A cup hilt sword for coments
 

What makes this one be an unusual example is naturally the grip, in its twisted groove form, made of pale brass.
Condition is not the best; that's when it comes in hand call them old warriors ;) .
I take it this is from the end XVII ventury, but subject to better judgement.
On one face of the blade we can discern the engraved text, most certainly a spurious situation, but 'good enough' to atribute it a Portuguese origin. The text, partly inferred due to some letters being deeply faded, says about ENRIQUE COL ESPADEIRO. The wording on the other face is completely vanished; not originally inexistant though, as the custom was to complete the text with IN ALAMANIA or DEL REY IN ALAMANIA ... more or less misspeled.
The credit for the Portuguese origin, and not Spanish, is that the word ESPADEIRO can be totally read and, if it were faked in Spanish (Castillian) would be ESPADERO ... the I missing.
Rather wide fullered blade and knucle guard screwed to pommel, characteristics appointing to being a military specimen. Perhaps belonging to someone above rank, due to the grip added value.
Coments will be welcome and thanked for.
The pictures are not the best; i was in a hurry to post this thing, to show you guys.

Fernando

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Hi 'Nando,

This is what is adroitly called in America a "Bilbo" (from Bilbao, Euzkadi/Vasconia). An economical, tough and no-nonsense weapon that was used and exported everywhere, but was to characterize the Spanish Caribbean of the mid-17th C. Some were still around as recent as the early 19th C. In fact, this popular type was made all around Iberia, not only in the Basque country.

Regarding the "espadeiro", it well might be that he was of that demi-god race of supermen also known as gallegos, known for their fighting prowess, sword-smithing, and as makers of the Ambrosia elixis (aka Albariño).

I don't think the beautiful grip goes hand-in-hand with the rest of such an utilitarian weapon. Possibly, it was added after-market, or as repair to the original wood handle?

Best regards

Manuel

Very nice 'utilitarian' piece, Fernando. Looking at it makes me think "pirate"- If you ever decide to part with it... :D ;)
Mark

Hi Manel (à la Portuguese ;) )


This? A Bilbo sword? You drive me into some confusion :confused: .
Aren't Bilbo hilts another thing? What's the connection between Bilbos and Cup hilts... or de Taza in Castillian ... or de copos de Tigela in Portuguese?
I guess i find the attribution you mention 'unadroit' :eek:


I wouldn't think so. Not that you aren't demi-gods; that, i am sure of :rolleyes: . I mean about the blade being Gallega; well, you never know :shrug: .



Wait a minute; the Alvarinho from my side doesn't stay behind !
By the way, how do Gallegos call these hilts? taza (cup) or tigela/tijola (bowl)?


I am with you on this one.
But given its patina and pommel screw condition, this must have taken place long long ago.

Porta-te bem.

Fernando

Hi Mark,

Thanks for the compliment.
Well, you know, 'cup' hilt swords are really my 'cup' of tea ;) .
Hardly to be parted with.
But i will register you as first candidate ;)

Fernando

Yes, a wonderful piece. I understand from speaking to Manolo on other posts the differences in opinion between the Old World "true" (??) cup-hilts and those post-1700 pieces sometimes referred to as bilbos. Where my confusion comes in is that this piece does appear to have the ridged over-lap to the bowl. Isn't this typically found on Spanish pieces vs those found over here? I remember discussing this on a past thread, but I could be wrong. I guess one could surmise that parts in the Old World made it to the west, as did occur, but I would have trouble believing this piece to be a put-together, like some primitive espada. Perhaps I need the definition on a 'bilbo' one more time so I can understand it. Is it based solely on time period, form/construction, or locale that it was used in???? :confused:

Howdy guys,

"Bilbo" is an English catch-all word used to very generally refer to the Spanish "Utilitarian" cup-hilt swords, so often found all over America. They usually had a wide, _relatively_ short sturdy and well tempered blades, very practical and unadorned. The grip was more often than not wood, sometimes covered with wire.

The term comes from the Spanish Basque city of Bilbao, where a significant number of them were made and exported to the New World. In Basque that name is actually "Bilbo", although there's also a basque town by that name. I understand these swords were also sold to merchants of every european nation, including England.

The type was very popular aboard ships, where it was used on a similar role as the cutlass was among other nations. Needless to say, this sword was also used in Europe, but curiously, seem to have survived better in America. Probably because in the colonies these were better taken care of, since they were more difficult to acquire, and thus more valuable.

"Bilbo" if often misused by neophytes to refer to *any* spanish sword.

And Nando, I'm just goading you. : ) I'm certain this sword is not gallega, nor made by a galician Vulcano. It has to be portuguesa, and a fine sample it is.

I seldom drink, but I'll be looking forward to try a Alvarinho portugues. Since you claim is as good as the galician ambrosia (Ambrosia La Gallega "), then it surely must be el nectar de los dioses.

The term used today in Spain for this type of hilt is, IIRC, "Taza". Although, as a kid they were rather called "Toledanas" amd "Estoques".

Galicia was famous for ax-making and the antenna-swords the romans eventually adopted as the Gladius, but I don't know of any renowned Galician espadeiro, in fact, the term is currently used to refer to fishermen, of all things!

Mike, the ring you mention is called a rompe-puntas, a (blade) point-breaker.

Best regards to y'all

: )

M

Amazing !
I would swear that the Bilbo was a determined type of hilt, and not a generic term.
If you ever decide to test/taste portuguese alvarinho, try Palacio da Brejoeira; maybe this is the more expensive one, but it is definitely the best... well, not counting with those home made private harvests that eventually we come across with.
We also have the term espadeiro here, to refer to fishermen of peixe-espada (sword-fish).
The rompe-puntas (quebra pontas here) is also found in portuguese bowl cup hilt swords. Let's call it a peninsular characteristic ... until i (we)find some reading about its specific origin, local and date
Concerning perservation of these swords until later dates, also in Portugal they survived for a long period, having actually become emblematic. They kept being made until the XVIII century and their utility lasted long as the begining of the XIX century, due to absence of a better resource, by the population, during the various conflicts and civil wars.
I wonder why Jim doesn't come around; knowing that he is also a cuphilt lover :cool:

Fernando

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Well, that's a typical question of nomenclature. Without a standard, each community ends up developing its own terminology.
So, to the question "what is a Bilbo?", the answer would be "Well, it depends who you ask", as it's already being seen here :).
The sword posted by Fernando wouldn't never be classified as a "Bilbo" by a knowledgeable Spanish collector (nor as "colonial", either, by the way). In Spain this kind of swords, which are indeed considered as belonging to the same "family" as the ones posted by Manuel (Celtan), are known, generically, as "Tazas a la Portuguesa", or "Portuguese cup-hilts", with a chronology that, as Fernando said, spans from the end of the 17th c. to the beginning of the 19th, featuring a wide variety of blades -usually quite sturdy cutters-, many of them with German marks and inscriptions in Portuguese or related to Portuguese subjects. Distinctive -read "usual", you know how this goes- features are the thick, solid cups, frequently featuring the "rompepuntas" or "point-breaker", short sturdy quilllions with pear-shaped finials and frequently soldered to the cup itself, lack of inner finger-rings ("pas d'ane" you call them), and the pear-shaped pommel, usually faceted, and with the knuckle-guard attached to it with a screw.
The grip is usually of bare wood, barrel-shaped and with horizontal decorative carved lines (that one in in Manuel's first pictures would be an archetypical example), but I've seen many variations. I don't think the brass one in Fernando's exemplar is out of place in any way.
In Spain, the label "Bilbo" for swords is taken as a loan word from Anglo-saxon collectors and referred normally to swords with hilts featuring bilobulated shells, be them 17th c. rapiers or 18th c. Spanish Cavalry Swords. You may find them in dealer's descriptions meant for international audiences, in fact, but the term is kind of catching in the collectors community.
As I said, all of this is not about anyone being right or wrong, but about how sometimes things we give for granted may not be so when dealing with the international community. You wouldn't believe the amount of discussions I have had about what can be considered a rapier and what not, which invariably end up dealing with what *each of us* feels comfortable calling a rapier... :D

Ah,
Here came the cavalry; i'm safe :cool: .
Thank you so much for the splendid dissertation, Marc ;) .
Bona salut.
Fernando

Thanks, all, for the information on what I also consider one of my favorite sword types. I had failed to remember that as Marc has said, when it comes to the international community, terms may vary. This crosses over into the culture itself sometimes, with various groups having their opinions on what constitutes what. Case in point, colonial spike axes. Many of these saw service in their home countries before being exported to the Americas. Once they were here, they were certainly used by the explorers and traders to survive. Finally, they were popular among the Native Americans. So when it comes to existing examples, opinions as to what specifications make a spike axe an Indian piece, opinions fly and terminologies can be confused. Anyway, I digress- :D
Nice sword, nice info by all.

Fernando, thank you so much for the notation, and it is true, the cuphilts are very much a knee weakening affinity for me, but at the moment I really could not add much to the great discourse you and Manolo had going. The question of terminology and semantics clearly come to the fore as described here, and prompted me to return to notes to reconfirm my perspective.

When returning to the thread it was delightful to see that Marc had written a superb treatment on this dilemma of the term 'bilbo', and its application in traditional Spanish swords. In the eloquence that is his hallmark, I think this is a perfect explanation of the developed use of this term as well as well placed observations on the classic Spanish and Portuguese cuphilt swords (I know you hate the collective term Iberian Fernando !:)

It seems to me that in the 17th century and of course through the 18th, there was prolific import of German trade blades to these markets, which as you pointed out, may well account for the spelling variation in the inscription.

In Shakespeare's time it does appear that 'bilbo' had become a somewhat universally applied term for rapier or sword, as seen in "The Merry Wives of Windsor" (1602, III, v.) , "...to be compassed like a good bilbo, in the circumference of a peck, hit to a point, heel to head". These terms of course seem to allude to the very geometric fencing theorems that were known in Spanish as "Destreza" which would suggest a rapier, but case in point is the use of the term.
Other references suggest the term pertaining to a sword from Bilbao, which is as noted the capital of the Biscay province in Basque Country. In Shakespeare again (Othello, v, 2) mention is made of swords of 'ice brook temper' where the Spaniards used the brook Salo near Bilbilis in Celtiberia to harden the steel, and produce swords of the highest quality.
Whether this Bilibilis might have anything to do with the possibly related term 'bilbo' remains a question, but corrupted words in transliteration or colloquial parlance can sometimes lead to situations such as the term 'bilobate' becoming shortened to bilbo.

It should be noted here that the term 'fox' is also a term used in Shakespeares works to describe an esteemed sword blade, in this case referring to the 'running wolf' of Germany or perhaps even the 'perillo' (little dog) of Toledo.

While these terms joined the ethereal 'scimitar' term in describing swords in literature, it seems that the popularization of antique weapons collecting in the 19th century borrowed some of these terms in descriptions. In the case of the bilbo term, it seems to have become associated with the bilobate military type swords noted, while the cuphilt was distinctly described as just that.

Returning to the cuphilts, these examples shown are indeed beautiful examples of the tradition of the cuphilt rapier maintained proudly in these arming type swords. If I understand correctly, most of the colonially mounted examples (often termed Caribbean) do not have the rompepuntas, nor the guardopolvo within the cupguard.

All very best regards,
Jim

This is what I had thought a Bilbo is. http://www.myarmoury.com/albums/disp...394&fullsize=1

I believe this is what Mark mentions. Theres one on the Cover of Swords and Hilt Weapons.

Exactly Alan, this is the military sword to which the term became associated by mostly collectors as mentioned in about the 19th century. It seems that in the preceding centuries the term was more broadly applied. Thank you for the link.

All best regards,
Jim

Hi Jim, thanks a lot for getting in with such vast considerations.
Concerning the localization of the guarda polvo (guarda pó) and the rompe puntas (quebra pontas) i also wish i could come to an efective conclusion.
However the first step for me would be to define whether these devices were used more by civilians than by military, or in an indescriminate manner.
At first sight the dust keeper appears to me an added value optional. You know that this piece, so often perforated with luxury decorations, had the purpose to fix the cup (bowl) interior lining, a textile (velvet) or leather material. One could speculate that this would be for the wealthy or noble owner ... military or civilian, both being the same individual at this period.
The point breaker would, in my fantasy, be a fencing resource (of doubtful efectiveness), more appointed to the street fighting than to campaingn battling.
But of course all such considerandums without solid evidence ... so far.
On the other hand, maybe your reasoning is correct in that these two details didn't reach the colonies ... at least massively.
Fernando

Hi Fernando,
Its my pleasure to see a great discussion going on, as you noted, one of my favorite sword forms. I think you have really placed a very astute observation on these cuphilt features, the guardopolvo and the rompepuntas. It makes very good sense that these somewhat cosmetic and questionably effective features would likely be embellishments in the civilian versions of these swords. It seems rather by extension of tradition that the beloved cuphilt was kept on the heavier bladed military swords, and that the more finished appearance added by the rompepuntas would have been more of a vestigial application.
I believe the idea of its function as a blade catcher falls very much into the category of the left hand 'sword catcher' and notches in blades to foul the opposing blade.

The colonial versions of these cuphilts seem to have been very much 'working versions' of these traditionally revered swords, and there are many examples of swords patterned after the swords of the gentry and nobility. The espada ancha itself is a frontier version of the hunting hangers of 17th century Europe fashioned originally for use by hidalgos in New Spain. The later became mounted with heavier blades for use in the thick vegetation of the desert regions as well as secondary weapons of the presidial soldiers.

Personally these rugged frontier swords hold a distinct charm as functional weapons carrying vestigially the traditional elements and style of thier elegant ancestors.

All best regards,
Jim