Andrea Ferrara blades

fernando · 21st June 2008, 07:26 PM

So Lew, after all, the anchor is hanging on your wall (it even rhymes)

.
Isn't that wall too full of stuff ? I still have a vacant one

and my wife has long allowed me to transform the living room into a museum

.
Andrea Ferrara ... a talismanic conotation or an actual famous sword smith?
In my obvious ignorance, i am not for the mystic version, but more on the side of those who sustain that he was a real blade maker. For a start, the name (also) sounds like a plausible one. We know that most people last names were an alusion to the place they or their ancestors came from (such is my own case). Eventually Belluno is not so distant from Ferrara, right ?
But speaking of riddles with names, Jim, one thing amazing is the name associated with Boccia in Armi Bianche Italiane, Eduardo T Coelho. This is what you can call a very Portuguese name. Eventually Coelho means rabbit, and is spelled in portuguese, which is distinct from italian ... or spanish. I don't know this Italian work, but i can only understand that Boccia's partner was either a Portuguese or one with direct Portuguese origins.
I now this is not propperly a topic on anchors, but with your permission i would like to show here a mark associated with what is usualy called anchor (another atribution uncertainty). This one comes in a rare double tome work i have in Portuguese armoury, with listings and references of sword, guns and other arms makers since the XV century. This mark was engraved on a sword dated 1641, made by the smith Lourenço de Carvalho.
Isn't that (also) a sugestive mark?
Fernando

Jim McDougall · 22nd June 2008, 03:38 AM

Outstanding info Jeff!!! I did not know of the Venetian treatise, though the Ferrara's are indeed extremely elusive in comparison to the many of other well documented makers. The Scottish end of things of course add to the mystery and drama (I worked on my own geneology for many years, and these folks were indeed Highlanders....and with that came incredibly fascinating tales of my own ancestors). Sir Walter Scott was truly a marketing genius in his romantic stories, and I'm glad you noted Sir Archibald Campbell as the source of the Ferrara escaping to Scotland...I could not find the original source.

Thank you Fernando, the additional info on the anchors is great, and also that on Coelhos name! I love these bits of info !!! Again the depth of Portuguese presence in so much history adds wonderful new dimension.

It is really great to once again bring together all the sword detectives on these interesting mysteries!! The games afoot again gentlemen

What is best about these discussions is that we always seem to add new information to what we already had, and I'm amending my notes accordingly. Thank you so much guys,

All the best,
Jim

dominic grant · 26th June 2008, 09:25 AM

Hi Jim on the subject of Ferrara blades I have just run across this very old paper

"Notes and Queries" in the Oxford Journals

http://nq.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/iss...s7-XII/301.pdf

a damn good read

21st June 2008, 07:26 PM	#1
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	So Lew, after all, the anchor is hanging on your wall (it even rhymes) . Isn't that wall too full of stuff ? I still have a vacant one and my wife has long allowed me to transform the living room into a museum . Andrea Ferrara ... a talismanic conotation or an actual famous sword smith? In my obvious ignorance, i am not for the mystic version, but more on the side of those who sustain that he was a real blade maker. For a start, the name (also) sounds like a plausible one. We know that most people last names were an alusion to the place they or their ancestors came from (such is my own case). Eventually Belluno is not so distant from Ferrara, right ? But speaking of riddles with names, Jim, one thing amazing is the name associated with Boccia in Armi Bianche Italiane, Eduardo T Coelho. This is what you can call a very Portuguese name. Eventually Coelho means rabbit, and is spelled in portuguese, which is distinct from italian ... or spanish. I don't know this Italian work, but i can only understand that Boccia's partner was either a Portuguese or one with direct Portuguese origins. I now this is not propperly a topic on anchors, but with your permission i would like to show here a mark associated with what is usualy called anchor (another atribution uncertainty). This one comes in a rare double tome work i have in Portuguese armoury, with listings and references of sword, guns and other arms makers since the XV century. This mark was engraved on a sword dated 1641, made by the smith Lourenço de Carvalho. Isn't that (also) a sugestive mark? Fernando Attached Images

22nd June 2008, 03:38 AM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,192	Outstanding info Jeff!!! I did not know of the Venetian treatise, though the Ferrara's are indeed extremely elusive in comparison to the many of other well documented makers. The Scottish end of things of course add to the mystery and drama (I worked on my own geneology for many years, and these folks were indeed Highlanders....and with that came incredibly fascinating tales of my own ancestors). Sir Walter Scott was truly a marketing genius in his romantic stories, and I'm glad you noted Sir Archibald Campbell as the source of the Ferrara escaping to Scotland...I could not find the original source. Thank you Fernando, the additional info on the anchors is great, and also that on Coelhos name! I love these bits of info !!! Again the depth of Portuguese presence in so much history adds wonderful new dimension. It is really great to once again bring together all the sword detectives on these interesting mysteries!! The games afoot again gentlemen What is best about these discussions is that we always seem to add new information to what we already had, and I'm amending my notes accordingly. Thank you so much guys, All the best, Jim

26th June 2008, 09:25 AM	#3
dominic grant Member Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 3	Hi Jim on the subject of Ferrara blades I have just run across this very old paper "Notes and Queries" in the Oxford Journals http://nq.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/iss...s7-XII/301.pdf a damn good read