Mediaeval Sword Chape

[Mercer]

The photo's show a mediaeval or dagger sword chape which I found some years ago on the foreshore of the Thames near London Bridge.
I took it the V & A Museum London and a member of the Keeper of the Metalwork Department thought it was very probable 14th century with the inscription in gothic: 'ME ME" which could be a shortened version of 'Maria Maria', or 'me me' of memento mori. Remember me to God. An invocation.
The approx dimensions are: 50mm (2") x 30mm (1 3/16") x 6mm (1/4") slot width.
The Thames River by the City of London was for centuries of course the natural dumping ground for everything and it's foreshore has produced and is still producing I believe an amazing array finds.
The most amazing item I have ever seen found, was what I saw a few years ago in the Armouries of the Tower of London, where it is now I do not know, but it was a most magnificent kidney dagger, found on the foreshore, in mint condition about 15 inches long and from the pair of kidneys the blade of triangular section about 3/4 wide on each of the three flats fluted and tapering to a needle point.
A master piece of craftsmanship.
The most vicious and menacing blade I have ever seen making Japanese swords look like nursery toys!

[kronckew]

The 'chape' is the metal fitting at the pointy end of a scabbard.
Yours is a Throat piece or locket. It appears to be for a dagger as it has the eye for a suspension loop.


It's OK to call a bollock dagger by that name.

[Lee]

Very nice and exciting to have found it yourself. I have always suspected that weapons in 'urban' waterways often came there by a need to destroy evidence. Below is a picture of a dagger with a 7 7/8 inch blade reputedly found along the Thames, though it is far less intimidating than the one you mention.

There is a nice article on these daggers at MyArmoury:
http://myarmoury.com/feature_spot_bd.html.

[Radboud]

Originally Posted by Lee

Very nice and exciting to have found it yourself. I have always suspected that weapons in 'urban' waterways often came there by a need to destroy evidence.

I think the number of lost keys that can be found at a local boat ramp would suggest a much simpler reason. Especially when you keep in mind that pretty much everyone carried a form of knife then.

[Radboud]

That's a great piece of history Mercer, wonderful find.

[Mercer]

Originally Posted by kronckew

The 'chape' is the metal fitting at the pointy end of a scabbard.
Yours is a Throat piece or locket. It appears to be for a dagger as it has the eye for a suspension loop.


It's OK to call a bollock dagger by that name.

I quite agree, 'chape' and 'sword' were in fact is what the V & A mentioned. Also, they did not explain how 'ME Me" was connected with 'Maria Maria' other than as an invocation.
Kidney dagger is more than likely not what the dagger was originally called.

[Mercer]

Originally Posted by Lee

Very nice and exciting to have found it yourself. I have always suspected that weapons in 'urban' waterways often came there by a need to destroy evidence. Below is a picture of a dagger with a 7 7/8 inch blade reputedly found along the Thames, though it is far less intimidating than the one you mention.

There is a nice article on these daggers at MyArmoury:
http://myarmoury.com/feature_spot_bd.html.

What you have is a very nice and when bright and shiny intimidating enough I am sure and no doubt has a tale to tell!

[Lee]

Though it excludes daggers, swords and sword fittings, there is an interesting monograph on excavated knives, their leather scabbards as well as other cutlery such as scissors from the Museum of London. It includes a number of presumed maker's marks:

Cowgill, J.; M. de Neergaard and N. Griffiths. Medieval Finds from Excavations in London: 1. Knives and Scabbards. London: Her Majesty's Stationery Office, 1987.