MID-17TH CENTURY
Details
A Rare English 'Mortuary' Backsword
Mid-17th Century
With straight single-edged blade (some pitting), the back bordered by a single fuller on each face stamped respectively 'Clemens Stof' and 'Fecit London', iron hilt patinated on the inside comprising guard pierced and chiselled with conventional foliage framing two male masks with pointed beards, pommel chiselled with foliage, and original wooden grip covered with paper or parchment and bound with twisted wire (slightly wormed, binding incomplete)
33in. (85.8cm.) blade
Clemens Stof was a member of a well known family of Solingen sword-cutlers. No record of him London can be traced and it is possible, therefore, that he simply signed this blade 'London' to make it more saleable. Sixteen other English swords with blades signed 'London' are recorded, all but two of which are accompanied by names, mostly German, of which only one, Johannes Hoppie, has been recorded in England. See C. Milward, 'English signed swords in the London Museum' and 'Further notes on London and Houndslow Swordsmiths', Apollo, March 1939, pp. 125-29, and April 1942, pp. 93-96; C. Trenchard, 'German swordsmiths in England', The Antique Collector, September 1934, pp. 245-48; M.R. Holmes, Arms & Armour in Tudor and Stuart London, London Museum, 1970; A. Weyersberg, Solinger Schwertschmied des 16 und 17 Jahrunderts, 1926, p. 44
Mid-17th Century
With straight single-edged blade (some pitting), the back bordered by a single fuller on each face stamped respectively 'Clemens Stof' and 'Fecit London', iron hilt patinated on the inside comprising guard pierced and chiselled with conventional foliage framing two male masks with pointed beards, pommel chiselled with foliage, and original wooden grip covered with paper or parchment and bound with twisted wire (slightly wormed, binding incomplete)
33in. (85.8cm.) blade
Clemens Stof was a member of a well known family of Solingen sword-cutlers. No record of him London can be traced and it is possible, therefore, that he simply signed this blade 'London' to make it more saleable. Sixteen other English swords with blades signed 'London' are recorded, all but two of which are accompanied by names, mostly German, of which only one, Johannes Hoppie, has been recorded in England. See C. Milward, 'English signed swords in the London Museum' and 'Further notes on London and Houndslow Swordsmiths', Apollo, March 1939, pp. 125-29, and April 1942, pp. 93-96; C. Trenchard, 'German swordsmiths in England', The Antique Collector, September 1934, pp. 245-48; M.R. Holmes, Arms & Armour in Tudor and Stuart London, London Museum, 1970; A. Weyersberg, Solinger Schwertschmied des 16 und 17 Jahrunderts, 1926, p. 44