Beschreibung:

Medieval Two-Handed Long Sword with Panther and Wolf Late 13th-mid 14th century AD An Oakeshott type XVII iron sword probably of German manufacture, the pommel is octagonal-shaped and facetted, mounted on a straight guard which in section shows squared quillons; the long cut and thrust tapering two-edged blade is strongly marked, and of flattened diamond shape in cross-section with a short fuller; the blade with inlaid laten decorations of running predators, possibly a panther and a wolf. 1.29 kg, 118cm (46 1/2"). Fine condition. Provenance Property of a Suffolk collector; formerly acquired on the European art market in the 1990s; accompanied by an academic report by military specialist Dr Raffaele D'Amato Literature Cf. J Oakeshott, R.E., The Archaeology of the weapons, London, 1960; Gilliot, C., Armes & Armures V-XV, Bayeux, 2008; Michalak, A., 'Swords and falchions from the Polish-Silesian-Brandenburg Borderland' in Marek, L. (ed.), Weapons bring peace? Warfare in Medieval and Early Modern Europe, Wroclaw, 2013; this example with good parallels in various similar specimens, ranging from the second half of 14th century to 1500 AD; two samples can be found in the Hermann Historica's catalogue of 2008 (Gilliot,2008, p.132), one coming from the battlefield of Castillon (1453 AD) and the other a German work of about 1500; also good parallels can be seen with the sword now in the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge, found in the river Cam.; in the Royal Armoury we have the most outstanding sample similar to this sword, found in the River Thames near London Bridge,