Andria Ferara Blade

[Will M]

Bryce I can see this sword having a family blade. If only it could speak as to the family name it belongs to. This is one pattern I'd like to add to my collection.

[Jim McDougall]

It might be a heirloom blade , and I did not realize these were 18th c. fuller pattern, but these mortuary examples speak volumes. If only the purveyors of imported blades had records of the decoration often applied to them as they were supplied to 'sword slippers' as per weapons for officers and gentry.

We know that certain 'Ferara' blades had numerous variations, for example certain known examples had the Wundes kings heads, four in number, which alternated with the Andrea Ferara letters. This feature is actually described in an article or some published document or ad. In many cases blades being sold in the 18th century were advertised, as described in Aylward ("The Small Sword in England", 1945).
We know that there was a 'fluer de lis' street located , I believe, in London, where imported blades were sold/auctioned in bundles, and many blades marked with fluer de lis device center blade are known, of 18th c. There is a long held convention that this device signals French attribution, however clearly it is not.

With these interesting, to my eye at least, letters (the misspelled Andrea not withstanding) which seem to be oriental, specifically Chinese, there seems a possibility of some connection to the East Indies trade. Officers would commission swords of course, which signifies India, however there were Chinese ports in these networks. Might there be a tenuous connection to the EIC?
While 'mortuary' swords are notoriously associated with the English civil wars, it would seem thier use (which actually predated those events) might have found use outside that context. Perhaps looking into records and examples of other English swords and items with these trade contexts might bring some clues? i.e. other items marked with this oriental 'chop' type styling.

The weapons often do 'talk' , but it up to us to find the questions to ask, and even the most subtle clues can offer at least reasonably plausible answers. Though typically not empirically provable, these answers can be most compelling.

[Bryce]

G'day Guys,
I actually purchased this sword 4 months ago, but it has only just arrived. USPS misplaced it for over 3 months?

In the mean time I had forgotten how many early to mid 17th century examples of this style of blade I had found searching the net. I couldn't find any 18th century examples.

Jim, I think any connection to the East based on the blade engraving style may be very tenuous indeed. Could this actually be a Hounslow blade? There is evidence that the 17th century cutler Benjamin Stone got into trouble for putting "false marks" on his blades.

Cheers,
Bryce

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Bryce

G'day Guys,
I actually purchased this sword 4 months ago, but it has only just arrived. USPS misplaced it for over 3 months?

In the mean time I had forgotten how many early to mid 17th century examples of this style of blade I had found searching the net. I couldn't find any 18th century examples.

Jim, I think any connection to the East based on the blade engraving style may be very tenuous indeed. Could this actually be a Hounslow blade? There is evidence that the 17th century cutler Benjamin Stone got into trouble for putting "false marks" on his blades.

Cheers,
Bryce

Im glad you finally got it Bryce!
The EIC connection might indeed be quite tenuous, however the use of these 'chop' characters is distinctly Eastern of course. There were considerable connections where it was quite fashionable to wear 'exotic' swords....in the 17th c. there were English gentry wearing kastane from Ceylon; and nimcha from the Meditteranean.
The Dutch had 'factories' in Peking, and eventually brought Chinese artisans to the Netherlands. A style of small sword termed Tonquinese developed with EIC there and in England (Tonquin was actually Viet Nam) and shakudo was a style of decoration of the time primarily Japanese.

In Europe, 'Chinese' style became popular in the 18th c. and brought into hilt styles in many cases.

It does not seem unreasonable that the 'oriental' theme which had become so fashionable might be used to apply a famed name often thought of in an almost 'magical' character, and in this exotic 'chop' to further that effect.
This seems possible even more because a spurious name or mark this far 'outside the box' can only have been added in such manner, as it would hardly be perceived as authentic of the standard manner of application.

This would not have had anything to do with Stone or Hounslow. The shops there were mostly closed when captured by Cromwell, who actually used the mills for powder. Most of the smiths went to Oxford with the King's supply sources. Stone was actually a kind of broker not a maker, and had a mark of 'grapes' but did not really use it if I recall, in fact not any mark I recall.I recall the charge but nothing was specified nor followed up on.
There were Solingen blades with 'proper' Andrea Ferara marks on the mortuaries made probably at Oxford (I have one), where the letters are the usual block letters within the 'sickle' marks.

[Bryce]

G'day Jim,
Markings aside it seems that this type of blade was manufactured at Hounslow. A search of the net has revealed many examples of this style of blade marked "Me Fecit Hounslow". York Castle Museum has several examples, as does the V and A.
Cheers,
Bryce

[Jim McDougall]

Thanks very much Bryce!!!
I really had no idea Hounslow made these 'mortuaries' and if these collections have these so marked, then that is pretty resounding. I have associated Hounslow with hangers of course, with the many that are marked with the ME FECIT HOUNSLOE etc. and some of the known names.

As noted, Hounslow was taken by Cromwell, but several makers remained there while the others removed to remain suppliers to Royalists, primarily to Oxford.
As I had mentioned,I have a mortuary which is clearly Solingen with the ANDREA FERARA within the familiar 'sickle'marks and is from 1640s.

So then we return to this rather bizarre 'ANDREA FERARA' in Chinese 'chop' letters, on what we see now as a Hounslow blade.
Hounslow was known to produce maritime oriented hangers........could this be again aligned with influences from trade?
Again, tenuous of course,but why these unusual letters?

[Bryce]

G'day Jim,
I actually don't think there is anything unusual in the way Andria Ferara is marked on this blade. If you look closely, many Andrea Ferara blades are marked in the same way, it is just that successive polishes have worn the marking down on my blade, leaving only the highlights behind.
Cheers,
Bryce