A NORTH EUROPEAN RAPIER C.1650

This is an exceptional example of the type of side arm carried for civilian protection throughout Europe and America in the mid-17th century. A troubled world saw Civil War in England on the tails of the Thirty Years' War which devastated Northern Europe. The hilt is chiseled in high relief with hound’s heads on serpent bodies which bear a distinct resemblance to the dolphin heads popular in Italy. The side guard retains its original pierced sprung in plate. The pommel is chiseled in high relief foliage replicating the curvilinear elements of the guard. Its 30” blade length makes it suitable for fighting in close quarters as well as in the street.