FINE FRENCH SMALL SWORD
CIRCA 1750
Estimate: £600 - £800
Auction: Day 1 - Wed 14th May from 10am | Lots 1 to 313
Description
the hilt elaborately fashioned from pierced and chiselled cut steel, adorned with gilt steel highlights, knuckle guard, pas d’âne, and quillon block with intricate openwork designs, incorporating scrolling delicate geometric patterns, and stylized rococo motifs, the grip bound with a double twist in chevron pattern silver wire with silver ribbon spacers with silver wire Turks heads , the ovoid pommel is chiselled with two ovals with raised cut steel roses against a gilt ground, with four pierced holes in a lattice work design matching the shell guard, the triple edged tapered blade is blued and gilt at the ricasso with engraved rococo foliage, with an associated steel mounted vellum scabbard (2)
Dimensions
100cm long, 10cm wide
Footnote
For a comparable example see Lyon & Turnbull, Edinburgh, The Midmar Castle Collection of Fine Arms & Armour, 21 April 2010, Lot 139; for a slightly later fine French short sword with similar design