Link from pappenheimer to boca-de-caballo hilt

midelburgo · 26th October 2021, 03:27 PM

This sword is driving me nuts. I found it a month ago in the Canary Islands. Because it is a dangerous pointy object, it cannot travel by plane. So it had to be embarked. Then, the seller stopped communications for two weeks. Today, she reappeared, confirming me the sword is on a boat, and that she went missing because she had to attend business in La Palma due to the volcano.

Pictures are hers. I do not even know at this point if the blade has an inscription.

I would call this a Brescian hilt with a cavalry military blade. Probably from around 1680. I believe Brescian hilts evolved from German shell swords, and these started as a sort of Pappenheimers that were influenced by Swedish cavalry swords, also with two shells (like the one Gustav Adolf was carrying at Lützen).
The Brescian hilts in Spain come in two flavours, both have characteristic decorations in one of the shells. There are delicate rapiers and massive cavalry swords. Usually they have long quillons, but in this example they have been cut down and twisted upside and down, just as those from 1728 Spanish cavalry models (boca-de-caballo), probably because they interfered with fencing from horseback.

There is another field reparation at the knuclebow. Probably this sword saw 30 or more years of battle use. First against the armies of Louis XIV and then fighting alongside them, or maybe with the Habsburg pretender, in the War of the Spanish Succession.

M ELEY · 26th October 2021, 05:34 PM

Very nice piece! Not an expert, but I think this would be classified as a 'Spanish colonial' broadsword of provincial manufacture. Very similar to the Spanish colonial Caribbean rapiers and bilbos (sorry, we know this isn't the correct term, but has become so mainstream, it's easier just to use it!) coming out of the Americas. I base this on the the undecorated state of the blade and guard, the relative primativeness of the decoration, the mushroom-shaped plain pommel and most importantly, the shape/assemblage of the knucklebow and quillon, so similar to Central American/Caribbean espadas. Note the snake shaped downward quillon on this espada and the D-shaped flat-sided knuckle bow on this provincial bilbo...

cornelistromp · 26th October 2021, 06:13 PM

I believe it is second half of the 18thc spanish bilbo sword for the cavalry.

best,

midelburgo · 26th October 2021, 10:46 PM

These are Brescian rapiers from the second half of the XVIIth century. Civilian weapons very common in Spanish museums. Spaecially those eith the dog/lion decoration.

midelburgo · 26th October 2021, 10:50 PM

And these are military cavalry swords with Brescian hilts from the second half of XVIIth century. The one with the motto has been rehilted with a blade of about 1775. The group of three is from Segovia Alcazar.

midelburgo · 26th October 2021, 10:58 PM

And this is a sort of German sword from where I believe the Brescian hilt evolved. Possibly c1630.

I believe next one is an early Brescia from 1640-1650.

26th October 2021, 03:27 PM	#1
midelburgo Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 257	Link from pappenheimer to boca-de-caballo hilt This sword is driving me nuts. I found it a month ago in the Canary Islands. Because it is a dangerous pointy object, it cannot travel by plane. So it had to be embarked. Then, the seller stopped communications for two weeks. Today, she reappeared, confirming me the sword is on a boat, and that she went missing because she had to attend business in La Palma due to the volcano. Pictures are hers. I do not even know at this point if the blade has an inscription. I would call this a Brescian hilt with a cavalry military blade. Probably from around 1680. I believe Brescian hilts evolved from German shell swords, and these started as a sort of Pappenheimers that were influenced by Swedish cavalry swords, also with two shells (like the one Gustav Adolf was carrying at Lützen). The Brescian hilts in Spain come in two flavours, both have characteristic decorations in one of the shells. There are delicate rapiers and massive cavalry swords. Usually they have long quillons, but in this example they have been cut down and twisted upside and down, just as those from 1728 Spanish cavalry models (boca-de-caballo), probably because they interfered with fencing from horseback. There is another field reparation at the knuclebow. Probably this sword saw 30 or more years of battle use. First against the armies of Louis XIV and then fighting alongside them, or maybe with the Habsburg pretender, in the War of the Spanish Succession. Attached Images Last edited by midelburgo; 26th October 2021 at 03:42 PM.

26th October 2021, 05:34 PM	#2
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,102	Very nice piece! Not an expert, but I think this would be classified as a 'Spanish colonial' broadsword of provincial manufacture. Very similar to the Spanish colonial Caribbean rapiers and bilbos (sorry, we know this isn't the correct term, but has become so mainstream, it's easier just to use it!) coming out of the Americas. I base this on the the undecorated state of the blade and guard, the relative primativeness of the decoration, the mushroom-shaped plain pommel and most importantly, the shape/assemblage of the knucklebow and quillon, so similar to Central American/Caribbean espadas. Note the snake shaped downward quillon on this espada and the D-shaped flat-sided knuckle bow on this provincial bilbo... Attached Images Last edited by M ELEY; 27th October 2021 at 12:06 AM.

26th October 2021, 10:46 PM	#4
midelburgo Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 257	These are Brescian rapiers from the second half of the XVIIth century. Civilian weapons very common in Spanish museums. Spaecially those eith the dog/lion decoration. Attached Images Last edited by midelburgo; 27th October 2021 at 12:11 AM.

26th October 2021, 10:50 PM	#5
midelburgo Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 257	And these are military cavalry swords with Brescian hilts from the second half of XVIIth century. The one with the motto has been rehilted with a blade of about 1775. The group of three is from Segovia Alcazar. Attached Images Last edited by midelburgo; 27th October 2021 at 12:13 AM.

26th October 2021, 10:58 PM	#6
midelburgo Member Join Date: Jun 2005 Posts: 257	And this is a sort of German sword from where I believe the Brescian hilt evolved. Possibly c1630. I believe next one is an early Brescia from 1640-1650. Attached Images Last edited by midelburgo; 26th October 2021 at 11:58 PM.

26th October 2021, 06:13 PM	#3
cornelistromp Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 1,058	I believe it is second half of the 18thc spanish bilbo sword for the cavalry. best,