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Lot 161
A German 'Transitional' Rapier Of Pillow-Sword TypeThird Quarter Of The 17th Century
30 April 2014, 11:00 BST
London, KnightsbridgeSold for £1,187.50 inc. premium
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A German 'Transitional' Rapier Of Pillow-Sword Type
Third Quarter Of The 17th Century
Third Quarter Of The 17th Century
With tapering double-edged blade (some pitting) angled along the back over its entire length on one side, the forte on one side etched with symmetrical designs of foliage centred on a foliated oval bearing a crowned horseshoe, the back-edge etched 'Peter Monsit Me Fecit Solinge' between stars, and on the other side with foliage en suite centred on an oval bearing the pincer mark and bladesmith's name 'Johannes Wirsberger' between star marks, iron hilt comprising double shell-guard, scrolled arms beneath lobed quillons (one repaired) each with button terminal, compressed globular pommel with large flattened button, and grip bound with twisted iron wire between Turk's heads, the surfaces throughout encrusted with sprays of silver foliage within oval borders of silver pellets (some wear)
88.5 cm. blade
88.5 cm. blade
Footnotes
For a similar sword in the Wrangel Armoury, Skokloster, see A.V.B. Norman, The Rapier and Small-Sword 1460-1820, 1980, pp. 184-186
For Peter Monsit and Johannes Wirsberger see Albert Weyersberg, Solingen Schwertschmiede Des 16. Und 17. Jahrhunderts Und Ihre Erzeugnisse ..., 1926, pp. 49-50, fig. 118. According to Weyersberg the significance of the inscription 'Peter Monsit' (which is found on several blades) is difficult to clarify, but is possibly the signature of a visiting workman who spent some time in Solingen producing blades in Weyersberg's workshop








