Rare et très beau fauchard à croc de parement... - Lot 195 - Pierre Bergé & Associés

Rare et très beau fauchard à croc de parement pour la garde palatiale du cardinal Scipion Caffarelli-Borghèse, Italie du Nord vers 1605-1610. A rare and very fine processional glaive carried by the palace guard of Cardinal Scipio Caffarelli-Borghese, North Italian, circa 1605-1610. The head formed as a large knife-like blade, the back-edge sharpened towards the point, with a small scrolling projection within the upper half and an elaborate rear fluke with shaped edges, a short tapering point of diamond section and pierced with a rosette, the base of the blade formed with a pair of small scrolling projections and developing below a moulding into a faceted socket extending to a pair of shortened straps retained by decorated domed iron nails (some replaced), the head decorated over the greater part of its surface on both sides with a series of medallions and strapwork cartouches, these outlined in raised silver-damascened stringing and silver-encrusted dots all against a blued ground finely damascened with gold scrollwork and pellets, chiselled with acanthus leaves in several locations, the medallions and cartouches chiselled and gilt on a punched blued ground, including the Papal tiara and crossed keys, a coronet impaled by branches of palm and olive, a basilisk, the arms of Borghese, a dragon displayed, on a chief an eagle displayed, an ecclesiastical hat of office above, and towards the base an eagle displayed, the socket decorated with small grotesques, and in very fine condition throughout: on a later and shortened wooden haft. L. head: 90.5 cm - L. straps: 34.5 cm - L. with haft: 228 cm. Provenance: Glaives of this type were preserved for many years in the former residences of the Borghese family, most notably in the Borghese palace in Rome. Scipio Caffarelli-Borghese (1576-1633) was the son of Marcantonio Caffarelli and Ortensia Borghese, a sister of Cardinal Camille Borghese (1550-1621) who was elected Pope on May 16, 1605 and reigned under the name of Paul V.