ITALIAN INFANTRY SWORD(VENETIAN?)circa1600

Jim McDougall · 22nd April 2014, 07:46 PM

This is as noted, an arming sword of early 17th century and Italian, three of them shown in Bocchia & Coelho ("Armi Bianche Italiene", Milan, 1975) #585;586;587 and all captioned 'spade de fanti' Veneto, 1620-30.
References show corresponding examples Blair (1962) #179; and Ffoulkes (1917) IX49.

The grip and pommel do appear replacement as the originals had faceted egg shape pommel, worked ferrule and the grip 'turks heads' are absent on this one.
The crosshatching on the guard at center is also notably present on the illustrated examples.

You say you've seen this 'mark' (name?) on other swords of this period? What is the name, I cant make it out. The blocked capital letters seem more Solingen to me, and one of these examples has 'IOHANN' partial in the fuller. This blade seems one of the Solingen schiavona type.

22nd April 2014, 07:46 PM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,192	This is as noted, an arming sword of early 17th century and Italian, three of them shown in Bocchia & Coelho ("Armi Bianche Italiene", Milan, 1975) #585;586;587 and all captioned 'spade de fanti' Veneto, 1620-30. References show corresponding examples Blair (1962) #179; and Ffoulkes (1917) IX49. The grip and pommel do appear replacement as the originals had faceted egg shape pommel, worked ferrule and the grip 'turks heads' are absent on this one. The crosshatching on the guard at center is also notably present on the illustrated examples. You say you've seen this 'mark' (name?) on other swords of this period? What is the name, I cant make it out. The blocked capital letters seem more Solingen to me, and one of these examples has 'IOHANN' partial in the fuller. This blade seems one of the Solingen schiavona type.