A Spanish Cup Hilted Rapier of the late 17th century

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Price: £3,550

Ref: 62040758

Item Description

An attractive Spanish Cup Hilted Rapier dating to the late 17th century.  This is an imposing weapon retaining its full length blade of 48.75 inches  (124 cm).  This distinctive Spanish style of hilt consists of two convex circular shell guards which protect the inner and outer hand of the user attached at the sides with conjoined radial loops of iron which complete the cup structure. The clam guards are joined with further subsidiary bars at the upper rims to the long slender quillons. The shells are chiselled on the outsides with geometric scrolls with a roundel at the middle.

Three late 17th century rapiers of comparable construction mounted with similarly slender blades of stiff section can be seen in Leslie Southwick, The Price Guide to Antique Edged Weapons, Antique Collectors’ Club, 1982, page 57, figs 120, 121 & 122. The hilt type conforms to AVB Norman’s type 83 (see “The Rapier and Small-Sword, 1460-1820”, Arms and Armour Press, 1980, page 156). Norman believed that the hilt type flourished from circa 1625 to circa 1700. It appears in a portrait known as Prince d’Angri, a member of the Neapolitan branch of the Doria family, painted by Van Dyck around 1627.  Norman comments further on other portraits featuring the hilt and examples in various collections.

The hilt has noticeably slender quillons with swollen ribbed terminals and a long span of 12.25 inches (31 cm). The knuckle bow extends from the cross guard front to terminate with a ribbed swelling a short distance from the pommel middle. Of flattened globular section, with integral ribbed button on top and flared neck beneath, the pommel sits on top of a slightly baluster shaped oval section grip which is attractively wrapped with roped copper wire and mounted with woven copper “Turks’ Heads” top and bottom. The copper wrapping to the grip is reinforced with four iron staves.

The fine quality tapering diamond section blade is of stiff construction made primarily for thrusting. It has a deep central fuller which extends for 8 inches (20 cm) from the hilt. Inside the fuller an inscription on one side reads:

MI  SINAL  SON  LES  ARMAS  DEL  REY

and on the other side:

PEDRO  COELLER  EN  SOLINGEN

which loosely translates to Pedro Coeller of Solingen (presumably the blade maker) announcing that he is a maker of arms for the king.

The blade passes into the grip through a rectangular aperture at the join of the shell guards, where the forte changes to a rectangular section ricasso, the top of which is secured between pointed triangular langets which face downwards from the quillon block.

The rapier sits comfortably in hand and is well balanced. The surface condition is clean and good across the main iron and steel parts. The rapier retains its pleasing contours. One subsidiary guard bar which attaches the guard rim to a quillon is cracked. Otherwise the rapier is undamaged. The overall length is 56 inches (142 cm).