English Dish Hilt Rapier, ca. 1640

Description

Slender tapering 41″ single-edged blade of slightly hollowed triangular section,
double-edged at the point, with rectangular ricasso hollowed on each side with indistinct
stamped mark on one side. Dish guard chiseled and punched with concentric bands of
foliage, side-rings each chiseled with central acanthus feature and linked by a scrolled bar
to the knuckle guard; the latter screwed to the pommel and featuring a central swelling
knob chiseled with foliage. Chiseled quillon block and quillons with acorn finials decorated
en suite; chiseled globular pommel with stepped conical top and button. Spiral grip bound
with twisted iron wire with Turk’s heads top and bottom. Metal worn and pitted with dark
even patina, blade with scattered edge nicks (likely from combat), and several old expert
repairs to hilt. Blade, hilt, and grip tight with no play. Overall length 47 ½”. Nice distinctly
English-made rapier of the English Civil War period.