A rapier by Pietro Hernandez

Foxbat · 11th April 2017, 09:32 PM

Well, if you ask me, it looks more like a mule, than anything else, but I am not sure that was the idea.

Here's the other side.

fernando · 12th April 2017, 12:01 PM

I admire your guys sharp eye; i can see neither a woolf nor a mule

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... But the sword is excelent

.

Jim McDougall · 12th April 2017, 08:32 PM

It seems that in observing these 'running wolf' marks in many examples which cover several centuries, there is far more than variation in the exemplars, and many reach the point of abstraction. In my opinion these figures were chiseled into the blades by shop workers rather than the artisans who were charged with inscribing them.

These workers were not skilled artistically (obviously) but the marks were probably intended as talismanic imbuement which derived from conventions such as that known as 'Passau Art', in which the running wolf 'of Passau' was one of the leading devices as far as sword blades.

The notion seems to have been that despite the artistic deficiency of the application, the talismanic factor would stand in effect simply by the act of the marking. The superstitious fervor that existed with weaponry in these times is something often deeply underestimated in studies of them, which is why markings and inscriptions are most often not well attended to.

Iain · 13th April 2017, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fernando

I admire your guys sharp eye; i can see neither a woolf nor a mule

.
... But the sword is excelent

.

Looks like a bull to me...

ulfberth · 13th April 2017, 05:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iain

Looks like a bull to me...

well maybe not a wolf but it looks like a dog to me

the blade looks indeed German, the position of the stamps on the ricasso and the running K9 all point in that direction

Foxbat · 13th April 2017, 06:00 PM

Well, your picture clearly explains why we have three protrusions where the hind legs are, and only two in the front.

kronckew · 16th April 2017, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Foxbat

Well, your picture clearly explains why we have three protrusions where the hind legs are, and only two in the front.

yup, it's obviously a male animal!

Gonzalo G · 14th May 2017, 06:38 AM

I don´t know if this can be useful, but according with the icollector web site, and I quote: "Excellent quality Victorian decorated rapier with period blade signed Pietro Hernandez. This rapier was probably a military issue and plain style which was embellished in the 19th Century; 47-1/2” overall with a 38” blade; good condition with normal aging. The hilt and blade show quality forging and the decorative chiseling and engraving are almost an exact simulation of 17th Century work but just not quite as fine or detailed enough." You can find the reference here:

It seems that there was made an intent to to imitate a very well known mark or stamp used on Spanish blades from the 15th and 16th Centuries, consisting in a small running dog, made with very elementary lines. For this reason, those swords were commonly called "Espadas del Perrillo" (Swords of the Little Dog). The mark belonged originally to Julián del Rey, known as Julián el Moro, a moorish converse from Granada, supposedly baptized by the king Ferdinand the Catholic. It is to be noted that, according with some people, this swordsmith made the famous jineta sword of Boabdil exhibited in the Museo del Ejército in Toledo, but latter the mark was imitated by other swordsmiths in Spain. Maybe even by those of Passau, and it most be taken care to not confuse the marks, since some people, not knowing this facts, misatribute a Espada del Perrillo to those of the running wolf from Passau. I was unable to load the image of this mark or stamp, since when I try to insert the image in this post, it appear a text "Enter the text to be formatted", and I don´t know how to upload, but you can see the image of the stamp here:

Regards

Iain · 14th April 2017, 01:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ulfberth

well maybe not a wolf but it looks like a dog to me

the blade looks indeed German, the position of the stamps on the ricasso and the running K9 all point in that direction

Sure, I wasn't disagreeing that it's a German blade, but I think often we are too quick to designate any vaguely four legged depiction of an animal as a running wolf. From memory the unicorn crops up from time to time as well on Passau blades.

fernando · 14th April 2017, 02:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Iain

Sure, I wasn't disagreeing that it's a German blade, but I think often we are too quick to designate any vaguely four legged depiction of an animal as a running wolf...

Amen

.

Jim McDougall · 16th April 2017, 12:47 AM

The perplexing case of these abstract animals depicted in these blades for yet unknown significance has been a notable feature for as many years as I can recall in my own research, as well as clearly included in the work of many writers.

Ewart Oakeshott in 1960, ("Archaeology of Weapons". N.Y. p.223) notes,
"...a mark which can easily be mistaken for the 'wolf' of Passau is a unicorn; since both wolf and unicorn are only very summarily sketched wth a few inlaid strokes; it needs the eye of faith to distinguish an animal at all; the examples of the unicorn I have met with look exactly the same as the wolves except they have a long straight stroke sticking out in front".

To carry the analogy further, in the well established cases of German trade blades imported into Sudan, Reed ("A Kaskara from Darfur", JAAS, 1985) notes that in examining a blade with a Fur chief, the chief thought the wolf was a hippopotamus!

11th April 2017, 09:32 PM	#1
Foxbat Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 69	Well, if you ask me, it looks more like a mule, than anything else, but I am not sure that was the idea. Here's the other side. Attached Images

14th May 2017, 06:38 AM	#8
Gonzalo G Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Nothern Mexico Posts: 458	I don´t know if this can be useful, but according with the icollector web site, and I quote: "Excellent quality Victorian decorated rapier with period blade signed Pietro Hernandez. This rapier was probably a military issue and plain style which was embellished in the 19th Century; 47-1/2” overall with a 38” blade; good condition with normal aging. The hilt and blade show quality forging and the decorative chiseling and engraving are almost an exact simulation of 17th Century work but just not quite as fine or detailed enough." You can find the reference here: It seems that there was made an intent to to imitate a very well known mark or stamp used on Spanish blades from the 15th and 16th Centuries, consisting in a small running dog, made with very elementary lines. For this reason, those swords were commonly called "Espadas del Perrillo" (Swords of the Little Dog). The mark belonged originally to Julián del Rey, known as Julián el Moro, a moorish converse from Granada, supposedly baptized by the king Ferdinand the Catholic. It is to be noted that, according with some people, this swordsmith made the famous jineta sword of Boabdil exhibited in the Museo del Ejército in Toledo, but latter the mark was imitated by other swordsmiths in Spain. Maybe even by those of Passau, and it most be taken care to not confuse the marks, since some people, not knowing this facts, misatribute a Espada del Perrillo to those of the running wolf from Passau. I was unable to load the image of this mark or stamp, since when I try to insert the image in this post, it appear a text "Enter the text to be formatted", and I don´t know how to upload, but you can see the image of the stamp here: Regards Last edited by fernando; 14th May 2017 at 12:51 PM.

12th April 2017, 12:01 PM	#2
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	I admire your guys sharp eye; i can see neither a woolf nor a mule . ... But the sword is excelent .

12th April 2017, 08:32 PM	#3
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,585	It seems that in observing these 'running wolf' marks in many examples which cover several centuries, there is far more than variation in the exemplars, and many reach the point of abstraction. In my opinion these figures were chiseled into the blades by shop workers rather than the artisans who were charged with inscribing them. These workers were not skilled artistically (obviously) but the marks were probably intended as talismanic imbuement which derived from conventions such as that known as 'Passau Art', in which the running wolf 'of Passau' was one of the leading devices as far as sword blades. The notion seems to have been that despite the artistic deficiency of the application, the talismanic factor would stand in effect simply by the act of the marking. The superstitious fervor that existed with weaponry in these times is something often deeply underestimated in studies of them, which is why markings and inscriptions are most often not well attended to.

13th April 2017, 06:00 PM	#6
Foxbat Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Posts: 69	Well, your picture clearly explains why we have three protrusions where the hind legs are, and only two in the front.

16th April 2017, 12:47 AM	#11
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,585	The perplexing case of these abstract animals depicted in these blades for yet unknown significance has been a notable feature for as many years as I can recall in my own research, as well as clearly included in the work of many writers. Ewart Oakeshott in 1960, ("Archaeology of Weapons". N.Y. p.223) notes, "...a mark which can easily be mistaken for the 'wolf' of Passau is a unicorn; since both wolf and unicorn are only very summarily sketched wth a few inlaid strokes; it needs the eye of faith to distinguish an animal at all; the examples of the unicorn I have met with look exactly the same as the wolves except they have a long straight stroke sticking out in front". To carry the analogy further, in the well established cases of German trade blades imported into Sudan, Reed ("A Kaskara from Darfur", JAAS, 1985) notes that in examining a blade with a Fur chief, the chief thought the wolf was a hippopotamus!