North Italian Cuphilt Rapier, ca. 1650

Description

Steel hilt featuring long straight twisted quillons with button finials; knucklebow decorated
ensuite; hemispherical cup guard with roped edge, embossed, chiseled and pierced with
foliate decor and screwed to the large pas d’ane and undecorated flat guardopolvo. Bun-
shaped writhen pommel with button; orginal grip with iron wire wrap of varying sizes and
Turks heads top and bottom. Slender 40 ½” double-edged lens-section blade with long
slightly hollowed ricasso stamped with maker’s marks both sides (illegible) and short
central fuller with illegible inscription. Overall length 45 1/4″. Metal uncleaned with dark
patina; blade with wear and pitting.