Lot 537
A rare mid 17th century Scottish Basket Hilted Broadsword
Auction: 17 August 2009 at 15:00 BST
Description
the basket composed of plates and bars, the bars are of lenticular section and the small shields are the early unpierced type, the shields are roughly of diamond shape and have grooved decoration of a cross within a diamond frame and have square notches cut in their longest sides, typically there are no side plates, the linking bars between the side guard and the rear guard being merely crossed by a 'butterfly' plate in the plane of the blade, decorated with radiating grooves. A fairly large wrist guard survives. The bi-conical triple grooved pommel has an equatorial groove into which the arms of the hilt fit and the fore guards are very shallow. The fish skin covered grip retains it's fringe and square leather liner, top and bottom. The earlier possibly Spanish blade bears within a short fuller the mark 'Sahagom' and beyond the end of the fuller, a mark which is likely to be that of a Spanish sword smith, the leather covered wooden scabbard survives in excellent condition, even retaining it's rare 'wrap round' chape.
Dimensions
Overall length 34 1/2" Blade 29 1/4"
Footnote
Notes: The second swordsmiths mark is believed to be connected with the Sahagun family who were working in Toledo in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. For details see 'Armourers Marks' by D H S Gyngell P.117.
To find a sword of this period in such an excellent state of preservation is extremely rare.