I offer for sale a very rare and original, Continental, Walloon hilted sword, dating to the mid 1600's.
This lovely sword has a 35 inch long, diamond section, blade having a distal taper. On the right side of the blade at the ricasso are feint traces of the original floral engraving. The blade edge has a few indentations and a repair, almost certainly from combat use. There are areas of blacking on the blade from previous corrosion, but the blade is solid in the hilt.
The hilt is typically mid 17th century, having no forward quillon. It consists of a counter-guard from which two asymmetrical ring guards emerge. The smaller ring guard is fitted with a dish plate, bearing a chiselled grotesque mask and floral background. The larger ring guard appears to be missing it's dish plate.
17th century Walloon hilted sword
The counter-guard at the front flows downward, to become a 'D' shaped knuckle-guard having a floral swelling knop at mid-point. The knuckle-guard then attaches to the pommel via a screw fixing. Just above the knop flows an 'S' shaped side bar guard.
The rear of the counter-guard flows upward to form the rear quillon, which terminates in a floral knop.
The ends of the larger of the two ring guards delta to form the outer side bar guard with typical mid-point swelling. This guard also screws to the pommel. A thumb-ring guard is found opposite.
The grip may be an early replacement and consists of a spiral wooden grip with Turks Head knots at top and bottom. The wood has old worming and a crack but is solid. The turks heads are later replacements.
The pommel is cushion shaped and is incised with deep decorative patterns.
Altogether a very rare sword and well worth £1,500