Scottish Basket-hilt Broadsword Infantry Officers 1798 Pattern
- Used by the Wellington Army
The 1798 Pattern was the first attempt of the British to standardize sword patterns for the Scottish regiments. This standardization made the pattern become very “loose” in some aspects, with blades coming from Solingen, England and Scotland.
In the case of this sword we have a magnificent brass hilt, a truly impressive piece but fundamentally weaker than the steel hilts. The triple fullered blade is 84.5 cm long, and it has some very distinct temper lines. These kind of swords were carried in the battle of Waterloo.
The blade is marked “James Woolley” on one side and “Warranted” on the other one. The name stands for James Woolley from Camberwell who set up his shop on 74 Edmund Street Camberwell in 1798, a few miles south of London Bridge.
Source & Copyright: Swords Collection
Artillery Officers Spontoon
- Dated 1650
- Measurements: length 240 cm
The polearm feature its original haft. The spontoon is fine edched with cannons etcetera, and presents a Latin text “SOLI DEO GLORIA” meaning “Glory to God alone”.
- Sidenote: This motto has been used by artists like Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel and Christoph Graupner to give God credit for their work. The phrase has become one of the five solas propounded to summarise the Reformers’ basic beliefs during the Protestant Reformation.
Source & Copyright: Bolk Antiques | Wikipedia
Rapier
- Dated: blade dated 1620
- Culture: Northern European, probably Germany
- Medium: Steel, encrusted with silver and partly gilt; brass and iron wire
- Dimensions: Length overall 43 1/2 in. ( 110.49 cm) Gr. width 8 1/2 in. ( 21.59 cm) Length of blade 36 7/8 in. ( 93.65 cm) Gr. width of blade 1 1/4 in. ( 3.18 cm) Gr. thickness of blade 0 3/16 in. ( 0.46 cm) Weight 2 lb. 15 oz. ( 1332 gm) Hardness of blade 70-75
There are inscriptions on both sides of ricasso, profile portrait of a monarch; etched on obverse side of blade together with lion and ostrich - CONSTANTES·FRTVNA·IVVAT· / GLORIA·VIRTVTEM·SEQVITVR· / PRO·ARIS / ET·FOCIS while etched on reverse side of blade together with eagle and griffin says - ARMA·ARMIS·VIM·VI·FRAV: / DEM·FAS·PELLERE·FRAVDE· / ORA·ET·/ LABORA. Also etched on ricasso, obverse side it reads M·S·N /ANO·1620, while etched on reverse side of ricasso the following C·S·Z·Q can be seen.
Source: © 2000–2012 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All rights reserved.
Small-Sword With Parcel-Silvered Gilt-Brass Rococo Hilt
- Dated: circa 1770
- Culture: French Or German
- Measurements: length ~ 85cm / 33.5in
- Design: Rococo style in Pittoresque genre
With slender blade stamped “En Tolido” within the short fuller on both sides at the forte, gilt-brass hilt cast with rococo patterns of flowers and scrolls entwined in part about architectural ruins, with outer loop-guard widening in the middle to form a pierced interlace of ribbon gathered rosette-like about a single flowerhead, enclosing a small shell-guard for the thumb, all cast in low relief and all set in contrast against a silvered pounced “fish-roe” ground.
Source & Copyright: Peter Finer
French Or German Silver-Mounted Small-Sword
- Dated: circa 1700
The silver gilt hilt cast and chased in the Baroque taste with recurved quillons and grip of heliotrope or ‘bloodstone’ of hexagonal section. The blade of flattened lenticular section at the forte, changing to flattened hexagonal section and decorated with engraving and gilding.
Our exquisite sword is a very early type of small-sword, sometimes called a ‘transitional rapier’ since it is of a form that marks a transition from the heavy long-bladed rapier of the early seventeenth century to the lighter small-sword of the late seventeenth century.
Its grip is of heliotrope, a form of chalcedony which has inclusions of iron oxide or red jasper and which was very popular with cutters of semi-precious hardstones who used it for seals, intaglios and small objets d’art from the Classical period until modern times.
Heliotrope was also once thought to have healing properties, especially in accelerating the cessation of nosebleeds. Swords of this type with hardstones incorporated in their hilts are known in several public collections, including that of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, in the Hofsjagd- und Rüstkammer in Vienna and the Rüstkammer in Dresden.
Source & Copyright: Peter Finer
Rapier
- Date: ca. 1620
- Culture: Spanish
- Classification: Swords
- Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1904
Source: © 2000–2012 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. All rights reserved.
Cup-hilted Sword
- Dated: 18th century
- Dimensions: length 126.5cm
- Provenance: Europe
A cup-hilted sword from the 18th Century with a double-edged blade grooved at the centre and the tang. Fine cup, richly pierced with masks and floral motifs. The quillon and guard have a round section, ribbed and grooved pommel. The sword features a wooden grip with iron wire binding and moor’s heads.
Source & Copyright: iCollector
French Directoire Hussar Officer Sword
- Dated: circa 1800
- Swordsmith: Johann Schimmelbush
- Place of manufacture: Solingen
This is an early Napoleon period sword known as the Consulat and Directoire. It is a typical hussar officer sword. It features a single copper branch with a lion head pommel with two poor quality languets on each side of the blade. The cross-guard or quillon finishes like a lion paw.
The scabbard is in leather with two large copper mounts, and two suspension rings. It is largely ornate with foliage and web and shells designs. According to light cavalry habits, the steel blade is curved and ornate with military patterns and foliage. Near the guard is engraved “JSB” standing for the name of the sword maker.
Source & Copyright: Sword Collection
Spanish Shell Guard Rapier
- Dated: circa 1650
- Dimensions: overall length 46”
Forged iron guard consisting of round bars and large up-turned shells; the obverse deeply chiseled with stylized beasts, reverse shell with only a line border. Long straight tapering quillons with turned finials; integral knucklebow decorated ensuite, connected with double bars each side joining the shells.
Features concentric rings joining the shells at the side. The grip is wrapped with alternating large twisted silver wire and smaller twisted iron wire. Has a slender 39 ½” lens-section blade with deep central fuller stamped “JOHANNI” one side and “ANTANI” on the other side, plus a shield-shape maker’s mark on the long flat ricasso.
Source & Copyright: Antique Weapon Store
The Yari
Yari is the term for one of the traditionally made Japanese blades (nihonto) in the form of a spear, or more specifically, the straight-headed spear. The martial art of wielding the yari is called sojutsu.
Early yari are believed to have been derived from Chinese spears, the hoko yari are thought to be from the Nara period (710-794), and while they were present in early Japan’s history, the term yari appeared for the first time in written sources in 1334 but this type of spear did not become popular until the late 1400s.
The original warfare of the bushi was not a thing for “commoners”; it was a ritualized combat usually between two warriors who would challenge each other via horseback archery and sword duels. However, the attempted Mongol invasions of Japan in 1274 and 1281 changed Japanese weaponry and warfare.
Yari were characterized by a straight blade that could be anywhere from several centimeters, to 3 feet or more in length. The blades were made of the same steel (tamahagane) that traditional Japanese swords and arrow heads were forged with, and were very durable. Throughout history many variations of the straight yari blade were produced, often with protrusions on a central blade.
Yari blades (points) often had an extremely long tang (nakago); typically the nagako would be longer than the sharpened portion of the blade. The nakago protruded into a re-enforced hollow portion of the handle (tachiuchi or tachiuke) resulting in a very stiff shaft making it nearly impossible for the blade to fall or break off.
The shaft (nagaye or ebu) came in many different lengths, widths and shapes; made of hardwood and covered in lacquered bamboo strips, these came in oval, round, or polygonal cross section. These in turn were often wrapped in metal rings or wire (dogane), and affixed with a metal pommel (ishizuki) on the butt end.
Yari shafts were often decorated with inlays of metal or semiprecious materials such as brass pins, lacquer, or flakes of pearl. A sheath (saya) was also part of a complete yari. Various types of yari points or blades existed.
The most common blade was a straight, flat, design that resembles a straight-bladed double edged dagger. This type of blade could cut as well as stab and was sharpened like a razor edge. Though yari is a catchall for spear, it is usually distinguished between kama yari, which have additional horizontal blades, and simple su yari (choku-so) or straight spears.
Source: Wikipedia
Hanwei Bone-handled Rapier
- Original: European, late 16th century
- Maker: CAS Iberia / Hanwei of China
This swept-hilt rapier has a non-fullered blade with a leather-covered ricasso. The quadrangular quillons terminate in finials that match the pommel and carved elements found within the rings of the hilt.
The inner guard originates at the top of knuckle-bow then divides into three bars terminating at the ends of the hilt arms. A polished cow bone grip replaces the factory synthetic one. Has a leather-covered wooden scabbard.
Source: All contents © Copyright 2003-2012 myArmoury.com — All rights reserved
German Etched State Halberd of the Trebanten Guard of Christian I, Prince Elector of Saxony
- Dated: circa 1586-91
The elements of the head comprising: a long, two-edged, strongly ridged spike; a blade with a re-curved edge; a down-curving fluke with a reinforced point and with ancillary flukes springing from its neck to shape the whole as a fleur-de-lys. Also a round-section socket with mouldings at either end, from the lower of which spring four haft-langets, secured to the haft by dome-headed rivets; the haft-langets etched with panels of foliate decoration.
The head etched overall with polished foliage strapwork on a blackened stippled ground and, in the center of the blade on either side, with gilt cartouches comprising borders of scrolls and fleurs-de-lys enclosing ovals charged with the following Arms. On one side, the Arms of the Arch-Marshal of the Holy Roman Empire (per fess sable and argent, two swords in saltire or); on the other side the arms of Saxony (barry of ten sable and or, a crown of rue in bend vert).
Source & Copyright: Peter Finer
European Rapier
- Culture: most likely Spanish
- Measurements: blade - 39” in length
Short fullers are stamped “TOMAS EAIALA” just above the guard. Research shows a few bladesmiths with similar names operating out of Spain during the 16th and 17th centuries.
Basket style hilt, with turned floral pattern dual quillions, measuring 8” from tip to tip, a pair of side rings, larger on the right, 2 forearms surrounding the blade and supporting a pair of pierced-through curved plates. Twist pattern wire grip with floral engraved bulb shaped pommel.
Source & Copyright: iCollector
Spanish Presentation Dagger
- In the style of Eusebio Zuloaga
- Dated: 4 October 1863
- Measurements: Height: 24.5cm / 10 in
The steel hilt richly inlaid with silver and gold damascened scrollwork decoration, fitted with tapering double-edged blade, inlaid on the upper portion with the date 4 OCTUBRE 1863 on one side and TOLEDO on the other, amidst scrollwork. Complete with its original all-steel scabbard decorated en suite with gold and silver linear and floral patterns, the frog with inlaid monogram.
Eusebio Zuloaga was born in Madrid in 1808, the son of Blas Zuloaga of Eibar, armourer to the Royal Bodyguard and honorary Chief Armourer of the Royal Armoury. He himself was created Armero Mayor in 1856, he died in 1898.
Source & Copyright: Peter Finer
The Pallasch Sword
A term derived from the Turkish Pala (meaning “straight”) and used in Germany and other eastern European countries to denote a backsword with a straight, heavy blade, usually single-edged, and a closed (ie, with a knuckle guard) or, more rarely, an open hilt.
It was designed mainly for cutting, although thrusts with the pont were also possible; occasionally the blade was double-edged and was grooved and ridged on both faces. As a weapon of the heavy cavalry, it was used at least from the beginning of the 17th century, and its typological derivations are still used today.
Sailors, special corps, and irregular troops also adopted it in smaller forms. It found considerable favor among hunters. The hunting version of the pallasch was in fact one of many types of hunting hanger. Its handle was made in a wide variety of materials, usually carefully decorated and surmounted by a cap with a button.
Unlike the military prototype with a closed hilt, the guard of the hunting weapon had only two short quillons, whose finals were occasionally shaped like an animal’s foot or head; a shell of the guard, when it was present, usually pointed toward the blade. The blade was sharply pointed and sometimes had a fuller running almost the entire length; it was decorated with ornamental patterns and gilding.
Along the other types of hunting hangers, such weapons were still used in the 19th century. Along with the Walloon hilt swords, the Sinclair hilt, schiavona, mortuary sword, Scottish broadsword or claymore, the different types of eastern European pallasches were regional variations of basket-hilt swords.
Info source: myArmoury | Wikipedia
Photo source: Schloss Museum - image: French Pallasch, late 18th Century, the castle museum Jever
