Gilding on European Medieval Swords

Lee · Yesterday, 07:15 PM

On Oct 5 I made a presentation at the New England Bladesmith's Guild Ashokan Sword Seminar. The theme for the weekend was 'Gilding the Lily' and in keeping with that I decided to share some results from an X-Ray Fluorescence survey of my collection completed shortly before the Pandemic that I will also share here now. This technology allows nondestructive detection of heavier elements on or near the surface of an object.

Lee · Yesterday, 07:21 PM

Gilding over the forte and hilt elements is not unexpected in this timeframe. I have had concerns about the authenticity of this sword that I have had over a quarter of a century, so you can imagine how pleasing it was to find a feature invisible to the naked eye that a forger would have had no motive to put there.

The yellow-orange marks on the orientation sheet denote areas where gold was detected.

Lee · Yesterday, 07:30 PM

Swords from this era are generally regarded to have been austere plain steel and are rarely encountered in other than excavated condition.

Lee · Yesterday, 07:39 PM

In this timeframe very attractive overlay work in silver, copper and rarely gold may be found on hilts particularly from Viking infested lands. The brazil nut pommel suggests a more southerly origin for this example and would not be expected to feature such decoration.

urbanspaceman · Yesterday, 09:12 PM

Hey Lee. These are your swords??? You own an ULFBERHT?
This is where the name of the forum comes from? I've often wondered.
Thank-you for letting me see these.

Lee · Today, 05:34 PM

Yes, indeed, even a blind squirrel occasionally gets a nut and after 40 years of seeking there may even be a small stash.

The website did start out especially focused on European Medieval swords. A lonely focus. Daydreaming at a particularly irrelevant (to me) lecture at a professional conference, I developed a desire to advise aspiring collectors that there was a wide variety of exciting artifacts worthy of their attention.

Hotspur · Today, 06:33 PM

The main resource page is a bookmark I found through the Sir Clisto pages, so many decades ago.

I have studied here since.

A jewel.

Yesterday, 07:15 PM	#1
Lee EAAF Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Upstate New York, USA Posts: 961	Gilding on European Medieval Swords On Oct 5 I made a presentation at the New England Bladesmith's Guild Ashokan Sword Seminar. The theme for the weekend was 'Gilding the Lily' and in keeping with that I decided to share some results from an X-Ray Fluorescence survey of my collection completed shortly before the Pandemic that I will also share here now. This technology allows nondestructive detection of heavier elements on or near the surface of an object.

Yesterday, 07:21 PM	#2
Lee EAAF Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Upstate New York, USA Posts: 961	Oakeshott type XV - Fourteenth Century Gilding over the forte and hilt elements is not unexpected in this timeframe. I have had concerns about the authenticity of this sword that I have had over a quarter of a century, so you can imagine how pleasing it was to find a feature invisible to the naked eye that a forger would have had no motive to put there. The yellow-orange marks on the orientation sheet denote areas where gold was detected. Attached Images

Yesterday, 07:30 PM	#3
Lee EAAF Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Upstate New York, USA Posts: 961	Oakeshott type Xa - Eleventh Century - +INNOMINEDOMINI+ Swords from this era are generally regarded to have been austere plain steel and are rarely encountered in other than excavated condition. Attached Images

Yesterday, 07:39 PM	#4
Lee EAAF Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Upstate New York, USA Posts: 961	Oakeshott type X - Tenth to Eleventh Century - +ULFBERHT+ In this timeframe very attractive overlay work in silver, copper and rarely gold may be found on hilts particularly from Viking infested lands. The brazil nut pommel suggests a more southerly origin for this example and would not be expected to feature such decoration. Attached Images

Yesterday, 09:12 PM	#5
urbanspaceman Member Join Date: Sep 2017 Location: Tyneside. North-East England Posts: 716	WOW Hey Lee. These are your swords??? You own an ULFBERHT? This is where the name of the forum comes from? I've often wondered. Thank-you for letting me see these.

Today, 05:34 PM	#6
Lee EAAF Staff Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Upstate New York, USA Posts: 961	Yes, indeed, even a blind squirrel occasionally gets a nut and after 40 years of seeking there may even be a small stash. The website did start out especially focused on European Medieval swords. A lonely focus. Daydreaming at a particularly irrelevant (to me) lecture at a professional conference, I developed a desire to advise aspiring collectors that there was a wide variety of exciting artifacts worthy of their attention.

Today, 06:33 PM	#7
Hotspur Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Nipmuc USA Posts: 534	The main resource page is a bookmark I found through the Sir Clisto pages, so many decades ago. I have studied here since. A jewel.

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