Scottish basket hilt elements

[Battara]

It is a fantastic book (I have a copy )!

[Jim McDougall]

Originally Posted by Battara

It is a fantastic book (I have a copy )!

It really is Jose! Ive had mine since about '74, its worn to tatters but its my most valuable go to reference!

[Jim McDougall]

It is well established that the basket hilt (close hilt) form had already evolved in the Continent and in England long before the form evolved as the Highland hilt in Scotland. In this early form in England, it seems that arming swords with simple hilts were in use c.1530s with more half basket. However around the 1570s more bars and structure was added creating this form termed British 'globe hilt'. This example from 1570-80.

It seems that the Border Reivers of northern regions of England may well have been instrumental in the evolution of what became the Highland basket hilt.
Naturally it would be hard to declare this situation as monumental, but it was certainly a factor, likely of key importance.

In these hilts there seem to have been certain decorative features practiced, especially as the Scots began following the practice of more developed hilts.
While the Border Reivers were understandably neither exclusively Scottish nor English as their domains were on the diaphanous borders between the two.

The stylized decoration on the junction plate is believed to pertain to the pine cone which has to do with long life and resurrection.

This scalloping or notching seen in the next image is deemed profoundly Scottish, this from an example c. 1530-40, and seems to be applied in varied fashion on the shields serving as junction plates on the Glasgow hilts as they evolved in latter 17th century. It is unclear how often or instanced these occurred in the interim evolution, but illustrates the traditional symbolism that became notably used in the established Highland forms.

In the example of a junction plate shown, the highly stylized decoration (center illustration)is referred to as a representing the pine cone (termed cone and pouch in design), which symbolically has to do with long life and resurrection. Tenuously of course we might consider the affinity of Scots for the cone shape in pommels.

[Jim McDougall]

One of the fundamental pierced designs seen in shields of the Glasgow hilts has been the familiar heart shape, which according to Wallace (1970, #26), "the heart decoration was used extensively on the structured basket hilt from the late 17th c. and afterwards".

I have tried to discover what possible tradition, symbolism or convention might have prompted this shape for many years, even contacting certain well known authorities on these topics, but thoughts toward such matters are typically avoided. While the pierced shields on Glasgow hilts use various geometric designs and circles in the pierced configurations, I often wondered if perhaps this familiar design in this context might be one of the number of secret Jacobite symbols.

The Scots, well known often as mercenary soldiers fighting in other lands, fought Turks in Poland and Austria. In these places arms and armor often used pierced heart designs as seen often in Catholic themed blade motif. I thought possibly the Stuart/Catholic association might be at hand....obviously tenuously speculated, but we are dealing with highly subjective matters.

I have seen heart shapes in Victorian Scottish furniture, and Im sure it occurs in other material culture as well, but I am curious about this context.

[jezcott]

Jim, many thanks for starting this excellent thread on a topic of interest to so many.

This is an example of a composite Scottish Stirling hilt, I believe 2nd quarter 18thC, with an English dragoon backsword blade by Drury.

The screenshot below is of an almost identical basket-hilt sold at Christie's in 2001, signed by Walter Allan of Stirling. Mine isn't signed, but seems likely to have come from the same workshop, same period.

The blade is most like 3rd quarter 18thC when Dru Drury was supplying blades for munitions grade basket hilts for highland regiments and for officer's swords.

It seems likely that this hilt would originally have been fitted with an Andrea Ferara blade from Germany. Interesting to speculate on the rehilting with an English blade, could this have been for an officer in a Highland dragoon regiment in the post-Culloden era? Rehilting does seem to have been a common practice with favoured hilts or blades refitted.

Jim - you mentioned the imagery on these Scottish hilts. On this hilt there are hearts, but also unmistakable fleur-de-lys which presumably celebrate the Auld Alliance of pre-Culloden Scotland. Hard to imagine this being popular down South, but maybe you could get away with it in a highland regiment!

Jerry

[Jim McDougall]

Jerry, thank you so very much for coming in, and especially for entering this fantastic Stirling example! and sharing the corroborating example from auction detail.
As you note, your hilt does seem to be from the 2nd quarter 18thc and pretty much mirrors examples signed by Walter Allen, so certainly likely from his shop or closely associated. Stirling hilts seem to typically be pretty much free form rather than adhering to the shield and bars systems of Glasgow. The round bars are of course key to Stirling examples.

Well noted on the Drury blade also as by third quarter 18th he had taken over for Jeffries, who he had partnered with in London since mid 18th or slightly earlier. They were producing swords for British army, mostly munitions grade hangers and basket hilts. It seems that Drury, like Jeffries were primarily cutlers, and assembled swords so blades were probably imports but as yet unclear on their source.

After Culloden (1746), while weapons were proscribed for Highlanders, the officers of Highland units were still entitled to heirloom swords and blades and it seems likely this pairing came out of these circumstances. Many basket hilts were 'taken down' rather than being given up, and the blades cut down for dirks, which as utility knives were still permissable.

The 'fluer de lis' element is commonly referred to as the 'rams horn' in Highland hilt nomenclature, which is likely to simply be an eponym rather than any symbolic significance. This is like the case with the 'S' element in many hilts which is simply an aesthetic structural element and does not signify "Stirling"; Scotland or Stuart as many have suggested.

While I have searched for many years to find such imbued symbolism in the motifs and elements of these hilts, the only examples that can be definitely aligned are thistle, oak leaf and a number of 'secret' Jacobite symbols with many still debatable.

On the hearts.....jury's still out

Yours is a magnificent example of a Stirling hilt, and with notable history with possible Culloden period use, and later remounting of hilt into English blade suggesting further service later in the century.
Outstanding! and thank you again.

I hope others will join, and I welcome any observations on my comments..this is all a learning curve and I only suggest what I have understood from research thus far.