Mark on blade .....who knows it..

M ELEY · 23rd August 2023, 09:40 PM

My 17th c. hanger with 'Medusa' head just for reference to classic designs on swords...or is it a harpy?

werecow · 23rd August 2023, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M ELEY

My 17th c. hanger with 'Medusa' head just for reference to classic designs on swords...or is it a harpy?

If we can classify it as a "hartsvanger" it could be a cherub.

Jim McDougall · 24th August 2023, 12:46 AM

That is an amazing hanger capn! and very much in line with the cherub, green man etc. themes popular in early 17th c. on hilts in England and France. Again, these are hilt theme figures, so unusual to see them in a blade as a punzone.
Its really difficult to place effective explanations for these kinds of figures in sword decoration but aside from all the rather elaborate and diverse notes on cherubim, the one I find most intriguing is the Biblical association with these figures holding the flaming sword. The cases of the 'flaming sword' blade (flammard) is of course seen in various cases which may have had this kind of symbolic association as well. Naturally none of these suppositions is explained in references so we can only speculate on these highly symbolic themes.

M ELEY · 24th August 2023, 05:11 AM

Cherub sounds good to me! I had forgotten the smaller cherub faces at the mid-point of the knuckle bow of my sword and a few around the pommel. But not to distract from the amazing sword being discussed!

23rd August 2023, 09:40 PM	#1
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,158	My 17th c. hanger with 'Medusa' head just for reference to classic designs on swords...or is it a harpy? Attached Images

24th August 2023, 12:46 AM	#3
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,281	That is an amazing hanger capn! and very much in line with the cherub, green man etc. themes popular in early 17th c. on hilts in England and France. Again, these are hilt theme figures, so unusual to see them in a blade as a punzone. Its really difficult to place effective explanations for these kinds of figures in sword decoration but aside from all the rather elaborate and diverse notes on cherubim, the one I find most intriguing is the Biblical association with these figures holding the flaming sword. The cases of the 'flaming sword' blade (flammard) is of course seen in various cases which may have had this kind of symbolic association as well. Naturally none of these suppositions is explained in references so we can only speculate on these highly symbolic themes. Last edited by Jim McDougall; 24th August 2023 at 12:59 AM.

24th August 2023, 05:11 AM	#4
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,158	Cherub sounds good to me! I had forgotten the smaller cherub faces at the mid-point of the knuckle bow of my sword and a few around the pommel. But not to distract from the amazing sword being discussed!