About Us
PETER FINER was established in 1967.
Today we are 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. With a hard-earned reputation for handling the rarest and highest-quality pieces of antique Arms and Armour, we help 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 have a discerning eye for quality and condition, and 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.The gallery conducts business with discretion and strives to establish long-term relationships, built on trust, with our clients.
WE NUMBER THESE MUSEUMS AND FOUNDATIONS AMONG OUR VALUED CLIENTS:
GREAT BRITAIN
The Victoria and Albert Museum, London
The Aberdeen Art Gallery
The Royal Armouries, Leeds
The National Army Museum, London
The Royal Naval Museum, Portsmouth
The National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
The Royal Scots Regimental Museum, Edinburgh
IRELAND
The National Museum of Ireland, Dublin
EUROPE
Deutsches Klingenmuseum, Solingen
Rüstkammer, Dresden
Landesmuseum für Kultur- und Landesgeschichte, Schloss Tirol
Stedelijke Musea Kortrijk
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
The Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The Cleveland Museum of Art
The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City
The Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford
The Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester
CANADA
The Glenbow Museum, Calgary
ASIA
Chi Mei Culture Foundation, Taiwan
SOME FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- Are the items shown here available for sale? Yes. We update our website regularly, so only available items appear. Do not be shy about asking a price! Use the enquire button under the item’s description, or send an e-mail to gallery@peterfiner.com with any question. We have far more information on our objects' history, provenance and condition than fits here, and we would be happy to share it with you.
- Can I have a condition report on an item? Yes; just ask us.
- Can you deliver items? We have customers worldwide. We regularly deliver to collectors and museums in the United States, Europe, the Middle East, Australia, and South America. US antique declaration forms are completed for items going to the United States so that our US customers are not liable for US customs duty. Items are fully insured by Peter Finer in transit, door to door.
- How do I pay for items? Bank transfers are our preferred method of payment; smaller amounts may be put on a credit card.
- Do you guarantee your items? Yes; the major auctions houses do not. A full refund would be given if an object is not as described to you. Our reputation is paramount to us, so we take great care in researching objects; we work closely with academics and independent scholars to make sure that research is both correct and current.
- Is the Gallery open out of business hours? We are open on Sundays and evenings by appointment only.
- From where do you get your stock? Most comes from private collections in Europe or the United States. Some works of art hail from Arms and Armour collections that have been amassed over hundreds of years and treasured in great private homes, often by distinguished families or individuals.
- How should one display and care for the items? Each of our items comes with a custom made mount. We are always happy to advise on installation, display, lighting and care of items purchased.