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#1 |
Member
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Leiden, NL
Posts: 477
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I bid on this rapier today. Alas, I did not win it (probably better for my wallet as I'm still "recovering" from the last sword I bought), but I am nevertheless curious about your comments as I am trying to learn more about rapiers in general.
It was sold as German, circa 1730 but that seems wrong to me (I would have guessed 16th century). The length of the grip gave me some pause as it seems relatively long for a rapier (although I find the proportions aesthetically very pleasing). The markings seem to say "Pedro Dei" or "Pedro Del" on the one side but I'm having a hard time deciphering the other side. Another thing I thought was interesting is the pommel decorations. It looks like a green man face? I've seen a lot of those on mortuary hilt sword guards but not many on rapiers. |
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#2 |
Member
Join Date: Aug 2021
Location: Germany
Posts: 66
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To me this is a nice authentic rapier circa 1630-1650. Iron cutting was popularly done in Italy (Milan). I saw it too, but it's in poor condition.
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#3 |
Lead Moderator European Armoury
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Portugal
Posts: 9,694
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Why not Spanish; by one of those Toledo smiths ... like PEDRO DEL MONTE
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#4 | |
Member
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Leiden, NL
Posts: 477
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I thought it might be a reference to Pedro del Monte or even Pedro Hernandez, but there is no last name it seems, or at least I can't make it out. I can't make heads or tails of the other side. Those oval (eye?) shapes do look a little more familiar although I can't remember where I've seen them before - the closest ones were Italian marks I found on a thread on this forum (which I can't seem to find any more now), but they have another line of "lashes" surrounding the "eye". |
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#5 | |
Lead Moderator European Armoury
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Portugal
Posts: 9,694
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But i am only guessing on the name, of course. |
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#6 |
Member
Join Date: Sep 2021
Location: Leiden, NL
Posts: 477
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There is writing there (3rd picture) but all I've been able to make out is G R ET (or I suppose with a bit of imagination it could be a degraded "FECIT") and I'm not really sure about any of it.
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#7 | |
Lead Moderator European Armoury
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Portugal
Posts: 9,694
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"Este hecho se produce especialmente en el caso de los de raiz vasca, como Pedro Lagaretea por Pedro de Garaeta" He is reported to have worked both in Bilbao and Toledo. . |
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#8 |
Member
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Sweden
Posts: 688
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#9 |
Member
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: California
Posts: 1,036
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I agree, the condition isn't all that bad, it would have benefited from a reasonable amount of cleaning and ended up looking a lot better than when it left the auction house. The trick is to stop the active corrosion and remove accumulated dirt, while retaining as much of the existing patina as you can. A slow and conservative approach is far better than fast and aggressive, a lot of collectors use inappropriate methods and ruin pieces with overcleaning.
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