Mandarin Mansion Antiques

For over twenty years, I have worked as a researcher and dealer in antique arms and armor. From my base in Haarlem, the Netherlands, I operate as the sole proprietor of Mandarin Mansion.

Focused research has established my reputation among the field's most discerning collectors, dealers, and institutions. My work has supported the Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Royal Armouries in Leeds, the British Museum, the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford, the Klingenmuseum in Solingen, the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, and many others.

A passion for antique arms

Few fields of collecting offer the depth of antique arms. Each piece unites the most advanced technology of that time and place with the combined craftsmanship of woodworkers, metalworkers, sometimes even jewelers and embroiderers, often in service of the refined aesthetics of the elites who commissioned them. No other discipline brings together work in so many mediums, within a single object.

Areas of focus

My foundation lies in the arms of China and its cultural orbit — the Himalayas, India, and Southeast Asia — with continued interest in the Islamic world and Japan. Particular specialties include the Manchu military of the Qing dynasty, Sinhalese arms, early Japanese swords, and the cross-cultural objects produced by Asian maritime trade.

Way of working

I like to earn my margin through careful selection, thorough research, considered photography, and accurate presentation. My reputation rests on every article I publish, so I err on the conservative side of dating and attribution. You will find no sales pitches or superlatives here — only descriptions made to the best of my current judgement.

I also contribute to the wider community through the Glossary, an ongoing online reference for arms and armor terminology that I expand regularly.

If you are searching for something specific, please be in touch — what appears on the site is only a fraction of what I have or can access, and some of the finest pieces often sell before they are listed.