Page:A record of European armour and arms through seven centuries (Volume 4).djvu/300

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Fig. 1337. Two-handed sword

The hilt probably of English workmanship, the blade Italian. About 1540 Collection: Lord and Lady de Lisle and Dudley, Penshurst

Spanish origin are certainly the most finely constructed; their guards are simpler, and the make of their blades vastly superior to those found upon the two-handers of other nations. There is in the Wallace Collection (No. 258) an excellent example of this type (Fig. 1335) of Milanese workmanship of about 1510. The hilt is of blackened iron, the pommel is shaped like an inverted pear, the quillons are straight, and there are rings on either side. The faceted wood grip is covered with leather. The blade, the upper portion of which is etched and gilt with figures of St. Peter, St. Catherine, St. Paul, and St. Barbara, is 45 inches long and of flattened, diamond-shape section; the ricasso has slightly curved sides, terminating in two lugs. Another two-hander of the Italian order is in Mr. Felix Joubert's Collection (Fig. 1336). It is somewhat simpler in its enrichments and has lost its grip; but it is a