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Fig. 1477. Cup-hilted rapier
The hilt is North Italian, about 1630-40. The blade by Johannes Tesche Wallace Collection (Laking Catalogue, No. 594)
- able circumstance that, though chiselling and occasionally embossing of the
highest excellence of workmanship were lavishly used in the ornamentation of the cup guard of these forms of rapier hilt, the author has only come across one other genuine hilt in the enrichment of which gold, either in the form of plating or actual damascening, plays a part. Forgeries in large numbers exist in which either gilding, chiselling, or gold damascening are employed; but it appears that in the case of the genuine cup hilts these combinations were never actually resorted to. This gilt cup-hilted rapier is probably North Italian, and may be dated as from 1630 to 1640. Its blade is inscribed with the bladesmith's name: JOHANNES TESCHE. We give another illustration of a cup-hilted rapier of the same family, nationality, and date which is now in the Metropolitan Museum of New York (Fig. 1478). It will be noticed that the proportions are still the same, and that there are the same deep and comparatively small-diametered cup, straight quillons, and fairly large oviform pommel. The pierced and chiselled ornamentation on the shell of this hilt is not of a very uncommon type, the strapwork panels, etc., which enclose heads, birds, etc., recalling the decorative
