A Wall of Swords

My small journey in collecting antique swords

[awallofswords]

Another re-shuffle of the sword wall. I swapped out the 1796 Pattern heavy cavalry officers dismounted service sword for the 1796 Pattern heavy cavalry officers undress sword. I think this is more in keeping with the other swords which are all trooper swords or officer’s service swords. 

The new composition is (from left to right): 

- Dutch m1800 Light Cavalry officer’s or NCO’s sabre - French An XI Light Cavalry officer’s sabre - French ‘Garde de Bataille’ Dragoon officer’s sword - French An XIII Heavy Cavalry troopers’ sword - French An XI Light Cavalry trooprs’ sword - Dutch m1813 No.2 Light Cavalry troopers’ sabre - Dutch m1814 No.3 Heavy Cavalry troopers’ sword - British 1796 Pattern Light Cavalry troopers’ sabre (Dutch issued as the 1813 No.1 for light cavalry) - British 1788 Pattern Light Cavalry troopers’ sabre - British 1796 Pattern Heavy Cavalry troopers’ sword - British 1796 Pattern Heavy Cavalry officer’s undress sword - British 1796 Pattern Light Cavalry yeomanry officer’s sabre  - British 1796 Pattern Light Cavalry officer’s sabre

[dozydawn]

wedgwood sword hilts

[memories-of-ancients]

English arming sword, circa 1250-1300

from The Royal Armouries Collections

[awallofswords]

Jules–Elie Delaunay (1828 - 1891) Young Woman with a Sword late 19th century

From: https://www.instagram.com/archeology_and_art_/

Let's put comments on the dress aside for a moment (I'm no fashion expert and couldn't comment). What really caught my eye in this painting is the sword. Based on the style of the hilt, with the wire basket and thumb ring, telltale signs of late 17th to early 18th-century swords.

The further back in history we go, the fewer primary sources are available, so researchers look to paintings and portraits of known artists or subjects to attempt to date swords and form typologies.

This image highlights the challenges inherent in such an approach; here, the model holds a sword that likely predates her by 200 years. It would be interesting to know if this sword was a prop from his studio or if the artist was working from other sources, such as museum collections or prior drawings.

[bantarleton]

Soldier of the 1st West India Regiment 1814-1815. This regiment (along with the 5th) participated in the disastrous New Orleans Campaign. The British raised a number of these regiments recruited from locals for service in the Caribbean areas. They were the first predominantly black regiments in the British Army.

[art-of-swords-deactivated201705]

Calendar Sword

Dated: blade ~ about 1686; hilt ~ 16th century

Culture: German

Source & Copyright: Royal Armouries

[cutecuttlefish]

The sword of the day is the falcata.

The falcata comes from pre-Roman Iberia, the peninsula that includes modern-day Spain and Portugal. It is designed to chop like an axe, and the recurve edge allows it to cut very deeply and powerfully. Notably, it was also used by Hannibal’s army as he attacked Rome in the Second Punic War.

[armthearmour]

A rare example of a specialized armored fighting sword with a blunted section of blade,

OaL: 53.3 in/135.5 cm

Width: 10.9 in/27.8 cm

Depth: 1.8 in/4.5 cm

Weight: 5.6 lbs/2.6 kg

Germany, ca. 1520, housed at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

[armthearmour]

A Sword from the arsenal of the Venetian Council of Ten

Blade Length: 37.5 in/95.3 cm

Venice, Italy, ca. 1475-1500, from Olympia Auction House.

[armthearmour]

A beautifully pierced and etched Smallsword with a broad blade,

OaL: 40.5 in/102.8 cm

Blade Length: 34.5 in/87.6 cm

Width: 4 in/10.2 cm

Depth: 3.75 in/9.5 cm

Weight: 1.3 lbs/595.3 g

British, 17th century, housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

[armthearmour]

A fantastically chiseled and gilt Rapier,

OaL: 45.5 in/115.6 cm

Blade Length: 39.5 in/100.3 cm

Width: 6.5 in/16.5 cm

Depth: 3.4 in/8.6 cm

Weight: 2.1 lbs/935.5 g

Spain, ca. 1590, housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

[armthearmour]

A beautiful black and gilt Cup-hilt Rapier,

OaL: 44.6 in/113.3 cm

Blade Length: 36.8 in/93.5 cm

Width: 11.1 in/28.3 cm

Depth: 5 in/12.7 cm

Weight: 2.1 lbs/963.9 g

Italy, ca. 1650, housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

[armthearmour]

An early Basket-hilted Broadsword,

OaL: 42.5 in/107.9 cm

Blade Length: 36.5 in/92.7 cm

Width: 5.75 in/14.6 cm

Depth: 4.25 in/10.8 cm

Weight: 3 lbs/1360.8 g

Potsdam, Germany, hilt ca. 1540, blade 17th century, housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

[memories-of-ancients]

Austrian, Hungarian, or Polish saber, 18th century

from Hermann Historica

[memories-of-ancients]

Dussack from Styria, Austria, circa 1580

from Hermann Historica

[cutecuttlefish]

The sword of the day is the Lochaber axe*.

This is a Scottish weapon, usually mounted on a staff about five feet in length. It functioned much like a poleaxe, though it lacks the knightly poleaxe’s hammer and instead opts for a hook that can be used for catching and pulling, as well as for hanging the weapon. Not pictured is a spike on the other end of the staff, which both provided another means of attack and counterbalanced the heavy axe head.

*axes are eligible for sword of the day.

[cutecuttlefish]

The sword of the day is the iklwa.

Our first polearm*! Kind of. The iklwa wasn’t really *used* like a polearm, since the length of the weapon gave the wielder a reach comparable to a sword. This weapon originated with the Zulu people of South Africa, and its use was pioneered by Shaka Zulu. It’s a close-quarters fighting weapon, *not* meant for throwing, and it is traditionally used alongside a cowhide shield.

*polearms are eligible for sword of the day.