Dressed to Kill, Dressed to Till
Handsome silver-hilted smallsword, of a form favored by both military men and gentlemen for both defense and fashionable display. It has a straight, three-sided blade 32 5/16 inches long and 1 ¼ inches wide at ricasso. The crossguard is a double-clamshell form and the knuckle-bow is D-shaped, with a ball-shaped quillon. The pommel is rounded and resembles an urn in profile, while the grip is wrapped with 2-strand, silver wire. There are numerous touchmarks on the hilt knuckle-bow and pommel, as well as the face of the cross-guard, including touchmarks for London and the year 1723 and a maker’s mark that is indistinct. Its original leather scabbard survives, with silver throat with hook and tip, both decorated with incised lines.
Share this lot:
