[Thomas McDonald]

From Sothebys.Com Arms & Armour auction page !

Mac

THE PROPERTY OF A SCOTTISH NOBLEMAN
A VERY RARE SCOTTISH BASKET-HILTED BROADSWORD WITH ETCHED JACOBITE BLADE,CIRCA 1701-07



measurements note
86.5cm; 34in blade

With German tapering blade cut with a long near full-length fuller changing to a pair of shorter fullers at the forte on each face, the outer face etched with a panel of scrolling foliage, the figure of St Andrew, and the patriotic inscription 'Prosperity to Schotland and no Union', the inner face etched with a matching panel of foliage, a Royal crown with sceptres and a further patriotic inscription ' For God My Country and King James the 8' (small areas rubbed), iron basket-guard of rounded and flattened bars carrying alternating narrow and broad panels each incised with simple linear ornament, pierced with arrangements of hearts and circles, and with cusped borders, broad scrolling quillon, plain bun-shaped pommel, spirally carved wooden grip, and retaining an early buff leather liner

CATALOGUE NOTE

Blades of this particular design pre-date the Act of the Union enacted with England in 1707. The spelling of 'Scotland' betrays the German origin of the blades. A similar blade is in the Collection of the Royal Museum of Scotland. For a discussion of both this and the further designs found on Jacobite blades see The Baron of Earlshall 1996, pp.35-37 and Trenchard 1936.

A SCOTTISH BASKET-HILTED BACKSWORD,FIRST HALF OF THE 19TH CENTURY



measurements note
the first: 76.5cm; 30 1/8in blade

With tapering blade cut with a narrow fulller over its back-edge, rudimentary iron hilt of flattened bars carrying alternating broad and narrow plates pierced with circles and triangles, short quillon, small bun-shaped pommel, and original carved basketwork hardwood grip studded with nails

A SCOTTISH BASKET-HILTED BACKSWORD,SECOND QUARTER OF THE 18TH CENTURY



measurements note
80.3cm; 31 5/8in blade

With tapering blade double-edged towards the point, stamped 'ANDRIA FARARA' between a series of decorative marks within a long narrow fuller along the back on each face, iron hilt of flattened bars carrying alternating rectangular and square panels each pierced with hearts and circles, scrolling quillon, bun-shaped pommel, and later fishskin grip bound with silver wire

A VENETIAN SCHIAVONA,17TH CENTURY



measurements note
98.4cm; 38 3/4in blade

With broad flat blade stamped with three small marks ahead of a short shallow fuller on each face, iron hilt with basket-guard of characteristic type formed of robust wide bars of flattened-triangular section (one bar and the quillon missing), brass shield-shaped pommel cast with a rosette moulding on each face, retaining an early leather throat for covering the scabbard, and later leather-covered wooden grip.

Pic's & text from :Sothebys.Com

[Stephen A. Fisher]

Thanks Mac. Lots of good stuff.



A COMPOSITE ENGLISH DISH-HILTED RAPIER,CIRCA 1640-50

82.5cm; 32 1/2 in blade

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
with double-edged blade of flattened-diamond section cut with a short slender fuller on each face, iron hilt comprising dish-guard decorated in low relief with symmetrical arrangements of stylised foliage, a pair of straight quillons with bulbous terminals, outer ring-guard interrupted by a globular moulding and joined to the knuckle-guard with a scrolling bar, ovoid pommel chiselled en suite with the dish-guard, and later wire-bound wooden grip

[Stephen A. Fisher]

A SWEPT-HILT RAPIER,CIRCA 1620-30

103.5cm; 40 3/4in blade

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

with tapering blade of flattened-diamond section, stamped with the letter S within a short fuller and with an additional mark ahead on each side, tapering rectangular ricasso also stamped with a mark on each side, possibly the letter M above a ship within a pearled rectangle, iron hilt of faceted slender bars including a pair of vertically recurved quillons with swollen terminals, knuckle-guard and outer ring-guard each swelling in the middle, the latter formed with an additional bar joined to the knuckle-guard, lower ring-guard with a sprung-in plate pierced with stars, lozenges and discs, trifurcated inner-guard rising to join the knuckle-guard and fitted with a larger drop-shaped sprung-in plate pierced en suite, faceted tall ovoid pommel, and the grip bound with plaited wire and ‘Turk’s heads’

CATALOGUE NOTE

A mid-16th Century Venetian falchion stamped with a similar mark and etched with the arms of Cosimo de Medici is preserved in the Wallace Collection, London, Inv.No.A710. For a discussion of this mark see A.V.B.Norman 1986 pp.160-161.

[Stephen A. Fisher]

AN ENGLISH SMALL-SWORD,BY R.JOHNSTON LATE BLAND & FOSTER, SWORD CUTLER AND BELT MAKER TO HIS MAJESTY, 68 ST. JAMES ST., LONDON,CIRCA 1800

the first: 71.5cm; 28 1/4in blade

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

with hollow-triangular blade etched and gilt on a blued panel over the lower portion (bluing rubbed), steel hilt including oval guard, knuckle-guard, ovoid pommel and steel grip, in its original vellum-covered wooden scabbard with steel mounts including signed locket and retaining the original suspension clips; an English small-sword, second quarter of the 18th Century, with hollow-triangular blade inlaid with two brass flowers, moulded steel hilt including double shell-guard, knuckle-guard and small ovoid pommel, and wire-bound wooden grip, in its original leather-covered wooden scabbard with steel mounts

CATALOGUE NOTE

Richard Johnston is recorded at this address circa 1798-1838. He was made Under Warden of the Cutlers’ Company in 1819, Upper Warden in 1820 and Master on 16th June 1821 for the ensuing year. See L. Southwick 2001 pp.153-154.