Hard to tell from the pictures but it looks like the blade was mounted up with this guard when the blade was in its current condition. The rust/patina of the blade continues on undisturbed beneath the guard. If it had been there a long time you would have expected the patina to follow the outline of the guard and the holes and not be continuous from the exposed blade portion. Not to say the handle and blade haven't been together for awhile but the guard seems a much, much later addition. Still, an interesting piece that one wishes could speak to us.
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