Lot 879

Description

Complete hilt of a fan-grip sword in excellent condition with a magnificent dark green Patina. Pommel running transversely to the no longer extant blade: slightly curved, hollow tube with thick walls and fine ribs transverse to the tube's axis at the centre. At the lateral edges the obliquely set “fans”, smooth on the outside, with a strong ridge along the border on the inside. The pommel transitions downwards into a quadrangular hilt, with a circumferential, 1 cm wide thickening at the top. Below this, three and four bosses respectively on opposing faces. Only three bosses on the sides bearing the fans, where the hilt widens below a step and finally merges “seamlessly” into the crossguard; the crossguard with oval cross-section and two lateral prongs. The other opposing faces run without a step, but with a fourth boss. At the bottom the side surface then bends at a right angle to form the upper termination of the crossguard. Recessed slots in the two lateral prongs and in the curve of the crossguard served to fix the formerly present Iron blade. The hilt was attached to the iron blade using an overlay casting technique. Within the slots, remains of the iron blade are still present; however, it has been milled flush along the border of the curve between the prongs. The tips of the prongs were covered with short rubber caps so that the hilt can be inserted into two precisely fitting holes in a base of Stein without damaging the original substance. Length of the hilt including the tips set into the base: 21.5 cm. Total height with base: 27.2 cm. Dimensions of the base: 9.5 cm x 9.5 cm x 7 cm. The hilt has been elaborately restaged for using as representative desk decoration. It can, however, also be used for other representative purposes. CULTURAL ASSET!

Provenance: Private collection in Berlin. Acquired from the Axel Guttmann Collection. Acquired for the Guttman Collection before 2000.

Condition: I Questions about the lot?