‡ A FINE ENGLISH 'MORTUARY' HILTED BROADSWORD, SECOND QUARTER OF THE 17TH CENTURY

‡ A FINE ENGLISH 'MORTUARY' HILTED BROADSWORD, SECOND QUARTER OF THE 17TH CENTURY with broad blade stamped with an inscription within a long central fuller framed by a pair of further slender fullers on each face (light pitting), symmetrical iron hilt comprising a pair of langets chiselled with foliage, broad scrolling vestigial quillon, basket-guard chiselled at the base with delicate scrolling leafy tendrils carrying a grotesque mask in each corner and with four large portrait medallions, front-and rear-guard each interrupted by a further small portrait medallion and bifurcated at the base, joined to the knuckle-guard by a pair of diagonal bars and compressed ovoid pommel decorated en suite, and the grip with an early spirally moulded fishskin covering between ‘Turk’s heads’ (binding missing), 90.4 cm blade Provenance Ken Drake The quality of the chiselled decoration on the hilt is of notably high quality.