Italian Short Sword, maker marks??
 

This Italian Short sword belonged to a friend of ours for many years, before coming up for sale at auction as part of his estate. Rex has always lusted after it and now he has been able to bring it home. I have seen these come up infrequently at Herman Historica but still have not been able to find out much about them. I have been though most of my reference books and can’t place the marks on the blade although I am sure I have seen them somewhere before, any ideas?

Description
Nationality Italian
Date Circa 1600
Overall Length 30” 76.1 cm
Blade length 24 ¼” 61.6 cm
Blade widest point 1 5/8” 4.2 cm
Hilt widest point 7 ½” 19.1 cm
Inside grip length 3 ½” 8.9 cm
Marks, etc. Lines with arrows and Circles with a cross at each end

Italian Short Sword Circa 1600
Of similar form to a left hand dagger, but of larger proportions and made as a close-quarters fighting sword. Iron hilt with large downturned quillons with expanded finials; single side ring with indented decoration. Gently faceted ovoid pommel with large button; grip wrap missing but with Turk’s heads intact. Tapering straight double-edged thrusting blade with long central fuller and long fluted ricasso; stamped with a number of marks on each side (common on Italian swords of the late 16th and early 17th Centuries).



Cheers Cathey and Rex

Splendid example.
If you have access to ARMI BIANCHE ITALIANE (Boccia/Coelho) in the markings section you will see several variations of these marks, throughout the 15th and 16th centuries. One might realize that these are not actual makers marks per se, but symbols associated; most probably i am wrong, though.