LATE 16TH CENTURY
Details
A German Basket-Hilted Backsword
Late 16th Century
With long broad tapering straight blade double-edged for half its length, with a central fuller on each face of the forte (partly removed on one face), the back bordered by stamped 'sickle' marks, the hilt comprising long slender straight quillons with the ends turned up and down respectively and with 'mulberry' terminal knops, symmetrical hemispherical basket guard formed of slender bars above a solid base-plate, thumb-ring, mushroom-shaped 'mulberry' pommel, and wire-bound wooden grip
35¾in. (90.9cm.) blade
Hilts of the general type found on this sword are particularly associated with Scandinavia, and are clearly North European, probably German, as has been pointed out by Norman, though Seitz calls them South European or Italian. See H. Seitz, Blankwaffen, I, pp. 321-25, 329, and figs. 231, 238 and 241; A.V.B. Norman, The Rapier and Small-Sword, 1460-1820, p. 149, hilt 76
Late 16th Century
With long broad tapering straight blade double-edged for half its length, with a central fuller on each face of the forte (partly removed on one face), the back bordered by stamped 'sickle' marks, the hilt comprising long slender straight quillons with the ends turned up and down respectively and with 'mulberry' terminal knops, symmetrical hemispherical basket guard formed of slender bars above a solid base-plate, thumb-ring, mushroom-shaped 'mulberry' pommel, and wire-bound wooden grip
35¾in. (90.9cm.) blade
Hilts of the general type found on this sword are particularly associated with Scandinavia, and are clearly North European, probably German, as has been pointed out by Norman, though Seitz calls them South European or Italian. See H. Seitz, Blankwaffen, I, pp. 321-25, 329, and figs. 231, 238 and 241; A.V.B. Norman, The Rapier and Small-Sword, 1460-1820, p. 149, hilt 76