CIRCA 1570-80

Details

A GERMAN MILITARY RAPIER
CIRCA 1570-80
With flat blade double-edged over the upper third of its length, both sides cut with a near full-length narrow fuller, an additional fuller parallel with the unsharpened back, the inner-face struck with so-called 'eyelash' marks, and with further arrangements of 'eyelash' marks on both sides of the ricasso, iron hilt of rounded bars, comprising a pair of long horizontally recurved quillons with pointed swelling tips, upper and lower ring-guards swelling in the middle, a pair of arms, inner-guard of three diagonal bars with thumb-ring, large globular pommel, original fishskin-covered grip reinforced by four moulded iron longitudinal bars, strongly cusped iron collars at both ends, the hilt retaining traces of its original blued finish, the greater part lightly oxidised to russet, and in fine untouched condition throughout.
40½in (103cm) blade

Special notice

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

Lot Essay

A very similar example is in the Royal Armoury Turin; see C. Bertolotto et al, L'Armeria Reale di Torino, 1982, cat. No.128. Another was sold by Thomas Del Mar Ltd, 26 June 2007, lot 153. The present blade is almost certainly Italian.

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