Rare grande épée médiévale pour escrime à... - Lot 30 - Pierre Bergé & Associés

Rare grande épée médiévale pour escrime à deux mains, vers 1300-50 A rare Medieval Great sword of two-hand size, circa 1300-50. In excavated condition, with double-edged blade of unusually great length, near flat, tapering from a broad forte, cut with a short shallow fuller on both sides and one side with an incised mark, crosspiece of rectangular section, unusually long blade tang, and large faceted oval pommel with flattened faces and bevelled edges. L. overall: 146.8 cm - L. blade: 118.1 cm - W.: 24.5 cm. A similar sword, although somewhat smaller, is in the Henderson Bequest at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge, attributed to circa 1280-1310. Great swords specifically of two-hand size are rare. Oakeshott discusses these at some length with references to contemporary literature. See OAKESHOTT, Ewart, Records of the Medieval Sword, 1991, p. 223, fig. 6. Also see, The Sword in the Age of Chivalry, 1964, pp.42-47, p. 63 sword type XIII a and type XVI a, pommel type H1/H2.