Sword hilt for ID

[Hotspur]

Originally Posted by M ELEY

Hello gents-
Just wanted to concur with Jean and Jim, adding that although the form is odd, it could also be colonial American-
Swords with this exact pommel type, including raised feather patterns, can be seen in the Lattimer collection ('Silver-Mounted Swords' by Danial Hartzler), plates 294, 298, 325, 326, 328, 332, 334, 343.
Plate 327, the closest to our eagle with the exact beak pattern (almost ibis-like), eye and feather pattern on a sword by William Ball of Baltimore (1763-1815). His other swords, listed in plates above, all extremely similar. The reason Jim might have hit it on the head is that many/most of Ball's swords bear Spanish blades with the motto- "No Me Saques Sin Razon", etc, etc. Thus, we could have a colonial Spanish sword or one made in New Spain for the American market ca. 1790-1820's?? Nice sword...

Sorry, I must disagree no matter how kindly it can be put. The Ball examples (indeed all the pictures you reference) are anything but exacting and are all hollow floating pommels. The beaks are all sharper, less hooked and most of those examples with less than oriental eyes. Indeed, aside from both appearing to be birds heads with feathers, there is really no direct correlation at all. I feel the association to Ball (while noted in my own appreciation) is just plain wrong in this case.

However, the blade revealed and described does have similarity to the shorter hangers of colonial America. That is a big however though and truly nothing in Neumann or the Lattimer collection matches this cast brass bird head. there are though a number of odd Latin/Mexican American countries that may have been responsible (while I can see the quite oriental look to it).

Just to add (as I do like eagles) there is nothing in the Medicus collection of eagles relevant to the bird of this thread.

Cheers

GC