rapier

[helen]

hello!

I just wanted to show you all this rapier in case any of you can shed further light on a) its date and b) where it's from.

It says on the blade 'petrus in toledo' but am aware that, rather like fake Rolexes, Toledo swords were the best in the business and often ripped off. We had a researcher in not long ago who thought it might be German, due to the lack of genuine Toledo marks.

As to the date, our original catalogue entry of 1892 states it is late C16th but this researcher thought it is more stylistically C17th.

Any suggestions or input on this greatly received.

Thanks

Helen

[helen]

[helen]

By the way, I'm not implying that this is a 'fake' or 'imitation' sword - it's still a lovely historical piece and very finely made, i just want to establish date and provenance if possible!

Thanks

[Mervyn Mitton]

Dear Helen - I think the lack of response, shows that you are a little out of our knowledge range with this beautiful rapier. The extreme quality and suppleness of the steel can be seen in the picture with the blade resting. Had you just shown it, I would have hazarded a guess for it to be Spanish or, Italian - there just seems to be a difference from the French. For me - at least -

it will have to remain a mystery.

I am hoping - when you have time - that you will show some of the truncheons - and also Zulu - from the collection ? By-the-way, did you ever establish if it was Pitt-Rivers who excavated at Dorchester ?

[Jonathan Hopkins]

Helen,

I recommend posting this in the Antique & Military section at swordforum.com or at myarmoury.com. There are a good number of people at those venues who study renaissance swords.

Jonathan

[Henry 24th]

Hi Helen.

I would also recommend a fellow by the name of Robert (Bob) Docherty. He is an antique arms and armour collector and dealer is Vancouver BC Canada. Very knowledgeable and helpful.

Here is his website that you can contact him through.

Regards..Henry

[helen]

Jonathan and Henry - thank you for the tips about where to go for potentially more info. Went to the Wallace Collection in London at weekend - never been there before - wow! They had scores of these type of rapiers and other beautiful renaissance cinquedeas and main gauches etc on display. I tried to see if the rapiers had inscriptions down the blade like this one and some did but they were mostly acronyms or a type of Latin shorthand, which I couldn't decipher. The catalogues indicated that they were predominantly Spanish though....

Edited June 10, 2009 by helen