An Extremely Rare North Italian Arquebusier's Auxiliary Armament Saber, ca. 1510-15

[Matchlock]

Here are the horsemen lancers, best as I could do - it's under glass, so sorry for the inevitable reflections.

Best,
Michael

[Samik]

Beautiful Michael ! , thank you very much

[Matchlock]

Originally Posted by Samik

Beautiful Michael ! , thank you very much

You're too kind, Samuel,

I'll hang on though and try to do better soon - with a little help from a friend ...

Good night from Bavaria,
and best as always,

Michael

[Matchlock]

Finally here is a piece of period artwork, by Lucas van Leyden, ca. 1510, illustrating an Italian type of Landsknecht saber with a three-fold pommel (Dreipassknauf), very similar to my piece.

m

[Matchlock]

More on Landsknecht sabers of the 1520's to 1530's:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...507#post138507

[Matchlock]

A very fine saber, with two-fold pommel, by Lucas Cranach the Younger, ca. 1540.

And another, with a messer type grip and pretzel quillons of ca. 1515-25, together with a ballock dagger; painted in traditional style by Pieter Aertsen, ca. 1560.

m

[Matchlock]

Another historic record of an early Landsknecht sword featuring a three-fold shaped pommel, depicted as an auxiliary item of a combined arquebusier's and helbardier's armament (German Doppelsöldner, meaning that the mercenary was acknowledged to be especially qualified, armed - and of course: paid.

From Flavius Vegetius Renatus, Vier Bücher der Ritterschaft, printed in 1511, fol. 170.

m

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Matchlock

Thank you very much, Samuel,

The battle of Pavia took place in 1525, the painting is dated 1529 and signed by the artist Rupprecht Heller, nothing about whom is known further.

Actually I borrowed a professional slide (cost me more than 300 euro ...!!!) of this painting from the Stockholm Museum where it is kept and had scene prints done, plus a huge size poster of the whole painting but I cannot put this on the scanner ...

I attach more details though scanned from a smaller sized scene print of the group of arquebusiers in the foreground.

Best as I could do,
Michael

Fascinating. Thanks a lot for sharing

[cornelistromp]

Circle/School of Federico Zuccaro
1557-1609
A Swiss Halberdier, standing slightly to right, and a separate study of his left hand and of the halberdier
Red chalk, on two sheets conjoined.

this corresponds to the earliest known thumbring in Art.
the first illustration with this type of thumb ring known, published by A.V.B. Norman, is in the portrait of Melchior Hornlocher by Hans Bock I, dated 1577 (Basle oeffentliche Kunstsammlung, inv NR 80).

best,