Lot 140
A Scottish basket hilted broad sword of Glasgow Type circa 1730
Jacobite, Stuart, and Scottish Applied Arts | 429
Auction: 13 May 2015 at 12:00 BST
Description
by John Simpson of Glasgow, with basket formed of flat section bars and side guards pierced with slotted aperture forming a cross on both saltire plates with the edges filed into decorative edging, the bars all cut with lines struck at the base of the forward guard I -S, missing wrist guard the wooden grip covered in black hide bound with brass wire and with ferrules top and bottom, conical pommel cut in quartered groves, the German single edge blade struck with ANDREA FERRA in each fuller
Dimensions
blade 84cm (33 inches) long
Footnote
Notes:
James Simpson I of Glasgow is recorded as working from 1683 until 1718. He appears unique in the placement of his signature ‘IS’ on the main knuckle guard to the front of the basket, rather than the underside as more commonly seen. For a similar example in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery & Museum collection (W.1940.45.ef) see British Basket-Hilted Swords, Cyril Mazansky, sword F5b(IS) page 102.