Small Sword Dutch or French

[Cathey]

Hi Interested Party, yes could be Pluto and Persephony, they might be pomegranates not apples. This would fit with Pan making a brief appearance on the pommel perhaps. Cheers Cathey

[Jim McDougall]

You guys are much better at all the classic iconography and mythology than I am (by far!) but it seems the neoclassic theme in the hilt artistry is pretty universal throughout Europe in this period. The style of the hilt, as transcendent as small sword hilts are, at best guess in end of first quarter 18th c.+.

For me what is most notable is the blade and grip style. The fluted (reeded) ivory is as previously noted something seen on 17th c. Iberian rapiers, mostly Spanish it seems. It was by no means prevalent, but something that was indeed seen on occasion, and by that token, likely prestigious. With the potential for the ivory to be perhaps mammoth from Siberian regions, and the diplomatic relations between the Russian and Bourbon courts, this seems a likely possibility.

With the blade, this seems again, a Spanish preference (dos mesas, as I think Fernando told me once was the term). These hexagonal sections prevailed on heavier dragoon blades about mid 18th c.+ in Spain (I think of the noted 'Spanish motto' blades).

The motto tends to the following of St. Augustine and while Christian, does not denote Catholic, Orthodox or Protestant in particular as far as I can see.
In the Spanish Netherlands, which may be the origin of this sword, such a motto would not define any specific Faith IMO, thus would not be defined despite the well noted strife between Catholic and Protestant there.

I searched through Bashford Dean (1929) and did not find any comparable themes nor any example with reeded ivory grip. As this comprehensive source covers examples from all European countries including Russia, it can be seen this sword is a unique anomaly, and certainly privately commissioned for a person of high status.

[Radboud]

Personally I think the reeded ivory grip lends towards English origin. There is an abundance of late 18th Century English spadroons (of the type loosely grouped as the 1786 pattern but they certainly predate this.) that have near identical grips.

Such as this one from my collection:

[Cathey]

Hi Guys

To be honest the grip is one of the reasons I almost did not buy this sword, the reeded ivory just did not seem right on a small sword. Looking at the the sword it certainly appears to be the original grip, no sign of it ever having been dismantled. Cheers Cathey

[Cathey]

Hi Guys

I have now found three other small swords with this motto and they are all Italian, no ivory grips though. Cheers Cathey

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Cathey

Hi Guys

I have now found three other small swords with this motto and they are all Italian, no ivory grips though. Cheers Cathey

Thats outstanding Cathey!!! Were they in one source? I would like to find a reference on small swords that is a bit more comprehensive.....Dean and Aylward seem a bit limited.

The ivory grips are a conundrum, truly not often seen on small swords...Im REALLY glad you got this one......it is truly unique!

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Radboud

Personally I think the reeded ivory grip lends towards English origin. There is an abundance of late 18th Century English spadroons (of the type loosely grouped as the 1786 pattern but they certainly predate this.) that have near identical grips.

Such as this one from my collection:

Very nice spadroon!
These 1786 suggested form swords typically for infantry and naval officers might indeed have evolved before that, as often the case with regulation 'patterns'.
I am curious about these reeded ivory grips and when they might have begun appearing in England. In my apparently limited exposure to British sword details, I am unaware of these type grips used on hilts until these spadroons and of course naval swords in the last quarter 18th c.

Where do you suppose the influence or inspiration for this styled ivory grip came from? As I had mentioned, I have seen this on Spanish rapier hilts but certainly not commonly.

As the English were often notably influenced by Dutch design etc. in swords (and of course many areas) is it possible that the use of ivory styled in this manner might have come via influences from Spanish Netherlands?

It seems this small sword falls into the hilt stylings of 1730s-50s, but the blade in hexagonal section recalls Spanish blades of later in the century.
The small sword blades, though favoring Colichemarde blades 1690s-1740s but the more common hollow ground three edge blades were more typical.

These are the factors notable in determination of the identification of this sword.....and has Cathey has noted in her recent post, she has found three small swords with this motto on the blade, all Italian.
While not having ivory hilts, it should be noted that many Italian states were provincially Spanish under the Bourbons, and arms and armor moved through these regions accordingly.