About the Dussäge

Emanuel · 24th January 2007, 05:26 PM

Hello,
Here is the promised wonder

What say you to this quadri-concave beauty? "A rare example of a storta, Italian (Venice), c. 1490...The antecedents of the storta can be found in the medieval falchion and the single-edged sabres carried...by nomadic warriors from the Eastern steppes." (p.48 Swords and Hilt Weapons, Weidenfeld and Nicholson, London 1989)
It was found mainly in Italy and France. I'd say this qualifies as the scimitar of old. This Venician piece could be taken rather as a derivative of Islamic examples due to the city's trade networks, than a development from the falchion, I think. Odd that 15th century Europe still preferred thrusting weapons to slashing. The cavalry of most western European countries was still mainly equiped with lances at this time wasn't it?

A pitty there are so few extant examples of this sabre type, it's magnificent!

Best regards,
Emanuel

Mark · 24th January 2007, 07:47 PM

Beautiful sword. The guard reminds me a bit of that of a flyssa.

"Storta," by the way, means "crooked" or "twisted," and sometimes depending on context "distorted" (as in a distorted view of the world).

Emanuel · 24th January 2007, 09:51 PM

Hello Mark,
Do you mean the nimcha? The flyssa doesn't have a guard. Looking through some books, the handle and guard on this one are a lot like those of other falchions of the period. A fascinating weapon, I'll keep reading on it.
Emanuel

24th January 2007, 05:26 PM	#1
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	Hello, Here is the promised wonder What say you to this quadri-concave beauty? "A rare example of a storta, Italian (Venice), c. 1490...The antecedents of the storta can be found in the medieval falchion and the single-edged sabres carried...by nomadic warriors from the Eastern steppes." (p.48 Swords and Hilt Weapons, Weidenfeld and Nicholson, London 1989) It was found mainly in Italy and France. I'd say this qualifies as the scimitar of old. This Venician piece could be taken rather as a derivative of Islamic examples due to the city's trade networks, than a development from the falchion, I think. Odd that 15th century Europe still preferred thrusting weapons to slashing. The cavalry of most western European countries was still mainly equiped with lances at this time wasn't it? A pitty there are so few extant examples of this sabre type, it's magnificent! Best regards, Emanuel Attached Images

24th January 2007, 07:47 PM	#2
Mark Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 987	Beautiful sword. The guard reminds me a bit of that of a flyssa. "Storta," by the way, means "crooked" or "twisted," and sometimes depending on context "distorted" (as in a distorted view of the world).

24th January 2007, 09:51 PM	#3
Emanuel Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Toronto, Canada Posts: 1,242	Hello Mark, Do you mean the nimcha? The flyssa doesn't have a guard. Looking through some books, the handle and guard on this one are a lot like those of other falchions of the period. A fascinating weapon, I'll keep reading on it. Emanuel