Basket-hilted (cage-hilt) sword for discussion

[jezcott]

A Basket-Hilted sword with a 'Cage-hilt'.

Probably English dragoon c.1740.

Hilt:
Hilt of iron cage work formed of a vertical and horizontal arrangement of entwined narrow bars joined at the top to an integral ring under a globular pommel, fore-guards, no wrist-guard, replacement ribbed wooden grip, and buff-leather liner faced in red silk.

An unusual hilt, the closest example I can find is in the National Army Museum (6408-77-8) and depicted in Leslie Southwick Price Guide to Antique Edged Weapons 1982 (389 p143). Southwick dates this hilt as circa 1740.

Blade:
Slender profile tapering blade (84cm) with three narrow fullers along most of its length on both sides to the double-edged point, the forte on both sides indistinctly incised 'ANDREA FARARA' and 'SOLIDEO GLORIO' between small marks. At first sight this looks a broadsword blade but is in fact a backsword but with a very narrow spine.

The blade is very similar in style to several depicted in 'Culloden: The Sword and the Sorrows' 1996, (eg 1:13 p30) and described as German, 17th century type.

Comments welcome, particularly from those with much greater experience with basket-hilted swords than I have.

Jerry