€530.000 for the missing Harriet Dean sword, Oakeshott Type XVIIIC

[cornelistromp]

http://www.christies.com/features/Di...rd-6932-3.aspx

and

http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/a...9-f6e31b77b540

[fernando]

Stupendous.
The easy part is to fall in love with this magnificent sword; the hard part is to get the funds to bring it home with us.
Thank you so much for showing us, Jasper.

[estcrh]

Not very good images for the value of this sword.

[Lee]

This really does demonstrate what the premium for provenance can be at the top of the market. I had totally missed that this was coming on sale and greatly appreciate the links and photos.

[Iain]

Originally Posted by estcrh

Not very good images for the value of this sword.

I rather imagine the purchaser viewed it in person or at least had someone do it for them.

In any case a fabulous result for a sword with a wonderful history.

[cornelistromp]

for another one, please see post #14

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...oto=nextoldest

[Iain]

That's the one in the Met correct? The Bashford Dean sword.

[Lee]

Originally Posted by Iain

That's the one in the Met correct? The Bashford Dean sword.

Correct!

P.S. The one to the right in the picture (that has lost its tip, presumably to many re-honings, ex Maj. Prescott and presently lent to the Met courtesy of Ron Lauder) is a much nicer sword than pictures ever suggest.

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by Iain

That's the one in the Met correct? The Bashford Dean sword.

Iain, here are the two swords compared, the Met does not labled its sword as "Italian", it is described as being "European".

Sword
Date: before 1419
Culture: European
Medium: Steel, wood
Dimensions: L. 43 11/16 in. (110.96 cm); L. of blade 34 1/8 in. (86.67 cm); W. of cross guard 12 3/8 in. (31.43 cm) Wt. 3 lb. 10 oz. (1644 g)
Classification: Swords
Credit Line: Bashford Dean Memorial Collection, Bequest of Bashford Dean, 1928
Accession Number: 29.150.143

The Arabic inscription engraved on the blade of this sword indicates that it was part of the large group of European arms and armor once stored in the Mamluk arsenal in Alexandria, Egypt. Many of those pieces were taken as booty in the battles between Muslim and Christian armies in the Near East and Aegean regions; others were sent to the sultan as tribute, possibly by the king of Cyprus.
The inscription reads in translation: "Donation of al-Mālik al Mu`ayyad Abū al-Nasr Shaykh to the armory in the frontier city of Alexandria [in the] year 822 [A.D. 1419]."

Marking: Stamped on one face: W; on the other face: a cross.

[Iain]

Originally Posted by estcrh

Iain, here are the two swords compared, the Met does not labled its sword as "Italian", it is described as being "European".

Sword
Date: before 1419
Culture: European
Medium: Steel, wood
Dimensions: L. 43 11/16 in. (110.96 cm); L. of blade 34 1/8 in. (86.67 cm); W. of cross guard 12 3/8 in. (31.43 cm) Wt. 3 lb. 10 oz. (1644 g)
Classification: Swords
Credit Line: Bashford Dean Memorial Collection, Bequest of Bashford Dean, 1928
Accession Number: 29.150.143

The Arabic inscription engraved on the blade of this sword indicates that it was part of the large group of European arms and armor once stored in the Mamluk arsenal in Alexandria, Egypt. Many of those pieces were taken as booty in the battles between Muslim and Christian armies in the Near East and Aegean regions; others were sent to the sultan as tribute, possibly by the king of Cyprus.
The inscription reads in translation: "Donation of al-Mālik al Mu`ayyad Abū al-Nasr Shaykh to the armory in the frontier city of Alexandria [in the] year 822 [A.D. 1419]."

Marking: Stamped on one face: W; on the other face: a cross.

Indeed, if you have not got a copy, I highly recommend the article by Clive Thomas in the 20th Anniversary edition of the London Park Lane Arms Fair publication.

My interest in the Alexandria grouping is more with the earlier ascensions, under Sayf al-din Aristay. Again I highly recommend Clive Thomas'article in the same publication from Spring 2011.

Clive Thomas and David Oliver have additional articles on certain Alexandria arsenal swords in the Spring 2009 and Spring 2013 editions respectively.

[Iain]

Originally Posted by Lee

Correct!

P.S. The one to the right in the picture (that has lost its tip, presumably to many re-honings, ex Maj. Prescott and presently lent to the Met courtesy of Ron Lauder) is a much nicer sword than pictures ever suggest.

I saw them years back, but it has been a while. Karl Koppeschaar's always reliable image resource on Flickr has some nice views of the piece.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/980156...7634798190647/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/980156...7634798190647/

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by Iain

I saw them years back, but it has been a while. Karl Koppeschaar's always reliable image resource on Flickr has some nice views of the piece.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/980156...7634798190647/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/980156...7634798190647/

I am not sure if this particular sword is still in the Met collection, I have not seen it listed. There is a similar sword that looks a lot like one in a 1400s painting, in fact both swords looks similar.

Saint Michael and the Dragon
Artist: Spanish (Valencian) Painter (active in Italy, early 15th century)
Date: ca. 1405
Medium: Tempera on wood, gold ground
Dimensions: 41 3/8 x 40 3/4 in. (105.1 x 103.5 cm)

Sword
Date: ca. 1400
Culture: Western European
Medium: Steel, silver, copper alloy, leather
Dimensions: L. 40 1/4 in. (102.2 cm); L. of blade 32 in. (81.3 cm); Wt. 3 lb. 11 oz. (1673 g)

[Lee]

Originally Posted by Iain

My interest in the Alexandria grouping is more with the earlier ascensions, under Sayf al-din Aristay.

Clive Thomas' articles are produced to a very high standard and I greatly look forward to when he brings it all together with the ultimate publication of his intended book on this subject.

The Aristay group (1400-1408) is especially interesting as the great diversity of types as well as evidence of wear and re-honing of several examples so inscribed suggests this group as war booty. D.G. Alexander's 1985 article European Swords in the Collections of Istanbul (Waffen und Kostümkunde, 27-2) sets out his multifactorial analysis of the inscription groups as diplomatic gifts versus war booty.

[Iain]

Originally Posted by Lee

The Aristay group (1400-1408) is especially interesting as the great diversity of types as well as evidence of wear and re-honing of several examples so inscribed suggests this group as war booty. D.G. Alexander's 1985 article European Swords in the Collections of Istanbul (Waffen und Kostümkunde, 27-2) sets out his multifactorial analysis of the inscription groups as diplomatic gifts versus war booty.

Yes, I was remiss in not mentioning Alexander's work as well! I'm sure Lee you can guess why these hold particular interest for me given certain symbols and latten inlays that appear on a few (particularly one sold back in 2010) and a certain blade that made it deeper into Africa.

[Reventlov]

Another previously unlocated Alexandrian XVIIIc has resurfaced at auction! It shares the same maker's mark that appears on the XVIIIc in the Royal Armouries: the letter P surmounted by a cross potent, twice repeated. It looks like this is the sword shown in the lower left in the photo from the Ottoman armoury, distinguished for the maker's mark and the damaged tip of the blade by Clive Thomas in his 2003 article. This one sold last month for the "low" price of only £200,000!

https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/...=6153918&lid=1