Rapière alla spagnola, avec coquille en partie... - Lot 75 - Pierre Bergé & Associés

Rapière alla spagnola, avec coquille en partie dorée, Brescia vers 1680. A Brescian parcel-gilt cup-hilt rapier, alla spagnola, circa 1680. With associated Solingen blade of flattened hexagonal section stamped with a contemporary counterfeit Brescian bladesmith's signature within the short fullers at the forte, "SCACCVS -N GROM- - - - -" and "SOLIMGVE ME FECIT" (rubbed), iron hilt of rounded bars with chiselled button terminals and with chiselled spiralling bands of flowerheads entwined with gilt spiral fluting, a pair of plain arms joined by a common base attached by screws to the cup-guard, the latter decorated with a complex pierced chiselled symmetrical design, involving pairs of scrolling beaded stems of leafy foliage spiralling at both ends and joined to form a series of four shaped cartouches each tightly enclosing a flower, the entire design heightened with punched detail, picked-out with gilt flowers and set below a gilt vacant band, with matching chiselled rompe puntas encircling the rim, matching pierced chiselled pommel, and moulded grip bound with wire and "Turk's heads" (the guardapolvo missing). L. overall: 118.3 cm - L. blade: 106 cm. The counterfeit signature on the blade possibly relates to Sandri (Alessandro) Scacchi who worked in Brescia in the late 16th century. This rapier is associated with a left-hand dagger in the Klingbeil collection constructed in the style of the 17th century and intended to match the Rapier; the dagger offered as the following lot.