antique arms, armour & militaria - Thomas Del Mar

220
A FINE FRENCH SMALL-SWORD, CIRCA 1770
with hollow-triangular blade, etched and gilt over the
greater part of its length with scrolls, classical figures and
trophies on a blued panel (areas of light wear), signed
‘Leiger Md Fourbisseur rue Coqulliere et Celle Des Vieux
Augustin a Paris’ on one side of the forte and decorated
with a strapwork panel on the other, steel hilt finely
chiselled against a gilt fishroe ground with a very delicate
pattern of scrolls terminating in scaly marine monsters
adjacent to the blade and the quillon-block on the
respective faces, enriched with rococo garlands and the
borders with masks issuant with further scrolls, the inner
face fitted with two finely chased gold plaques depicting a
pair of tigers and a pair of lions, the outer face with two
burnished steel ovals (previously fitted with plaques),
globular quillon chiselled as a monster engorged on a gilt
ball, quillon-block chased with trophies-of-hunting, a pair of
pas d'âne with monsterhead finials, knuckle-guard
decorated with circular frames filled with expanded
flowerheads, tall globular pommel formed as a close
helmet with barred visor, chiselled over the skull with
dragons and foliage, and the grip with a binding of plaited
silver wire, ribband and ‘Turk's heads', in its original
scabbard with steel locket chiselled with scrolls and foliage
centring on a mask en suite with the hilt (middle band
missing)
78.7cm; 31in blade
£3000-4000
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221
A FRENCH SMALL-SWORD WITH FINELY CHISELLED AND
GILT HILT, CIRCA 1760
with contemporary hollow-triangular blade, associated
blade of flattened-hexagonal section, steel hilt finely
chiselled in low relief, comprising double shell-guard
decorated with portrait ovals enclosed by rococo foliage
and with differing trophies-of-hunting in each corner, the
borders enclosed by rococo scrolls and all against a finely
punched gilt fishroe ground, globular quillon, a pair of pas
d'âne decorated with foliage, quillon-block, knuckle-guard
and ovoid pommel all finely chiselled and gilt en suite with
the shell, and the grip a contemporary binding of plaited
silver wire and ribband, perhaps the original
78.7cm; 31in blade
The medallions include portraits of Henri IV, Louis XIII, XIV
and XVI and would suggest that this was made for
presentation to a member of the court.
£1000-1500