MUNICH,CIRCA 1600-1610

Details

A FINE GERMAN SWEPT-HILT RAPIER
Munich,circa 1600-1610
With sharply tapering blade of flattened diamond section, rectangular recessed ricasso struck on each face with the mark of Wolfgang Stantler,'ST'crowned, and iron hilt of flattened rounded bars retaining much of its original bright blued finish, comprising down-curved quillon with globular finial, outer-ring joined at the base to both a pair of arms and to the lower ring-guard and also joined by a diagonal to the centre of the knuckle-guard, inner-guard of three slender diagonal bars joined to the knuckle-guard by a common branch, robust pommel of elliptical section rising to a prominent button, and retaining its original moulded grip bound with plaited wire and "Turk's heads".
33¼" (84.5 cm) blade

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

This sword belongs to a group each bearing the bladesmith's mark of Wolfgang Stantler (2) of Munich (active 1580-1617). The group was made for a Bavarian corps, probably the Munich town guard.

Further examples can be seen at the Bayerisches Armeemuseum, Ingolstadt, The Wallace Collection (A612) and the von Kienbusch Collection, The Philadelphia Museum of Art (cat.no. 352).

For a discussion of this sword type see A.V.B Norman, The Rapier and Small-Sword, 1460-1820, London, 1980, pp.127-129

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