Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Jim McDougall · 15th May 2015, 07:39 PM

I would suggest this hilt is most likely a Spanish Colonial contrivance, and seems to correspond in degree to the shellguard espada we eventually attributed to Brazil and South American provenance. These have similar dots and lined profile in a radiused shell configuration in the motif.
The heavy swirl and domed rivets etc. also remind me of 19th c. Spanish colonial 'faux court' swords. The narrow blade aperture looks like it would be for one of these kind of stiff narrow dress type blades.

Aside from perhaps 'theatrical' potential, the Spanish colonial seems plausible. There may be a potential for a fencing type weapon as well.

15th May 2015, 07:39 PM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,735	I would suggest this hilt is most likely a Spanish Colonial contrivance, and seems to correspond in degree to the shellguard espada we eventually attributed to Brazil and South American provenance. These have similar dots and lined profile in a radiused shell configuration in the motif. The heavy swirl and domed rivets etc. also remind me of 19th c. Spanish colonial 'faux court' swords. The narrow blade aperture looks like it would be for one of these kind of stiff narrow dress type blades. Aside from perhaps 'theatrical' potential, the Spanish colonial seems plausible. There may be a potential for a fencing type weapon as well.