Thomas Del Mar - Armour Sale

164 165164A GERMAN MILITARY BROADSWORD, CIRCA 1560-80with double-edged blade of flattened-hexagonal sectionformed with a short fuller on each side (tip bent), stampedwith a latten-lined running wolf mark on one side (smalllosses), rectangular ricasso struck with a series of marks,steel hilt comprising a pair of straight swelling quillons withbud-shaped terminals, outer ring-guard swelling in thecentre, off-set lower ring-guard joining the upper, plaininner-guard incorporating a thumb-loop, faceted conicalpommel cut with notches around the centre, later leathercoveredwooden grip, the pommel and ring-guards eachchiselled with a pattern of foliage, and one quillon incisedwith and arsenal number on the inner face112.2cm; 44B in bladeA number of swords of related form are preserved inSchloss Ambras. See A.V.B. Norman 1980, p.114.£6000-8000165A GERMAN MILITARY BROADSWORD, LAST QUARTEROF THE 16TH CENTURYwith double-edged blade of flattened-hexagonal section,stamped ‘Maria’ and ‘IHS’ within a short fuller on therespective faces, rectangular ricasso stamped with thebladesmith’s mark between two crosses, steel hilt offaceted swelling bars, comprising horizontally recurvedquillons with faceted spherical terminals, outer ring-guard,the lower ring-guard formed with an additional pair ofstrongly up turned bars trifurcated inner-guard, facetedspherical pommel en suite with the quillon terminals, andlater spirally moulded grip of plaited wire104cm; 41in bladeA German two-hand sword with the same bladesmith’smark is preserved in the Royal Armouries, Leeds. See C.J.Ffoulkes 1915, pp. 261-262. The letters IHS, also known asthe sacred monogram, have been in use since the 9thCentury. During the time of San Bernadino of Sienna (1380-1444) they gained their use as letters of veneration and, inthe following century, they were adopted as the device ofthe Society of Jesus.£4000-500066