A Scottish Basket Hilted Sword dating to the Early 17th Century

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Price: £5,000

Ref: 42902539

Item Description

A Scottish basket hilted sword of the early 17th century mounted with a  robust single edged multi-fullered blade. This is a rare example and a noteworthy representation of its type. This sword form evolved in the early part of the 17th century and was used through to the English Civil War periods. It is the ancestor of the fully developed Scottish basket hilted swords of the later 17th and 18th centuries.

This example has its frontal guard plates engraved inside the edges with pairs of parallel lines in a diamond shape. Notches are cut into the sides of each plate marking the beginning of the trend of Scottish sword makers to file frets and merlons into the edges of guard plates which became larger, more complex and decorative on later swords. When first made the sword did not have a wristguard. The present wristguard is a working life addition probably dating to the late 17th century when wristguards first started to appear on Scottish swords.

The dome-shaped pommel has a groove chiselled around most of its  circumference just below its middle which secures the main guard arm terminals. The tang end is peened over the top of the cone shaped pommel. The flattened butterfly shaped merlon bars at the sides strengthen the hilt structure by joining the main guard bars.

The spirally grooved wooden grip is wrapped  with a leather covering stitched together down the front. It was once bound with wire which is now missing leaving a spiral groove to the grip. The grip retains a leather liner.  The sword retains its scabbard although much abused and repaired over the years.

The single edged blade gently tapers to its tip. It has a rudimentary ricasso and a pronounced fuller which extends underneath the spine to a distance of 8 inches (20 cm) from the tip after which the blade is double edged. Two further fullers which commence a short distance from the hilt extend along the blade underneath the first almost to the tip. The first and third fullers are marked with dots and crosses near the hilt. The middle fuller is marked with ANDRIA on one side and FARARA on the other.

The hilt closely resembles the basket guards of a number of Scottish swords illustrated in Cyril Mazansky’s “British Basket-Hilted Swords” (Boydell Press 2005), and in particular references D10 and D10c on pages 81 and 82. These swords have similar hilt structures and engraved line patterns to the frontal guard panels and side guards. These swords are housed in various important collections including Blair Castle in Perthshire, the Marischall Museum in Aberdeen, and The Royal Armouries. Two further similar swords housed in the National Museums of Scotland, are illustrated in John Wallace, Scottish Swords & Dirks, 1970, Arms and Armour Press, figs 23 and 24.

The blade length is just under 34 inches (86 cm) and the overall length is 39.5 inches (100 cm).