Rapier pendant, Western Europe (Italy? or maybe Poland), 1570-90

[messia]

Hi all. I would like to show you a very rare antique pendant for a 16th rapier.
Maybe you have information about the provenance of this rapier pendant?
At first it was thought that it was a Polish rapier pendant, but one expert from the auction said that I think it is an Italian rapier pendant that may have been in the collection of the famous collector Spitzer.

[fernando]

Precious item, messia.
But links to actives sales not allowed.

[messia]

Precious item, messia.
But links to actives sales not allowed.

I'm sorry. did not know this, and a link to YouTube Can? video review of this item?

[fernando]

I'm sorry. did not know this,..
You knew if you have read the rules ;).
YouTube is fine; no links to active sales there.



.

[Jim McDougall]

This is most interesting! I must admit I have never heard of a 'rapier pendant' and would like to know more about this. Beyond that, the use of the rapier in Poland seems pretty esoteric, though of course obviously there must have been some degree of its presence.

[fernando]

Jim, you will find some simple examples HERE (http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=22043&highlight=hilt).
But i know of a high end one in one of these well known books; just don't remember which.

[fernando]

Some illustration ...


.

[fernando]

A high end one circa 1570; Italian ... not Pole ;).
(Courtesy myArmoury).

.

[Jim McDougall]

Thanks very much Fernando....I knew what the hanging contraption was but did not recognize this as such, and the term 'pendant' threw me a bit. These are incredibly attractive, and as rapiers are beautiful in their own right, these colorful additions really take the ensemble over the top. Very nice!

[fernando]

Jim, i would bet the term pendant is out of (this) context. The word is a galicism from the Latin 'pendere' = pending and, as i always heard of, is only used for jewelery items (necklesses) pending from the neck, or for naming pairs of equal or similar objects. So i assume the implement posted by messia is a 'frog' (rather than a hanger ?), which we call over here 'talim'... or 'talabarte'.



.