering weapons and protective equipment, including swords, daggers, polearms, firearms, shields, helmets and suits or parts of armour. It spans everything from medieval and Renaissance pieces to regimental swords and sporting guns of the nineteenth century.
Armour reached its peak of craftsmanship in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, when workshops in Italy and southern Germany produced plate armour for war, the tournament and display. In England, the royal workshops at Greenwich made armour of the highest quality. The romantic medievalism of the nineteenth century created a strong taste for arms and armour as decoration, and country-house halls were often hung with trophies of arms, while many composite or replica suits were made for this purpose. Collectors look for originality, matching parts, crisp maker's marks, good condition and documented provenance, and must be careful to distinguish genuine early pieces from later reproductions. Antique firearms are subject to specific legal controls in Britain, so buyers should check the current rules before purchasing or exporting.
