Description
Silver bouterolle, formerly gilded and engraved with a katzbalger (cat stirrup). Front decorated with a cat's head sticking out its tongue, speckles on the reverse; spherical end. Germanic countries, late 15th/early 16th century H. 4.6 cm - L. 3.7 cm - Weight : 21.6 g A katzbalger is a relatively short sword, between 50 and 100 cm, worn by lansquenets, the German-speaking mercenary soldiers who served in European armies in the 15th and 16th centuries. These elite, well-paid soldiers in their gleaming clothes were known to be quarrelsome, playful and often violent. Armed with large spears, swordfish, they would resort to shorter weapons such as the katzbalger in close combat, leading to fierce hand-to-hand combat that was likened to catfights, hence the name of this handy little sword. The rare "bouterolle" at the end of the scabbard follows the characteristic rounded shape of this weapon's blade.
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Silver bouterolle, formerly gilded and engraved with a katzbalger (cat stirrup). Front decorated with a cat's head sticking out its tongue, speckles on the reverse; spherical end. Germanic countries, late 15th/early 16th century H. 4.6 cm - L. 3.7 cm - Weight : 21.6 g A katzbalger is a relatively short sword, between 50 and 100 cm, worn by lansquenets, the German-speaking mercenary soldiers who served in European armies in the 15th and 16th centuries. These elite, well-paid soldiers in their gleaming clothes were known to be quarrelsome, playful and often violent. Armed with large spears, swordfish, they would resort to shorter weapons such as the katzbalger in close combat, leading to fierce hand-to-hand combat that was likened to catfights, hence the name of this handy little sword. The rare "bouterolle" at the end of the scabbard follows the characteristic rounded shape of this weapon's blade.
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