CIRCA 1640-50

Details

A RARE ENGLISH BASKET-HILT 'MORTUARY' BROADSWORD
CIRCA 1640-50
With double-edged fullered blade incised with a running wolf mark and a series of decorative marks on each side, the decorative marks respectively framing the inscription 'ANDREA' on one side and 'FERARA' on the other, iron hilt finely chiselled in relief with three mounted figures, two in full armour with the third in contemporary armour, and a series of seven differing trophies of arms all within an elaborate strapwork pattern, the scrolled bars forming the basket chiselled with further strapwork and each incorporating a small trophy and terminating in a Classical warrior's head, associated globular pommel incised with leaves, and later wooden grip
35in (88.9cm) blade

Provenance

Anon. sale, Sotheby's, Summers Place, 13th April 1999, Lot 91

Special notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price and at 17.5% on the buyer's premium.

Lot Essay

The quality of the chiselled decoration on the guard is exceptional for the period. For a comparable sword preserved in the Royal Armouries Collection please see Arthur Richard Dufty, European Swords and Daggers in the Tower of London, 1974, plate 47, fig. D

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