Katzbalgers and Related Landsknecht Swords

[cornelistromp]

auctioned at Thomasdelmar this Wednesday, lot 130.


Michael do you recognize the sword from your Photo's at the beginning of the thread?

A RARE SOUTH GERMAN BACKSWORD, SO-CALLED LANDSKNECHTMESSER, SECOND QUARTER OF THE 16TH CENTURY, PROBABLY MUNICH
with straight blade double-edged for the last third, cut with three long slender fullers on each face, stamped with the so-called 'twig' mark on one face, iron hilt comprising a pair of straight quillons with spirally-moulded knob-shaped terminals, shell-guard formed as a fire-steel and pierced with a central cross between two hearts, the front border roped and extending to a scrolling terminal on each side, finely carved ivory crutch-shaped pommel decorated with a female figure in contemporary dress on the top (cracked), a cherubic mask on the front, and scrolls on the reverse, wooden grip bound with fishskin and an early brass inventory tag
82.5cm; 32 1/2in blade

Provenance
Adrian Conan Doyle (as stated below)
Christie's King Street, 9th December 1998, lot 98

A sword with etched blade by Ambrosius Gemlich dated 1532 and with a pommel carved in the same style is preserved in the Museum fûr Deutsche Geschichte, Berlin. See H.Mûller and H. Kölling 1990, No. 157, p. 219. An almost identical guard on another Munich messer, also with an etched blade by Gemlich and dated 1533, is preserved in the Historisches Museum, Dresden. See H. Seitz 1965, Ill. 227.