European sword? eyelash stamp, victorian copy ????

Jim McDougall · 1st February 2024, 05:09 PM

Excellent catch Fernando!!!!
Naturally following the 'too good to be true' axiom, it is hard to accurately assess this remarkable example as authentic without hands on handling, and even then there times when even the experts can be wrong. Look for example at the numbers of weapons and armor displayed for generations at the Higgjns Museum in Massachusetts.

The addition of that eyelash stamp would reveal an uncanny attention to detail not typically done by artisans creating reproductions of authentic pieces in the Victorian to modern era, at least as far as I have known. The only maker of reproductions I have known well personally, made them so well that he typically placed his own mark strategically so they would not be presented as authentic. However, many dealers unfortunately removed these for obvious reasons.

"Armi Bianche Italiene" by Boccia & Coelho (1975) is a relatively obscure book it seems IMO, among the sword collecting community. It is a huge volume, in Italian of course and from the initial release prohibitively expensive. I recall many years ago I reeled at the cost (then).
I recall a visit years ago by an author friend who was researching an Italian sword, and gasped when he saw I had this!
Naturally this volume in the hands of a skilled deceiver would be most dangerous.

If someone was fashioning a recreation for artistic or appreciation purposes, why would such a detail as the mark be necessary?
It is truly a dilemma, but most attractive example in any case.

1st February 2024, 05:09 PM	#8
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,952	Excellent catch Fernando!!!! Naturally following the 'too good to be true' axiom, it is hard to accurately assess this remarkable example as authentic without hands on handling, and even then there times when even the experts can be wrong. Look for example at the numbers of weapons and armor displayed for generations at the Higgjns Museum in Massachusetts. The addition of that eyelash stamp would reveal an uncanny attention to detail not typically done by artisans creating reproductions of authentic pieces in the Victorian to modern era, at least as far as I have known. The only maker of reproductions I have known well personally, made them so well that he typically placed his own mark strategically so they would not be presented as authentic. However, many dealers unfortunately removed these for obvious reasons. "Armi Bianche Italiene" by Boccia & Coelho (1975) is a relatively obscure book it seems IMO, among the sword collecting community. It is a huge volume, in Italian of course and from the initial release prohibitively expensive. I recall many years ago I reeled at the cost (then). I recall a visit years ago by an author friend who was researching an Italian sword, and gasped when he saw I had this! Naturally this volume in the hands of a skilled deceiver would be most dangerous. If someone was fashioning a recreation for artistic or appreciation purposes, why would such a detail as the mark be necessary? It is truly a dilemma, but most attractive example in any case.