THE FIRST CIRCA 1750, PROBABLY GERMAN, THE SECOND CIRCA 1760, PROBABLY FRENCH

Details

TWO SMALL-SWORDS
The first circa 1750, probably German, the second circa 1760, probably French
The first with flat double-edged Solingen blade of spadroon type etched and gilt at the forte with rococo foliated scrollwork involving on one face a naturally-represented running wolf, and on the other the numbers '1414', all against a blued ground, the ormolu hilt with boatshell guard (slight crack), finely cast and chased throughout, including the grip, with rocailles (some pitting and wear to gilding); the second with slender blade of hollow triangular section etched at the forte with foliage and scrollwork, the iron hilt (rust-patinated) chiselled with sprays of foliage in relief against a gilt ground (some wear, gilding damaged), the wooden grip bound with twisted silver wire (incomplete)
32in. (81.4cm.) and 30¼in. (76.8cm.) blades (2)

Special notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium

Lot Essay

The blade of the first bears unusually late examples of the use of the Solingen running wolf mark and the '1414' device. The meaning of the latter, which is common on Solingen blades of the 17th century, is apparently unknown

See Walther Rose, 'Die Klingenmarke 1414 (1441) und Verwandte Zahlenmarken', Zeitschrift für Historische Waffen- und Kostümkunde, XIV, pp. 132-3

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