Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 5).djvu/101



The cup is of Italian fashion and workmanship, about 1640

Collection: Mr. G. H. Ramsbottom

the guardapolso. The grip, which is the original one, is bound with silver wire, and enriched with longitudinal iron bands. The blade is of hexagonal section, grooved and bearing the inscription:. Heinrich Col, or Coel, the bladesmith, was born at Solingen, but worked chiefly in Spain—his blades were much sought after and highly prized. The period of his best productions is between 1590 and 1610. The parrying dagger has the triangular knuckle-guard peculiar to the period, straight quillons, a grip similar to that found on the rapier hilt, and a fluted pommel. The blade is 18 inches long, being 2 inches wide at the hilt, where it is furnished with two sword breakers (brise-épée). The remainder of the blade is of flattened diamond-shaped section. At the hilt there are punched small dotted ornaments. The decoration of both the rapier and dagger hilts is almost identical, the quillons, knuckle-guards, and edging to the cup and guard being chiselled with conventional bands of laurel foliage bound with ribbons. The cup of the rapier is chiselled with oval panels
 * spherical, having its edge flanged outwards. In the interior is the inner shell,