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Thomas McDonald
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PostPosted: Wed 01 Dec, 2004 6:02 pm    Post subject: Walter Allan of Stirling Baskethilt Broadsword (SW 37)         Reply with quote

Walter Allan of Stirling Baskethilt Broadsword, c. 1735-60

[ Linked Image ]
(SW 37) Overall length - 37 1/4", Blade length - 31 1/4" , Blade width - 1 5/8", Weight -3 lb. 1-1/2 oz.


Broadsword with open-work basket hilt of rare and exceptionally fine design and execution, signed on the underside of the quillon WA over S (Walter Allan, Stirling). The front of the basket is formed of a square panel filled in with Scottish thistle displayed and crowned. Each member is engraved down the centre with a 'wiggle' line. The blade is double edged with a short narrowed recasso and is channelled with a short, broad, central hollow and a narrow flute on either side. It bears in Spanish lettering the Latin inscription, on one side reads -- PARCERE SUBIECTIS,the other side ET DEBELARE SUPERBOS, which translated reads -- 'spare the vanquished and crush the proud.'
Total length, without the button, 36 7/8" inches. Blade, 31 1/8" inches by 1 5/8".

-- Scottish Military and Naval Museum, Edinburgh Castle (N.R. Colville Collection).

* Text - Charles Whitelaw 'Scottish Arms Makers' ,Plate IV,Fig. 5-6
* Photo 1 (color) - Vince Evans
* Photo 2 (front view of basket) - John Wallace 'Scottish Swords & Dirks'


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'Gott Bewahr Die Oprechte Schotten'
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Last edited by Thomas McDonald on Sat 04 Dec, 2004 8:46 am; edited 1 time in total
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Steve Grisetti




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PostPosted: Wed 01 Dec, 2004 6:09 pm    Post subject: SW references         Reply with quote

Lovely piece.

Mac - could you enlighten us (or at least me) on the source of the SW reference numbers? I saw the earlier SW 11 thread. Also see several SW numbers referenced on the Mad Piper site. And where might those interested go to study further?

Thanks,

Steve Grisetti
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Nathan Robinson
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PostPosted: Wed 01 Dec, 2004 6:12 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Oh wow, I don't think I've seen these two photos together before. I'm almost positive I've seen the side view, and certainly have seen the "forward" view, but I never realized these two were of the same sword!

I really like this basket. It's much more graceful than I had originally thought.

"spare the vanquished and crush the proud" -- haha!

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Thomas McDonald
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PostPosted: Wed 01 Dec, 2004 7:58 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Hi Steve

In John Wallace's book, Scottish Swords & Dirks (1970), he writes :
"Except were noted in the captions, the photographs used are objects either in the permanent collection at the N.M.A.S.
(National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland), with numbers prefixed by LA, LB, or LC, or in the Colville Collection deposited there on loan, with numbers prefixed by DK or SW."

So the SW just indicates that it belongs to Colville Collection, on loan ! Mac

[ Linked Image ]
*Photo: 'Scottish Arms Makers', Plate IV, Fig. 6.

'Gott Bewahr Die Oprechte Schotten'
XX ANDRIA XX FARARA XX
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Thomas McDonald
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PostPosted: Thu 02 Dec, 2004 3:30 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Arms and armour
The distinctive types of swords, daggers, firearms, powder horns and targes made in Scotland in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries are well represented, along with surviving medieval pieces and a collection of later sporting firearms. There is a particularly good collection of Highland dirks. Apart from the Seafield Collection (1977), major components are the collections made by Charles Whitelaw (1940) and N Colville (1949). Around 100 weapons are currently on loan to the National Trust for Scotland's Battle of Culloden Visitor Centre.
There is also a collection of instruments of torture.

http://www.nms.ac.uk/home/index.asp?m=4&s=1&ss=3.11

'Gott Bewahr Die Oprechte Schotten'
XX ANDRIA XX FARARA XX
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Steve Grisetti




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PostPosted: Thu 02 Dec, 2004 4:07 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Thanks, Mac. It would be great when/if National Museum of Scotland gets an online picture gallery. I think there might be a lot of interest from this community. And the instruments of torture would be just the thing for the little kiddies... Eek!
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Thomas McDonald
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PostPosted: Thu 02 Dec, 2004 5:19 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Steve Grisetti wrote:
Thanks, Mac. It would be great when/if National Museum of Scotland gets an online picture gallery. I think there might be a lot of interest from this community. And the instruments of torture would be just the thing for the little kiddies... Eek!


Hi Steve

Yes, that would be excellent !

Meanwhile, be sure and checkout our online museum photographs, in the Albums section at :
http://www.myArmoury.com/albums/index.php?cat=6, as the NMS is included !

Plus Vince Evans, Ron Luciano, and myself, all have PictureTrail albums that feature pics of some of the wonderful things at the NMS as well.
You can find the sites at :
Vince Evans - http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?username=vevans
Ron Luciano - http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?username=turcael
Mac's - http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?username=mactom

Enjoy, Mac

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Thomas McDonald
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PostPosted: Sat 04 Dec, 2004 8:48 am    Post subject:         Reply with quote

I edited in the weight on this piece, as Vince Evans had kindly supplied me with it !
It weighs in at ... 3 lb. 1-1/2 oz.

Mac

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Adam Lloyd




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PostPosted: Sun 05 Dec, 2004 12:39 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

hey thomas what do you think that "lightning" type of decoration on the front of the basket signifies? it seems veyr unusual. It's the sharp back-and-forth things i'm talking about
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Thomas McDonald
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PostPosted: Sun 05 Dec, 2004 5:07 pm    Post subject:         Reply with quote

Adam Lloyd wrote:
hey thomas what do you think that "lightning" type of decoration on the front of the basket signifies? it seems veyr unusual. It's the sharp back-and-forth things i'm talking about


Hi Adam

The design is that of a thistle leaf , the flower of Scotland !

Mac



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thistle.jpg


'Gott Bewahr Die Oprechte Schotten'
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