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Fig. 1466. Cup-hilted rapier

By tradition said to have belonged to Philip III of Spain. Officially catalogued as of the year 1604. G 80, Royal Armoury, Madrid

Fig. 1467. Cup-hilted rapier

Of English or Dutch workmanship, about 1630. Wallace Collection (Laking Catalogue, No. 585)

it, we are very sceptical both as to whether the attribution can be maintained, and as to whether the date has been correctly read. The pommel and grip might be accepted as belonging to about 1615-20; but the characteristic Spanish cup, with its accentuated turnover edge and its long attenuated quillons, most certainly are those of no earlier date than about 1630-40. The pierced cup first made its appearance about 1620; but even then it was not the sole protection of the hand, being associated with simple counter guards, quillons, and knuckle-guard. In its first form it was somewhat flat, and comparatively small in circumference. We give an illustration of a fine example in the Wallace Collection, No. 585 (Fig. 1467). In the authors catalogue of the armour section of the Wallace Collection this is given as of French nationality, and to it is assigned a date of about the middle of the XVIIth century; but more mature consideration and mental comparison with kindred hilts has led the author to modify his first impressions, and he now believes that the hilt came from either Holland or England, and assigns to it a date within the early thirties of the XVIIth century as the period of its style and production. The characteristics of this sword are a flattened circular shell, a hilt made entirely of steel, a pommel—still large—spherical in form and spirally ridged, and a knuckle-guard with double diagonally-curved quillons at either side.