Late medieval swords from Southeastern Europe

[Teisani]

One more sword with typical East European features. Not sure where I got this pic from. Multiple fullers (very similar to those on Stephen's, although a bit wavy). S-guard associated with the Kingdom of Hungary. Square-ish pommel.

[Teisani]

More frescos from Dobromir the painter (before 1526) - church of the Argeș monastery, Wallachia. Triple fullers. http://clasate.cimec.ro/detaliu.asp?...08BEAC98E52292
http://clasate.cimec.ro/detaliu.asp?...1226B3B7C78102
http://clasate.cimec.ro/Detaliu_en.a...35AEC4ECF786F3
http://clasate.cimec.ro/Detaliu_en.a...E7A44BF19C41C7
http://clasate.cimec.ro/detaliu.asp?...60C3C0518072E4
http://clasate.cimec.ro/detaliu.asp?...65AFDBAC6AAD6C
http://clasate.cimec.ro/detaliu.asp?...9EA588D0529B3A
http://clasate.cimec.ro/Detaliu.asp?...78465BEFE65A33

The church of the Argeș monastery, founded by ruler Neagoe Basarab and Despina, was consecrated with great pomp on August 15, 1517. On this date, the monastic buildings were not finished either, the church being unpainted. The painting of the monument will be done during the reign of Radu de la Afumați (1522/1523 – 1524/1529) married to Neagoe's daughter, Roxanda, finishing in 1526, as the painted picture in the porch informs us. The text of the writing also tells us that the delay in the execution of the painting was due to the wars with the Turks, and it was completed on September 10. 1526 by Dobromir, at the urging of Mrs. Despina.

[Reventlov]

Originally Posted by Teisani

One more sword with typical East European features. Not sure where I got this pic from. Multiple fullers (very similar to those on Stephen's, although a bit wavy). S-guard associated with the Kingdom of Hungary. Square-ish pommel.

I found it! Source is here, the sword is in the Jósa András Museum, in Hungary. Very typical features overall, though the fuller arrangement (like the Moldavian swords) is not quite the norm - this is nitpicking though. This kind of roughly octagonal pommel, often very irregular in shape, is a common alternative/variant of the more strictly square and "cat's head" pommels. Aleksic classifies them as subtype Z2, and dates them to approximately the late 14th to mid 15th century. They also appear quite often on Hungarian sabers of this period, like these two examples from the National Museum in Budapest.

[Teisani]

One more example with S-quillons. https://mandadb.hu/tetel/577309/Kardtoredek

[Reventlov]

Here is another distinctive sword in the Hungarian National Museum. The oblong octagonal pommel is similar to previous examples, but of higher quality with an inset emblem (possibly a coin?). The blade is again type XXb. The quillons have extended from an S-shape to a closed figure-8. Probably this coincides with the development of the famous German katzbalgers in the 16th century. The hilt has another cuff-like metal "rainguard" as seen on other presumably Hungarian swords posted above.





The museum has another very similar but much plainer example.


An overall very similar sword comes from the Dresden Armoury. The multi-fullered blade is stamped with distinctive knot-like marks that suggest an Italian origin, perhaps Belluno specifically. The marks on the first sword are likewise Italian in style.




A painting of c. 1505-15 in the Museum of Lower Austria shows a very similar sword (only a different pommel), and of course figure-8 guards are well-documented in Germany in this period. The painting and the Dresden sword have quillons which end in distinct knobs, which is seen in many other German artworks. These are absent in the two Hungarian swords, so perhaps this is a regional peculiarity within the international trend.

[Teisani]

Excellent finds Mark!
I can agree that the knob-ends on the quillons seem to be a germanic trait (Austrian to be more precise).
The last sword has some very interesting fullers. Namely, 3-4 fullers, very narrow, very close together. This type of fullers will become quite common on sabre/dusack and backsword blades (of Austrian or North Italian manufacture) later on. Checkout these two Hungarian sabres, my guess from the 1550s to the 1590s. Also notice the gold wire wrap, another common trait on these mid-to-late 16th century Hungarian (and sometimes Polish) sabres. Makes me wonder if the wire wrap on the first sword you posted is a later addition.
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showpo...9&postcount=39
https://skd-online-collection.skd.mu...s/Index/284576

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I found this one, but can't get mo info on it.
https://www.pius-kirchgessner.de/05_...e/Petrus_2.htm



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One thing that puzzles me is the lack of one-handed examples, other than those on Dobromir's frescos.

[Teisani]

St Paul. C. 1465. Painting on Swiss stone pine. By Michael Pacher (ca. 1435-1498). https://www.alamy.de/st-paul-c-1465-...8&searchtype=0

Blade looks like a candidate but the rest...not so much.

[Teisani]

Saint Paul. Woodcut, c1530, by Hans Sebald Beham. Very poor detailing unfortunately.

[Reventlov]

Originally Posted by Teisani

Excellent finds Mark!
Also notice the gold wire wrap, another common trait on these mid-to-late 16th century Hungarian (and sometimes Polish) sabres. Makes me wonder if the wire wrap on the first sword you posted is a later addition.

I think this is possible - here is another sword in the same museum, overall rather different, but the grip is so similar. According to descriptions, the date of 1523 is inscribed somewhere on the fittings. The quillons are another variant of the S-curve, very broad and ribbon-like, with a number of international parallels in the 16th century - a topic for later.

Originally Posted by Teisani

I found this one, but can't get mo info on it.
https://www.pius-kirchgessner.de/05_...e/Petrus_2.htm

I can't add anything specific, I don't see any references on that page... Will just say that this and Sebald Beham's woodcut show features that are very common in Germany around this time, long, straight or curved quillons with knobby terminals, various forms of "scentstopper" pommels, or disc pommels, and semi-circular, flap-like rainguards. I hadn't seen the woodcut before, so it's interesting to see what seems to be the multi-fullered blade... good to show and remember how these features are never exclusive to one region, no matter how they might seem stereotypically "Hungarian" or whatever.

Originally Posted by Teisani

One thing that puzzles me is the lack of one-handed examples, other than those on Dobromir's frescos.

There are some, I will share another day. Mostly from further south, around Bosnia and Serbia. The sabers and large swords really do predominate within Hungary/Transylvania apparently.

[Teisani]

That last sword with gold wire wrap is even more interesting. Other than the wrap being reminiscent of later sabres, this one also has "sabre-like" scabbard fitting. Checkout these scabbards.
The

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The main altar at the church St. Johannes und St. Martin in Schwabach. Finished in 1508. Another example that these multi-fullered blades were quite widespread, local details being more in the hilt.
https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwabacher_Altar