Ethnographic Arms & Armour
 

Go Back   Ethnographic Arms & Armour > Discussion Forums > European Armoury

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread Display Modes
Old 6th March 2021, 06:25 PM   #1
Lansquenet59
Member
 
Lansquenet59's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: France
Posts: 132
Default 17th Rapier to identify

Hello,

Can you identify this rapier model? Is the pommel good?
Attached Images
     
Lansquenet59 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 7th March 2021, 06:46 AM   #2
Philip
Member
 
Philip's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: California
Posts: 1,036
Default blade ??

Isn't the blade too wide to be a true rapier? From the photos, I'm thinking of a riding-sword (Reitschwert). There is a Germanic feel to the guard, in my opinion. But will leave it to someone else to address the pommel. Thanks for sharing the images.
Philip is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 7th March 2021, 08:15 AM   #3
Lansquenet59
Member
 
Lansquenet59's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2020
Location: France
Posts: 132
Default

Yes that's right, it's a wider blade, thanks. Total length 97 cm
Attached Images
 
Lansquenet59 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 7th March 2021, 11:24 AM   #4
ulfberth
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 382
Default

Hello Lansquenet,
as Philip noticed its a reitschwert = riding sword or a campaign sword, purely for military use.
The style is South German or North Itaian around late 16th C to 1600 to me. The blade is of course original and probably the guard and pommel to, but the pictures are not detailed enough to be sure.

kind regards
Ulfberth
ulfberth is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 8th March 2021, 05:33 AM   #5
Philip
Member
 
Philip's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: California
Posts: 1,036
Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by ulfberth
Hello Lansquenet,

The style is South German or North Itaian around late 16th C to 1600 to me. The blade is of course original and probably the guard and pommel to, but the pictures are not detailed enough to be sure.

kind regards
Ulfberth
Hello, Dirk!
Interesting that you think it might be north Italian. I've seen these broad double edged blades with triple narrow fullers at forte on many schiavone. Also possible that the blade might be if those three marks are indeed the commonly seen "asterix" or cockleburr stamps seen on many blades from the region around Venice. I agree, detailed pics would be nice!
Philip
Philip is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 8th March 2021, 06:55 AM   #6
Philip
Member
 
Philip's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: California
Posts: 1,036
Default similarities in hilt design

Taking another look, there seems to be another basis for determining this sword to be north Italian as well as Germanic.

Here's an Italian sword in the Royal Armouries Museum (IX-155), this one a spada da fante or footsoldier's sword with an unusually wide and prominently-tapering blade, 92.7 cm overall, dated at ca 1560.

Ignoring the blade, one sees a hilt with a guard of essentially the same construction, although without a side-ring (ponte) connecting the ends of the arms where they touch the blade. This omission may be due to the practical necessity of accommodating such a wide blade. However, the arrangement of knucklebow and the loop-guard branching to form bridges joining the arms, without perpendicularly projecting quillons, is quite similar.

There is a parallel with the spirally-cut wood grips. Pommels are different. The asymmetrical shape of the RAM example's pommel seems to have parallels in the notched flat-sided pommel of the typical Venetian cutlass or falchion known as a storta.
Attached Images
 
Philip is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 8th March 2021, 03:34 PM   #7
ulfberth
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 382
Default

Hi Philip that hilt looks like a predecessor of the reitschwert's or veld degen hilt.
Here is similar blade with the same stamps around 1500 in the Doge palace museum in Venetia.
kind reegards
Ulfberth
Attached Images
  
ulfberth is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 01:22 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Posts are regarded as being copyrighted by their authors and the act of posting material is deemed to be a granting of an irrevocable nonexclusive license for display here.