A Fine German Two-Hand Sword

MID-16TH CENTURY

Details

A Fine German Two-Hand Sword
Mid-16th Century
With slender straight tapering double-edged blade of flattened hexagonal section inlaid with an orb and cross mark in latten on one side and with wide central fuller on each side flanked by narrow fullers on the long ricasso, the latter with a pair of pointed lugs each struck with a mark, iron hilt comprising long straight quillons of circular section each with writhen trumpet-shaped tip, spirally fluted side-ring on each side, long pointed langets, spirally fluted heavy fig-shaped pommel, the top divided into four segments each filled by a scallop in low relief, and tapering grip with later leather covering
50in. (128.9cm.) blade

Lot Essay

Cf. a number of similar swords in the Schweizerisches Landesmuseum, Zrich, described and illustrated in Hugo Schneider and Karl Stber, Waffen im Schweizerischen Landesmuseum, Griffwaffen I, no.s 119-121, pp. 90-91
The marks on the lugs are similar to those on the blade of a bastard sword of circa 1540 in the Wallace Collection, inv. no. A 483, and are believed to be Italian

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