19TH CENTURY

Details

A VENETIAN BROADSWORD, IN LATE 15TH/EARLY 16TH CENTURY STYLE
19th Century
With broad double-edged blade tapering slightly to an acute spear point, cut with a shallow fuller and stamped with Venetian City mark at the forte on both sides, blackened iron hilt comprising strongly recurved quillons of triangular section, characteristic eared rectangular pommel with a central boss, and modern leather-bound wooden grip.
38 1/8in (97cm) blade

Provenance

The City Arsenal, Venice

Special notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price and at 15% on the buyer's premium

Lot Essay

Swords of this type were carried by the Venetian Ducal guard (schiavoni) and several hundred still remain in the Palazzo Ducale. See U. Franzoi, L'Armeria del Palazzo Ducale a Venezia, Dosson, 1990, figs.41 & 42.

The mark on the blade, the addorsed letters 'CX', is an abbreviation of Consiglio dei Dieci' (the governing Council of Ten).

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