numbers (Fig. 1564). Enriched heads of hafted weapons and firearms as a rule have emanated from German sources; we illustrate a voulge (Fig. 1565).
That great pioneer in the serious study of armour and arms, Sir Samuel Meyrick, brought together his collection within the first quarter of the XIXth century. It would be safe to affirm that no other collection since formed has been equally free from spurious or redecorated specimens. It was not so much Sir Samuel Meyrick's technical knowledge that prevented him from being deceived, as the fact that, as hardly any demand then existed for ancient armour and arms, there was no obvious need to create a supply of spurious specimens. But though the great collection was free from forgeries and redecorated examples, some of the plate armour and many of the weapons had been tampered with, and were not in their original condition; we make this statement on the evidence of Joseph Skelton's famous illustrated catalogue of the collection published in 1830.
To be forewarned against decorated sword and rapier hilts, made up in the fifties, sixties, and seventies of the XIXth century, which are not merely partial but absolute fabrications, is one thing; but to be forearmed against them, that is to say, to be able to distinguish them when met with, is another. These forgeries are made in one of two ways. Sometimes they are malleable iron castings that are afterwards chiselled with a considerable amount of skill; but more often chiselled iron hilts are directly chased upon the rough forging. The modern chased decoration has, however, a smallness in its execution and a feeble sort of prettiness in its scheme of design that is not difficult to distinguish from genuine enrichment. Again, if the surface is russeted, the browning has the appearance of being smooth and uninteresting, resembling that seen on a modern fowling-piece barrel, where naturally no attempt at artificial ageing has been made. But on the other hand, if the surface has been treated with acid to lend it the appearance of age, the author thinks he has noted a curious brown honeycombed effect as the result. Gilding and gold inlaying should always be carefully scrutinized. In the case of the former kind of enrichment it will occasionally be found, though not in the work of every fabricator, that the gold plating is red in colour and fails to adhere evenly over the surface. The damascening, too, on a fabricated hilt, if it outlines the designs or takes the form of diaper patterns or scrolls, will appear uneven, the gold not being let in with any great precision; whereas in the case of a genuine hilt so enriched, a firm and decided touch, first with the graver and afterwards with inserted gold wire, is apparent, such as could only come from a skilled hand.
