Interestingly, the diffusion of these classical styled hilts was widespread with the popularity and presumption of fashion and style in the upper echelons. Returning to the British officers brass hilt half basket I previously described of 1765, I recall having found a similar example shown in Stone, p.151, fig. 2 and remarkably listed as a broadsword, 'Italian 17th c.'!!!!
While we know this venerable work has numerous errors as may be expected with such a comprehensive scope, this seems almost too blatant to have been one. Yet perhaps the suggestion of the melding of these classic forms through fashion oriented channels may have simply misdated the period, and such hilts indeed been found in Italian context, but with possibly a British officer? Despite the fact that these, as were all British cavalry swords of the mid to latter 18th c., were backswords, not broadswords, this one seems to have found its way into Stones 'broadsword' grouping, most likely for the 'basket' type hilt.
Did not mean to derail the thread here, but wanted to readdress the 'classical' styling in English hilts of latter 18th century and amalgamation of Continental features.
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