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
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
Arab Sword (Bronze & Silver variations)
Source: Aceros de Hispania
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
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
Italian Rapiers
Dated: circa 1600
- Rapier with hidden gun
- Simple rapier
Photo source: Metropolitan Museum of Art
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
Pallasch
- Culture: blade - Italian, Milan (with Ottoman decorations), mount - Ottoman, vessel - Morocco
- Dated: 16th Century
- Material and Technique: blade of iron, forged, etched and engraved grip of iron, wood, horn
- Measurement: total length of 107.7cm; blade 93.9cm; weight 1817g
Elector Christian I of Saxony received the saber as a gift in 1587 by Francesco I de ‘Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany. This weapon is one in many respects to the peculiarities of the Turkish Chamber. First and foremost, the impressive appearance is mentioned, which is caused by the massive, ornate edged blade.
This saber is made of very different work areas. While the vessel is from Morocco and the typical form there corresponds with strongly angled work and s-shaped quillons, the blade is an Italian work. She has been a chosen, and was crowned Pi marked accordingly in Milan.
The blade was then decorated in the Orient. The etched and partly engraved decoration consists of medallions with stripes and scrolls, flowers and leaves. The middle stripe is a Spanish inscription found in a secret script-like character.
How did this strange mixture of different origins is not yet clear. Could possibly play in the events following the reconquest of Spain by 1492. Many Spanish Jews left the country after the conquest of Granada and moved some of North Africa in the dominion of the Ottomans.
Source & Copyright: Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden
Kilij Sword
- Dated: sword - 19th century; blade - circa 1576 – 1625
- Culture: Ottoman, Turkey
- Medium: steel, gold, silver, rhinoceros horn, wood, shagreen leather, iron
- Measurements: full length: 94,5cm; blade length: 80cm
This piece, made in the 19th century, incorporates an older blade which probably dates from the late 16th to early 17th centuries, its careful manufacture and decorative construction being suggestive of Persian swords. Both sides are filled with cartouches and reserves with inscriptions and vegetal elements, engraved and encrusted in gold.
The hilt, in the characteristic shape of a pistol handgrip, is sculpted out of rhinoceros horn and displays a cruciform hand-guard, made of engraved and chiselled silver with geometric and vegetable motifs.
The scabbard, made of wood, is covered in shagreen leather, sewn with silver thread. Silver mounts, stamped with the Tughra or official monogram of the ruler, probably the Sultan Abdull Meijid (1839-1861). Iron tip, decorated in gold with a depiction of an anchor in its extremity.
Source & Copyright: Caravana Collection
