228 - A 17TH CENTURY ITALIAN SWORD WITH INSCRIPTION AND CHASED IRON HILT

A 17TH CENTURY ITALIAN SWORD WITH INSCRIPTION AND CHASED IRON HILT A17th-century Italian sword, most likely a ceremonial or dress sword, distinguished by its chased iron hilt, Renaissance-style iconography, and inscribed blade, Northern Italy (likely Lombardy or Piedmont). Mid to late 17th century (circa 1650–1700). The fullered blade is inscribed as follws: "I.P. LIBY CO. VERCELLI" likely ownership or regional affiliationis consistent with noble or civic armament from Vercelli, a city in Piedmont, Italy. The sword features a deeply chased iron hilt with allegorical busts, grotesque masks, and scrolls a hallmark of northern Italian Renaissance-metalwork tradition. The pommel is modeled as a woman's head in classicizing style frequent in ceremonial swords of Italian city-states, often representing Justice or the Madonna. The crossguard is made of forges iron with quillons terminating with human heads, echoing Mannerist forms seen in civic swords of Milan and Brescia. Dimensions: L: 33 7/8 in., (86 cm.) Condition: Very good for age, with some minor loss to wood of grip due to past wood worming. Grip may have once had a wire running along the spiral. Blade is pitted. Hilt is tight. Please make all inquiries before bidding. All statements contained in the catalog, condition reports, invoices, advertisements, or elsewhere concerning the authorship, attribution, origin, date, age, period, culture, source, provenance, authenticity, genuineness, condition, rarity, importance, or value of any lot are statements of opinion only and shall not be construed as representations, warranties, or statements of fact. All lots are sold "as-is", refer to our T&C. Helios Auctions does not offer in-house shipping. We will provide a list of recommended shippers upon request.