Help on mark on Italian sword ca. 1580

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Victrix

Great thread! As far as I’m aware the Venice arsenal marks would be either a C.X. for Consiglio dei Dieci or the Lion of St. Mark. So it seems to me that the twig mark must be an identifier of origin for the purchaser and seller alike. It might also have been something of a quality standard mark that it had passed tests by a guild. Marca a Mosca is probably a descriptive term (like “twig” mark). I think Fernando is onto something when pointing to Boccia & Coelho mentioning the mark as ferri di mulino (iron mill) marks. On German swords carrying the twig marks you might consider the possibility that these were North Italian blades with fake Solingen marks, rather than the other way around.

I wish I could find more to read on this in the English language (like Gotti’s Caino book!). You may find this of interest: https://www.hema-minsk2019.org/base_...ibition-part-3. It mentions a Beluni knot.

It REALLY is a great thread! and you bring forth some great points. The arsenal of the Doge at Venice is remarkable, and I do recall the CX (Council of Ten) which seems to appear on a very limited number of weapons. The winged lion of St. Mark also seems limited in occurrence, both of these are described well in Boccia & Coelho. It seems these are seen on some of the schiavona so well associated with the Doge.

Very interesting points you bring up on the 'twig' mark described as the ferri di Mulino in Boccia & Coelho, which seems not only appropriate but telling.
This reference to 'iron mill' obviously lends well to a place producing blades, and I know that I have seen this mark noted as a 'mill rind' as well. The 'rind' is of course the four armed support for the millstone, and the quadrangular nature of this mark in basis is tempting to such association.

I will note here that there are markings used in very similar capacity, which are dentated circles known as 'cog wheels' (Mann, 1962, Wallace Coll. A768).
Here we have another component of the machinery of blade producing mills used as a mark on blades.

What is puzzling is, these marks seem with basic features, but in variation distorted (some of the 'marca mosca; twig; ferri di Mulino) so much so that the numbers of them in Wallace Coll. plates look almost like Rohrschach images.

You make a very good point on the possibility of Italian blades carrying these 'twig' marks possibly reflecting German markings. In looking through Wallace Coll. it seems the propensity of these type marks in German swords is profound, so that possibility is quite plausible. There was so much diffusion of the spurious use of marks, and even movements of makers between countries that it would be difficult to make broad classifications on them. It becomes very much a matter of assessment based on merits and features of each specific weapon.

Great link and often surprising how much important historic detail is included in these kinds of references involving reproduction of classic swords.
On the Gotti book...……….wish I could find one!!! Pretty hard to find, and all there is online with this name is of course the 'Teflon don'. Sometimes pop culture overwhelms serious history.