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#1 |
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Mid 18th Century Portuguese Rapier ?
O.L. 120 cm ; blade L. 105 cm unfortunately no one mark on the blade Any comment on it would be welcome. |
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#2 |
Arms Historian
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Fernando is the best versed in describing these rapiers. Interesting that there is no mark on the blade.
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#3 |
Lead Moderator European Armoury
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Bonjour, Jean-Luc
All i can say wihout risking being contradicted is that this is a very nice sword. Portuguese ... i don't know. Spanish ... maybe ![]() Your beautiful example has all the ingredients of a sail guard sword;i have a problem in mentioning the so popular "rapier" term, until i know the with of the blades; at least that will 'partly' legitimize the rapier attribution in its non peaceful conception. The Portuguese call this type "guarda de vela", the Spaniards "guarda de barquilla"; one means sail, the other a derivation of boat, so both appointing to the same. A certain author cites the different reasons for their appearance, one being the reflex of our passion for the sea, which makes them typicaly Portuguese (?) and the other the transition from the heavy complex hilts from the 1600's to a phase of more 'allégé' swords, both military and civilan. You see them with plenty variations; those with more agressive blades, those with hilts well worked up and those well refined with gold plated hilts for the wealthy officers. Concerning the blade, i would recall an intersting note; Portuguese did not forge blades, at least in massive production terms. In the several cases we find inscriptions in them, those are more patriotic quotations (certainly localy engraved) than actual smiths marks; so you could say that a certain sword blade is Portuguese because it belonged to a Portuguese but not that it is Portuguese made. I have a sail guard sword from the XVII century, that i assume is Portuguese only due to the context in which it was acquired and the blade, as so often happens, is a Solingen product, forged by PEDRO (PETER) TESCHEN. I am sorry for being so boring; don't fall asleep when you read all the above wanderings... which are not expertly guarantee; be carefull ![]() . |
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#4 | |
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Do you know similar exemplar ? Do you confirm the period circa 1730-1750 ? Best Jean-Luc |
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#5 |
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Very well written assessment Fernando, and far from 'boring'. It is actually intriguing and especially the note on the styling of these interesting guards, which I presume comes from Mr. Daehnhardt. I always appreciated his willingness to step far outside the 'box' in making these most subjective observations.
I had personally never thought of the 'sail guard' possibly designed in recognition of the Portuguese maritime affinity and reputation as well as the transitional element between military and civilian and rapier to 'arming swords'. Too many arms scholars discount these kinds of possibilities as being fanciful or ill founded, and do not recognize the artistic nuances often imbued in hilt elements. Also that often there were unclear lines between military and the gentry and nobility in the civilian sector. Again, Jean-Luc, a fine example. |
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#6 | ||
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But i can show you three that belonged in the collection of Eduardo Nobre; two supposedly Portuguese from the XVII century with hilts and blades of distinct shape, and a third one for an officer, dated circa 1777-1790, which we may assume is in fact Portuguese, once having originally a blade of protocol dimensions, was (reportedly) remounted with a larger blade of a cup hilted sword with the patriotic inscription VIVA DO. MARIA RAINHA DE PORTUGAL. . |
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