musingsofafreifechter:

art-of-swords:

Two-Handed Sword

Date: 15th–16th century

Culture: Italian

Source & Copyright: Metropolitan Museum of Art 

This is that Italian feder, isn’t it?

Neat looking thing :)

ghost-of-gold:

Classic Ottoman sword
Early Kilij / Kilic
fully original & complete
untouched example
full Ribbon Core blade

A beautiful untouched Ottoman Kilij or Kilic.
This classic Ottoman sword measures just under 88cms in a straight line from tip to tip within the scabbard. Out it measures 85cms with a blade 70.5cms long and approx 4cms wide.
The hilt is horn with a number of minor losses as seen in the images.
The horn slabs are secured with a single rivet and a tubular rivet at the pommel. The quillons measure 17cms across and are decorated to the edges.
The scabbard retains the original decorated scabbard fittings that are free from any major defects. The original suspension loops are also retained although bent. Seldom seen is the original tooled central leather insert that remains in solid healthy condition to the front, the rear however shows minor loss with a worm holes.
The blade is of classic shape, it is broad with a T-spine that dips in the middle 15cms from the guard and sweeps up nearer the tip to form the raised Yelamn these swords are so famous for.
There is silver Koftgari at the forte to both sides, again 12cms from the guard on the right side of the blade being the seal of Solomon with script within and also at the point where the Yelamn starts.
A good complete untouched example of a hard to find Classic Ottoman Kilij.

Source & Copyright: Swords & Antique Weapons

Ahhh i would Kill for this swooorrrrrdddd!

art-of-swords:

Edward III Sword

• Original: Circa 1340’s English (?), Private Collection, Germany

Considered by many of the acknowledged experts of the last 80 years to be a fake, recent tests have indicated that the original of this sword may indeed be a genuine 14th Century sword. If so, it most probably would have been the personal sword of Edward III, King of England.

This exquisite piece of history is certainly one of the best preserved swords from this period in existence. The grip appears to be original, which is extremely rare and the pommel and cross guard are in beautiful condition. The pommel has the enameled royal coat of arms on the face, replicated on our pommel in translucent red, blue and purple.

The back side of the original pommel carried a relic of rough cloth behind an opaque disc of crystal. We have duplicated the gilding on the original furniture by encasing our bronze parts in gold. The blade is an excellent example of an Oakeshott Type XVIIIa.

The etching on the blade depicts a very early example of the badge of the Order of the Garter and possibly the earliest use of the portcullis as a badge by an English Royal. Edward formed the Order of the Garter in 1348 and died in 1377 (thus the sword would fall into this period somewhere). This knightly order was the first and most prestigious of the royal sponsored orders.

This magnificent sword is one of a very few that can be seriously attributed to its original owner, a King of England no less. Designed and constructed for battle, the grip and furniture bear the marks of extensive use. This extraordinary sword is a pleasure to wield and a truly historic centerpiece for any collection.

Source & Copyright © 2004-2012 Arms & Armor, Inc. 

art-of-swords:

Topoke Sword

• Dated: late 19th or early 20th century 
• Location: Congo, Africa. 
• Dimensions: 18 1/2” overall with a 13” Blade.

A fine old sword with a large solid iron pommel. Often attributed to the Topoke, Lokele or Tetela peoples of Zaire. The wood handle has a good patina from age and use, and the iron pommel is quite heavy. The blade is very well forged with intricate lines chiseled into the surface.

There is some edge loss, and a little pitting from previous rust. I believe swords of this size and quality were used for battle (the balance is quite good), but many of this type with the iron pommel were used as status symbols and currency as well.    

Source & Copyright: Erik Sedge 

art-of-swords:

Gold Overlaid Matching Tulwar & Katar with Watered Steel Blades & Scabbards 

• Culture: India
• Dated: circa 1840 (possibly earlier)

This katar and tulwar are a pair - both have watered steel blades and an identical gold overlay pattern on their hilts/handle. The gold overlay is in an Ottoman-influenced Mughal stylised carnation motif. Both are designed to be worn together as part of a courtly costume, in this case most probably for a Sikh prince.

The tulwar is gripped in the hand and the katar is worn through the belt. (See Crill & Jariwala, 2010, p. 131 for an excellent illustration on how a matching katar and tulwar were worn, in this case by Maharana Karan Singh of Melwar, probably in the nineteenth century.)

The tulwar has a baluster-form grip. The pommel disc is decorated with gold overlay to the top and the underneath. The top is in a slight dish form with a raised central area leading to a dome and then a spherical finial all with gold overlay. The quillon ends of the hilt are similarly embellished in gold with carnation flower heads.

The tulwar has a straight, fluted blade that is 81cm long. The katar blade is long and angular with a prominent central ridge to both sides. It is fullered with a swollen tip. Both blades have watered steel patterning.

The katar has a double grip and the outer handles are slightly convex to the hand. It has the remainder of some devanagari script in overlaid gold along the sides and inside of the guard of the hilt. (There is some staining to the felt and the chape has some losses.)

Both have scabbards that comprise velvet stretched over thin wooden interiors. The scabbard for the tulwar is in red felt with gold ribbon embellishment and a silver chape. The cover for the katar is in blue felt and is most probably a later replacement. The tulwar is a type of Indian sabre or shamshir, whereas katars or punch daggers were designed to pierce chain mail.

Source & Copyright: Curator’s Eye