[Thomas McDonald]

Some cool items coming up for auction, on the 4th & 5th of October, at Wallis & Wallis auction house !
* Of course I'm only high-lighting the pieces that interest me the most, but there's plenty more there to checkout !
Photos & Descriptions copyright Wallis & Wallis.co.uk

Mac

Lot 962 - A scarce hieland broadsword, c 1760, straight thin SE blade, 33”, with back fuller, double for most of its length, regulation steel basket hilt with bars, and panels pierced wtih hearts, leather covered grip, original leather liner. GC for age with a pleasing dark patina overall, an untouched piece (tip rounded, some wear, leather shrunk) Plate 7

Lot 961 - A most interesting 17th century broadsword, broad DE tapering blade 29”, with shallow central fuller, with a French inscription in large capital letters on one side (partly indecipherable) “A V.... FM. ..IV.. CE•EST•A•RONDE•TOVT•EST•BIEN•A•LE (sic) •MONDE” and what appears to be a “pidgin” English version on the other side “...CI..FLORET•SO•ICI•AL•WEL•INDE•WERM”, iron basket hilt and round grip, the grip bound with narrow leather strap which originally extended around all the bars of the hilt but which is now mostly worn away. QGC for age. Plate 7

Lot 960 - A Vic officer’s broadsword of The Gordon Highlanders, DE claymore blade 33” by E Thurkle, Maker, Soho, London, etched with crowned Sphinx and “Egypt”, thistle, “Gordon Highlanders”, VR cypher and 24 interwoven battle honour scrolls, “Seringapatam” to “Nile 1884-85”, within thistle wreath panels, regulation steel basket hilt with pierced panels, chamois backed red cloth liner, in its steel scabbard. GC (a little wear and dark rust pitting, pommel cap replaced) Plate 7

Lot 959 - A Vic field officer’s 1821 pattern sword of The Q Own Cameron Highlanders, faintly curved, fullered blade 33”, by Henry Wilkinson (unnumbered) etched with crowned VR cypher and crowned “Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders” within thistle scrolled panels, regulation plated triple bar steel hilt, wirebound fishskin grip, in its plated scabbard, with leather knot (AF). GC (some plating wear, one throat screw missing) Plate 7

Lot 73 - A good basket hilted backsword, c 1760, single edged blade 33½” with broad full length fuller and shorter narrow fuller, the steel basket guard composed of oval cartouches each containing 2 crosses patee, bun shaped pommel, nice original silver wire bound grip with silver wire Turk’s heads. Clean Condition (blade lightly pitted and cleaned) Plate 24

Lot 82 - A good early 19th century Gothic revival copy of a Scottish early 17th century 2 handed sword, claymore, double edged blade 40½” with running wolf mark on either side, the hilt with broad down turned quillons, deep circular shell guards pierced for lining, and spherical pommel. Good Condition (pitted and worn overall commensurate with age, the grip a well made modern replacement which can be removed to expose the tang). Plate 27

Lot 83 - A good old copy of a 16th century Scottish “Lowland” type 2 handed broadsword, flat blade 46” with short fullers, the hilt with 17” span quillons having down turned finials, 2 ring guards with central bars and pierced with quatrefoils, and large spherical pommel, the grip recovered with leather and suitably distressed. Good Condition (worn and rather pitted overall commensurate with age). Plate 27

Lot 157 - A good pair of Scottish 28 bore all steel flintlock belt pistols, by John Campbell of Doune, c 1770, 12” overall, barrels 7” with fluted breeches, engraved facetted octagonal muzzles, and scroll engraved decoration between; the locks with flat swan neck cocks, plain unbridled frizzens and horizontally acting scears protruding through the lock plates, which are engraved with scrolls and “John Campbell”, three-quarter stocks with ram’s head butts, engraved overall with scrolls and entwined strapwork, and with silver inlaid strips and oval medallions on either side of the butts, engraved silver button triggers, slender steel belt hooks on left side, steel ramrods. Good Working Order and Condition, retaining faint traces of original blued finish behind the belt hooks (one ramrod replaced) See front cover

[Steve Grisetti]

I like that Lot 73 backsword. Thanks, Mac.

[Aaron Schnatterly]

Thanks for the heads-up, Mac! More nice pretty things I can't have... but it's fun to look, for sure.

More of those baskethilts... one of these days, man... one of these days.

This is what caught my eye - an early 17th C pearstalk cabaset: