Saxon two-ring rapier - Dresden, Germany, ca. 1590-1620

Description

From my collection,
this
is a
n elegant
and scarce
Saxon
rapier,
circa 1
590
-
1620
. In his 1980
typolog
ical
reference
book,
The Rapier and the Small Sword, 1460-1820
, A. V. B. Norman classifies this hilt as Type
45
.
T
his
hilt
type
had a short
production
time-span, which allows
for a
more precise dat
ing of
this sword from the last decade of the 16
th
century to the first two decades of the 17
th
century
.
Origin & Dating:
Germany – Saxony, likely Dresden.
Circa 1590-1620. Dating estimation is based on the aggregate Norman methodology dating of the hilt (primary indicator), rear guard and pommel.
Description:
Iron hilt Norman Type 45 (p. 117), dated to 1590-1620. Such hilts came out of the city of Dresden, Saxony. This particular hilt consists of two flattened ring guards, characteristically constricted at their centers to form concave medallions flanked by unusual divergent lateral arrow-shaped decorations
.
The guard features graceful quillons
of flattened bars
recurved
in
the plane of the blade,
ending in curled finials.
Two branches inner guard, Norman Type 9 (p. 221), dated to 1548-1623. Consisting of two branching curved bars arising from the root of the knuckle-guard, one linked to the end of each arm.
Iron pommel, Norman Type 32 (p. 254), dated to 1570-1625. Decorated with convergent vertical arrow-shaped decorations in opposite geometry to those of the hilt, with prominent baluster button.
Wooden grip horizontally bound with braided steel wire and Turk's heads.
Straight, double-edged blade, of depressed diamond cross section, with a single central fuller at forte and terzo, ending in an acute tip.
The blade is stamped at the ricasso on both sides with an unidentified maker’s mark. The mark consists of the letters NZ above a hen within a crowned shield.
Condition:
Very Good. Cleaned at some point. No crack, damage or repair. Sound blade, with no known defect and nicely balanced in hand.
Provenance:
Munich, Bavaria, Germany. The location and identity of prior owner(s) and/or prior collection name(s) is unavailable.
Dimensions:
Total length: 103 cm. Blade length (including ricasso): 85.5 cm.
This
sword
is a 4
0
0
+
year
s
-old
elegant
Saxon two-ring
rapier, likely
out of Dresden,
with
distinctive
lines
and
a s
igned blade
.
Saxon rapiers are seldom available,
especially in such condition,
and this particular example exhibits unusual
hilt and
pommel decorations. This rapier
would make a
n outstanding
addition to any edge weapons collection.
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