Sword: HEN.M.207-1933

Maker(s)

Production: Unknown

Entities

• Sword
• Scabbard

Categories

• Weapons

Description

Sword and scabbard, with silvered hilt. Flat heart-shaped pommel with strong button at the top and collars below. The grip, bound with steel wire, is vertically grooved with short diagonal grooves between the vertical ones. There are tusk heads top and bottom. Wide, vertically recurved quillons of flat ribbon section (in the plane of the blade) widening at the ends. Large forward ring-guard of similar section, widening at its midpoint and filled with a steel plate pierced with a very delicate pattern of interlinked rings, the whole decorative pattern within a diamond shape with a heart-shaped opening at each of the four point. The entire hilt is covered with a deeply engraved all over floral pattern. Traces of the silver plating which once covered the hilt remain on the ends of the quillons. There is a back-guard in the form of a ring cusped at the midpoint to form a thumb ring. The backs of the guards are undecorated except for a little flower-like figure in each quillon-end. Long tapering blade of flattened diamond section. Blade inscribed GODVERMAGS and ICH W AGS on one side and VERITATEM DILLIGITE on the other.
There is a well preserved scabbard of leather over the wood with a long steel chape decorated en suite with the hilt. Near the top is a pocket for a by-knife. The upper past is decorated with tooled lines parallel with the edges. At the point-end of the by-knife pocket are tooled decoration. The upper 5.08 cm (2") of the scabbard has been cut away, probably to remove a steel locket to match the chape.

Notes

History note: Unknown before testator

Legal notes

J.S. Henderson Bequest

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1933-03-16) by Henderson, James Stewart

Dating

17th Century, Mid#
Production date: circa AD 1650

Note

German or Scandinavian

Many swords of this type survive in public and private collections. There is a particularly fine one in the Royal Armouries at the Tower of London (MS. no. IX. 1217) which is illustrated in 'European Swords and Daggers in the Tower of London', plate 38. Another is illustrated in Ewart Oakeshott's 'European Weapons and Armour' plate 14b. In the same work is a full description of the type (pp. 172-3). This type, being a military sword and not a rapier, is not included in the Vesey Norman typology of hilts, though the pommel is of the pommel-type 43. (See the Rapier and the Small Sword, 1460-1820, p. 250). This sword type incorrectly acquired the name of 'Sinclair Sword' put upon it by Victorian collectors in the mistaken belief that all such swords were those with which a forceof mercenary Scots, under Colonel George Sinclair, was equipped. They seem to have been very popular during the 30 Years War (1613-48) used by troops from Sweden and the Netherlands.