Quote:
Originally Posted by M ELEY
The two swords I posted were for reference to the figural quillon downfacing from the hilt and of a form found in espadas and colonial broadswords. I made no definite conclusion to this, just a possible clue. Likewise, the second posting shows a cuphilt (albeit later period) with a flattened knucklebow EXACTLY like the one on the specimen being presented. Again, I'm no expert, but wanted tp point out this interesting characterization. The knucklebow near the hilt also bears some evidence of repair, as noted by others here. This type of repair often seen here in the Americas, but of course not exclusive. Most of the examples shown have the long straight quillons of classic Spanish cuphilts, while this example is, as noted, similar to the m1728. I guess what we get into here (and have before) is how to tell a beat-up, field repaired classic Spanish cavalry type with one that was assembled from different parts in provincial/colonial settings? The example shown has a replacement grip of plain wood core? The pommel, unlike almost all of the other examples presented, is devoid of all decoration, The quillons, once again, are like the classic bilbo, but lack grace, so replacements? Repairs?
So.....if this is a European fellow, it has definitely seen some hard times
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Yes, you pointed to the knuclebow reparation, but your examples could end being used for something else. What I get from this is that there are not so many ways of making a functional field reparation of the knuclebow. In XVIIth, XVIIIth, or XIXth centuries. In Europe or the Americas. I do not have the sword here, but what I see from the picture, the top end of the grip wood was cut, and a ring inserted and this piece was riveted to the remnants of knuclebow.
No brass welding here. It could have being made to continue the military use of the sword, or in XIXth century by a collector. This sort of afterworks have an antique and primitive look, but that can be deceiving.
The funny thing is that XVIIIth century bilboes are often mistaken for XVIIth century swords, because of the ricasso and the holding hand posture, with two fingers on the cross. But that these real XVIIth century swords become mistaken for XVIIIth century ones is new to me. The fact is that Spain abandoned the use of rapiers shortly after 1700, with the new Borbon dinasty, and therefore rapiers and their hilts shall be older than that.