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Italian, latter part of XVth century

Collection: M. Édmond Foulc, Paris

Milanese, first third of the XVIth century

Collection: Mr. S. J. Whawell

quillons are straight and of diamond-shaped section, and the grip of chestnut wood is secured to the blade tang by hemispherically headed rivets. The whole of the surface of the pommel and quillons is finely engraved with the figure of the Virgin and Child, and with arrangements of leafage and twisted riband panels, upon which Biblical inscriptions appear. The blade is now short, doubtless part of it has been ground off; but it is back-edged, widening somewhat towards the point, and has a section that suggests a direct copy of some of the early Persian scimitar blades. No finer falchion sword of the latter part of the XVth century can be seen than the superb weapon shown in the collection of the late M. Édmond Foulc in Paris. It was in both the Bernal Sale (No. 2309) in 1855, when it sold for £15 10s., and in the