EARLY 17TH CENTURY

Details

A RARE ENGLISH SILVER-ENCRUSTED BACKSWORD
Early 17th Century
With straight slender blade (old repair) double-edged towards its tip (missing) and with three fullers along the back edge on each face, iron swept hilt with guard of flattened bars, comprising straight quillons widening towards the rounded tips, arms, the tips linked on the outside by a side-ring, and on the inner side by a trifurcated inner guard of slender bars, diagonal S-shaped bar merging with the knuckle-guard, heavy globose pommel (cracked), and wooden grip (replaced) bound with copper wire, most of the hilt encrusted with foliage and berry-bearing tendrils with grotesques at the centre, the background retaining faint traces of finely gold-damascened decoration (rust-patinated and surface pitted, the decoration rubbed and incomplete)
35in. (88.8cm.) blade

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis

Lot Essay

For English hilts of this and related types, see A.V.B. Norman, The Rapier and Small-Sword, 1460-1820, pp. 97-8, 244, 361, and Claude Blair, 'An English Sword with an Ottoman Blade in the Swiss Museum', K. Stüber and H. Wetter, Edged Weapons, Zurich, 1982, pp. 57-68

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