[Maurizio D'Angelo]

Hello everyone,
a couple of days, I often look strange hilt. From a careful viewing, I found some things that I find strange.
If anyone has confirmations or suggestions would be appreciated.
1) There are 4 holes, appears to be a grip wooden sewing.
2) transverse ropes, holding together the grip of wood.
3) two ropes out of the knobs are the same as the 4 holes?
4) Does anyone know if there hilt bound with this technique? is a technique alien to Western swords?
5) The pommel, pommel onion is called, the only one I have found that talking is Hoffmeier. Anyone know if Oakeshott, Laking. Petersen, Geibig, Wheeler, etc. were never told about this type of pommel?
6) The pommel is secured with a nut of bronze or peneed?
Too many questions? is perhaps a little too much. I apologize in advance.
here the stange hilt:

[Jean Thibodeau]

Hard to tell with artwork as the lines could represent many different things ?

Lines could be cord bindings or metal bands or surface decoration on some sort of textile/leather/other grip coverings ?

Inlays of ivory ? Holes might be precious stones/pins/rivets, functional in keeping the grip together or just decorative ?

Now in period the representation would probably not be ambiguous as people would fill in the blanks with their every day knowledge of what the lines mean.

Now if there is a surviving period sword with a similar grip still in good condition i.e. a similar type of sword we could refer to, it would be much easier to pin down what the " lines " mean.

Another ambiguity is that a circle inside a pommel could mean a ridge line or a way to show a ring pommel i.e. in one case the inner circle is a surface and in the other it's a hole ???

If many similar depictions are available for comparison it becomes easier to guess at what the graphic tricks used by the artists are supposed to mean or what are the conventions used to represent a hole versus a surface.

Well, maybe not too helpful giving you an answer to in this specific case but just making a point about the risks of making assumptions about what is being represented in artwork.

[Romulus Stoica]

The picture looks like a byzantine church fresco. The armor is lamellar and looks very similar with what a military saint will wear in a byzantine or eastern european orthodox curch painting. I saw church paintings in Romania showing grips riveted to the tang.

[Eric W. Norenberg]

[Maurizio D'Angelo]

[Maurizio D'Angelo]

[Chad Arnow]

Do you have any picture that is more of a closeup of that hilt and is also larger in size? That might help.

[Maurizio D'Angelo]

[Matthew Amt]

[Chad Arnow]

I think it's just decoration/over-binding of a regular grip. The pommel just looks like a squished wheel to me, and looks as if the proportions weren't drawn correctly.

Here are two other decorated grips. Not the same style, but I think they're the same concept.

[Michael Eging]

Thanks for the close ups, Chad. That helps to really get at the patterns on the grips.

Also, here is a thread on Byzantine sword from a while back that shows some variations of styles. As you might tell in the thread, I really enjoy focus on things Byzantine and this has been an area of interest, and also an area where I would like to be pointed to additional resources if people have them.



http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=8927&highlight=

[Maurizio D'Angelo]

hello guns,
thank you all I appreciate your suggestions.
Chad, your photos are not on the Internet. Thank you.
Ciao
Maurizio