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Rapier: HEN.M.220-1933

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Maker(s)

Production: Unknown (Uncertain)

Entities

Categories

Description

Rapier. Flat shield-shaped pommel, with a very prominent barrel-shaped button. Knuckle-guard, loop-guard, three outside ring-guards, and very long straight quillons, all of circular section. Back-guards of three elements. The forward quillon is badly bent. The quillons and knuckle-guards widen at the tips and the ring-guards swell at midpoint. Strong shield-shaped ecusson. The entire hilt is decorated with vaguely scrolling, floriate patterns rather roughly incised, in the style and manner of the Swedish so-called 'Sinclair' sword-hilts. Rather long grip of oval section bound with steel wire of alternating double strands of fine plain wire and thicker twisted wire. Long blade of flat hexagonal section (much worn) with a stout ricasso, and short fullers on each side edged with incised lines. Illegible marks, an ecusson engraved with a crown. The crowns are visible, but no trace remains of what was once within the ecussons. In the fullers the name PIETRO HERNANDES.
Norman type.

Legal notes

J.S. Henderson Bequest

Measurements and weight

Length: 121.5 cm

Acquisition and important dates

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

Dating

17th Century
Circa 1625 CE - 1640 CE

Components of the work

Sword composed of steel
Blade Length 104.3 cm
Hilt Length 23.4 cm
Blade At Hilt Width 2.2 cm
Quillons Width 27.5 cm
Decoration

Inscription or legends present

  • Text: PIETRO HERNANDES
  • Location: In the fullers
  • Method of creation: Inscribed
  • Text: 220H
  • Type: Tag

References and bibliographic entries

Identification numbers

Accession number: HEN.M.220-1933
Primary reference Number: 18950

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Monday 29 April 2024

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Rapier" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/18950 Accessed: 2025-12-05 07:17:33

Citation for Wikipedia

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{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/18950 |title=Rapier |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-12-05 07:17:33|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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