Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Jim McDougall · 26th March 2008, 04:38 PM

Mark, these are incredible groupings of weapons! and exactly what I was hoping for when I first posted the pirate weapons thread (and thank you Rick for posting these!).
You have clearly done meticulous research on these, and the identifications are great, clearly captioning each item.

In 023, the second sword down (between the two Spanish swords) with the striated shellguard, I have discovered recently is of a form that is apparantly regarded as Brazilian and termed espada ancha. These swords with the interesting hilt that has nocked grip similar to Moroccan nimchas, and the heavy shell guard, seem to date to end of 18th c. to middle of the 19th.

While the 'Golden Age' of piracy actually ended about 1718, this much romanticized period by no means suggests that piracy did not exist before it began, nor certainly when it 'ended'. The Spanish trade routes throughout the Caribbean, Florida, Cuba, Mexico and South America extended to Spanish Morocco as well. There were of course pirates that sailed from Brazilian regions, and this activity prevailed from c.1800 well into the 19th c.
The third sword down (just below the Brazilian espada ancha) is of course the Spanish dragoon type sword commonly termed the 'bilbo' (presumably from the bilobate guard, however the term is a collectors term which remains speculative). It is significant to note here that it seems many of these seem to have provenanced from Cuba and eastern Mexican port regions.

The next sword, with eagle hilt, is another I recall our discussions on. The blade is one of the well known trade blades usually associated with Spanish colonial swords of late 18th c.These often carry the 'Spanish Motto' and now are believed to have been Solingen made for export from c.1750-1810.

While I am somewhat unfamiliar with dirks, in the two shown in the photo, I think it is significant to note that the three other swords seem to be well placed as examples of the types of swords that would have potentially been in use in the period and regions of later piracy on the "Spanish Main" from the opening of the 19th century and well on later.

Fantastic displays!!!

Thank you so much for sharing these. Being able to look at these adds whole new dimension to reading on pirates, and enjoying these great adventures,

All the very best,
Jim

26th March 2008, 04:38 PM	#13
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,767	Mark, these are incredible groupings of weapons! and exactly what I was hoping for when I first posted the pirate weapons thread (and thank you Rick for posting these!). You have clearly done meticulous research on these, and the identifications are great, clearly captioning each item. In 023, the second sword down (between the two Spanish swords) with the striated shellguard, I have discovered recently is of a form that is apparantly regarded as Brazilian and termed espada ancha. These swords with the interesting hilt that has nocked grip similar to Moroccan nimchas, and the heavy shell guard, seem to date to end of 18th c. to middle of the 19th. While the 'Golden Age' of piracy actually ended about 1718, this much romanticized period by no means suggests that piracy did not exist before it began, nor certainly when it 'ended'. The Spanish trade routes throughout the Caribbean, Florida, Cuba, Mexico and South America extended to Spanish Morocco as well. There were of course pirates that sailed from Brazilian regions, and this activity prevailed from c.1800 well into the 19th c. The third sword down (just below the Brazilian espada ancha) is of course the Spanish dragoon type sword commonly termed the 'bilbo' (presumably from the bilobate guard, however the term is a collectors term which remains speculative). It is significant to note here that it seems many of these seem to have provenanced from Cuba and eastern Mexican port regions. The next sword, with eagle hilt, is another I recall our discussions on. The blade is one of the well known trade blades usually associated with Spanish colonial swords of late 18th c.These often carry the 'Spanish Motto' and now are believed to have been Solingen made for export from c.1750-1810. While I am somewhat unfamiliar with dirks, in the two shown in the photo, I think it is significant to note that the three other swords seem to be well placed as examples of the types of swords that would have potentially been in use in the period and regions of later piracy on the "Spanish Main" from the opening of the 19th century and well on later. Fantastic displays!!! Thank you so much for sharing these. Being able to look at these adds whole new dimension to reading on pirates, and enjoying these great adventures, All the very best, Jim