At Frieze Masters, dealer Peter Finer presents a standout booth of arms and armour, including a gilded horse-and-rider suit priced at £1.8m, an Italian Renaissance sword, and a 16th-century crossbow. Prices range from £6,500 to seven figures. Finer, whose dealership was founded in 1967, dominates this niche category at the fair, with clients ranging from major museums to specialist collectors. Other scattered examples include a silver-gilt Shield of Achilles at Koopman Rare Art and Bronze Age spearheads at Rupert Wace.
This coverage matters because it highlights a small but persistent segment of the art market—arms and armour—that rarely receives attention at major contemporary art fairs. Finer’s longevity and the appeal of these objects to connoisseurs and contemporary-aesthetic buyers underscore how historical craftsmanship can coexist with modern art commerce. The article also notes the challenge of attracting younger collectors, even as Finer’s son Redmond has diversified into ancient and Islamic material.