LONDON.- A rare 16th/ 17th century South Indian mail and plate helmet sold for £25,000 - five times its pre-sale estimate - in Thomas Del Mar’s sale of Fine Antique Arms, Armour & Militaria on Wednesday, December 7, 2022 at Olympia Auctions, 25 Blythe Road, London W14. Bought by a member of the trade, it was one of 87 lots in the sale from the Roy Elvis Collection of Indian Arms and Armour (1944-2022) [lot 70].
 
Five of the top 10 prices were achieved by items from the Roy Elvis Collection which sold for a total of £313,400 (including premium), four times the pre-sale low estimate. A very rare late 15th century South Indian sword fetched £21,250 – more than 26 times its pre-sale estimate. It was bought by a Collector [lot 8], while a very fine and rare 17th century North Indian mail and plate shirt otherwise known as a zereh bagtar realised £15,000. Bought by a collector, it was probably made in Bijapur and was inscribed to Maharaja Anup Singh who reigned from 1669-98 [lot 66]. While a 16th/ 17th century South Indian dagger otherwise known as a Khanjarli sold to a collector for £12,500 [lot 23] as did a rare 15th/ 16th century south Indian Dagger, known as a Chilanum [lot 24]. 
 
The sale of 476 lots saw 91% sold totalling £723,713*.  As Thomas Del Mar commented: “The sale included a number of rare and distinguished pieces and consequently attracted considerable attention. The view was well attended, and it continues to be a great pleasure to see several bidders back in the room. Quality, rarity and condition continues to drive prices high, with the top ten lots seeing much attention from physical, absentee, telephone and online bidders.”
 
Elsewhere, from the Collection of a Distinguished Scholar and Collector showed similar market strength, realising £73,988 (including premium), over twice its pre-sale estimate. A fine and rare Scottish backsword with signed basket-hilt by John Simpson the Elder of Glasgow. Dating from circa 1690-1700, it sold to a collector for £22,500 against an estimate of £8,000 - 10,000 [lot 218]. From the same collection was an extremely rare Welsh Buckler (shield) from Wrexham, dating from 1440-1580 that sold to a collector for £12,500 (Est: £6,000 - 8,000) [lot 223] and an Imperial Russian Tsar Nicholas II naval officer's sword for bravery with the badge of the order of St George, that had been bought in an antique shop in 1975, sold for £15,000 to a collector [lot 221].
 
Among the firearms was a fine and rare cased 120 bore silver-mounted single-trigger over and under percussion pistol dating from 1829 by London-maker Joseph Egg that realised £13,750 and was purchased by a collector [lot 457],

Two items that were entirely made of steel that attracted a lot of interest were a very rare late 17th century 28 bore East Scottish flintlock belt pistol which sold for £22,500 against an estimate of £7,000 - £9,000 and was bought by a member of the trade [lot 467]. While a fine mace from the second quarter of the 16th century and originating in either Germany or Italy sold for £17,500 against an estimate of £4,000-6,000 to a collector [lot 274].