BY JOHN BECKETT, ST. JAMES'S STREET, LONDON, DATED 1761

細節

AN EXCEPTIONAL ENGLISH BASKET-HILTED SWORD
By John Beckett, St. James's Street, London, dated 1761
With tapering Spanish blade double-edged and of flattened hexagonal section for two-thirds of its length, the remainder back-edged and finely etched on the outer side with the device of King Charles III (reg. 1759-88), and the inscription 'Toledo Calisto Iubente Carolo 1761', all on a waved background and set within shaped borders of etched formal ornament, the inner side with a further device of King Charles III (The Old and New Worlds) surmounted by a royal crown, and the inscription 'Prisca Fruor Fama', all executed in similar fashion to the other side of the blade, bright steel guard composed of fluted bars of rectangular section involving an oval aperture with a chiselled foliate spray above and beneath, shaped panels finely pierced and chiselled in relief with Classical trophies of arms, and two applied front loops framing a further trophy of arms involving a cannon and the club of Hercules, turned domed pommel with prominent button en suite, original grip covered with green leather spirally bound with a silver ribbon and with chased silver collar at the top and bottom, and original liner of chamois leather faced with plum velvet, in its original iron-mounted tooled leather scabbard, the locket and chape each finely chiselled with a trophy of arms in relief against a punched ground, the former carrying an iron suspension-ring and with pricked signature 'Beckett Lordini' on the inner side within a rococo cartouche (frog-hook missing)
36¼in. (92.1cm.) blade

來源

Holgar Jacobsen of Copenhagen, Denmark, expert on basket-hilts and author of a number of articles on the subject, including 'Die norwegischen "Sinclair-Säbel"', Zeitschrift für Historische Waffen- und Kostümkunde, XV (1937-9), pp. 169-173, and 'Kurvfaester', Vaabenhistoriske Aarbøger, iii (Copenhagen, 1940), pp. 90-105

注意事項

Please note that no condition report is stated in this description. Also note that this lot will be removed to the warehouse of Cadogan Tate Ltd. if not cleared by 1.00 p.m. on 21 November 2002. Please refer to "Storage and Collection" on page 174 of the printed catalogue.

拍品專文

The hilt may be compared to several London-made bright steel hilts of royal provenance in the Scottish manner in the collection of H.M. The Queen at Windsor Castle, for example inv. nos. 735 and 742 The Latin inscription on the blade can be translated as 'Calisto. You are enjoined to repeat the benefits of ancient glory. Carlos 1761'. This refers to Don Luis Calisto, a bladesmith of Valencia, who was placed in charge of production when the Fábrica de armas blancas de Toledo (still active today) was founded by King Charles III in 1761. The inscription is clearly an injunction for Calisto to ensure that the new factory maintains the ancient fame of Toledo sword makers, and must indicate that the blade on this sword was one of its first products. Charles III was noted for his interest in the arts - he founded the Capodimonte pottery, and built Caserta Palace, as well as the Prado in Madrid John Beckett (recorded 1733-1767), royal sword cutler and belt maker to King George III, was situated first at the 'corner of Catherine Wheel Yard on the west side of St. James's Street' and later at 68 St. James's Street. He provided the robe sword used in George III's coronation in 1761, and in 1765 his premises were taken over by John Bland See H. González, La fábrica de armas blancas de Toledo, Toledo, 1889, pp. 46-7; Leslie Southwick, London Silver-hilted swords, 2001, p.44