English Sword, Rapier, Smallsword, c. 1650
A remarkable example of the mid-seventeenth century "transitional rapier," well on its way to being a smallsword but incorporating a rapier blade and unusually retrograde decoration. Overall 38", 1 lb, 2 oz, and balancing 4" from the cross. The 32" blade has a 7 1/2" fuller and the slender, convex section typical of the Spanish transitional blades popular in England through the century. (German bladesmiths imitated the design, of course, but the light, bright gray patina in this example is characteristic of the high manganese, tungsten and nickel content of Toledo steel.) The finish shows a light mottling of darker oxidation with a few small patches of speckling and light pitting. The fuller retains bits of disconnected lettering, mostly the usually decorative X's and O's, together with an M and an A.)
The design of the iron hilt is fairly typical of later smallswords, but the large, globular pommel, the forward swelling of the quillon block and its protective escutcheon, the small asymmetrical shells, and the short grip all look back to the fighting configuration of the rapier - a heavy point balanced by a large pommel with a finger inserted into the lower arm of the hilt. The copper wire wrapping on the grip has a lovely dark patina; oddly, the securing knots have been lost, probably early on, but the wire is quite securely anchored in the notched wooden underlay. The whole assembly is tight and solid.
The most "retro" element of the sword, however, is the ornately busy, chiseled decoration of converging spear or arrow heads surrounded by diagonal lines and framed by the heavily thickened edges of the shells. This motif would certainly have required somewhat less artistry than standard curvilinear baroque decoration, but its densely repeated straight lines are also consistent with the Tudor aesthetic of half-timbered houses and geometrically decorated furniture. I've been unable to find any period equivalent of an 18th century pattern book with a design like this - please get in touch if you've seen anything similar.
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