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Fig. 859. Cinquedea

North Italian, late XVth century The blade is etched with the arms of Giovanni Francesco of Gonzaga, Marquis of Mantua Musée du Louvre

At the dispersal of the Richard Zschille Collection at Christie's in 1897 a cinquedea, formerly in the Londesborough Collection, was sold, that in the general outline of the grip has close affinity to the Ashmolean example (Fig. 857). The hilt is composed of two plaques of faceted ivory, the same medium partly covering the quillons; the actual tang of the blade is gilt at the sides, and the quillons end in octagonal silver tips. The blade, which is trebly grooved and partly fluted, is etched and gilt on the one side with a page drawing a sword, palm trees in the back-*ground, and scroll ornaments at the side. Running down the blade is the inscription, IRAM COMPRIME, rendered on a cross-*hatched background. On the other face of the blade apparently the same page is seen brandishing a sword, and the inscription is concluded: INJVRIA LACESSITVS. This cinquedea possesses its original scabbard of cuir bouilli, which has three loops for suspension, and on the inner side a raised sheath for holding a small knife. The etching upon the blade is certainly not the work of Fideli or of any member of his school; the subjects are clumsily drawn and are altogether heavier in treatment. There is in the Tower of London Collection a cinquedea with a hilt of nearly similar formation (Fig. 858); but the blade is far grander in type, and might well be the work of Fideli. It very closely resembles a blade on a splendid cinquedea in the Musée d'Artillerie of Paris to which we shall later refer (Fig. 860b). The Tower and the Londesborough examples