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Hand-and-a-half sword: HEN.M.187-1933

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Object information

Current Location: In storage

Maker(s)

Unknown

Entities

Categories

Description

Hand-and-a-half war sword or bastard sword. Type XIIIA. Broad, oval wheel pommel, the central boss rectngular in shape and cut breadthwise with two deep parallel grooves. No rivet button. The whole pommel is very flat, and light seeming. Long tang covered with 19th century grip, obviously made at the same time and for the same collection as HEN.M.188-1933. Long straight cross of hexagonal section, widening a little toward the tips. There appear to be traces of some sort of plating on the pommel and the cross, of ? silver or ? tin. Blade of flat hexagonal section with a narrow rather shallow fuller running some one-third of the length. This fuller on one side runs up under the mid-part of the cross, and the other stops about 3 cm short of it. Fairly sharp point.

Notes

History note: Sold at the Helbing Gallery in Munich 1908

Measurements and weight

Length: 114.5 cm
Weight: 1.4 kg

Place(s) associated

  • Europe ⪼ Europe

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1933-03-16) by Henderson, James Stewart

Dating

14th Century, Early
Circa 1300 - 1400

Note

There is a very strange patination on this blade, showing that it has corroded in contact with something wrinkled, like fabric. This is strongly suggested by a band about 2" wide where it has clearly been wrapped round by a strip of woven material, maybe a belt? It does not look as if it has been in a scabbard.

Western European

Components of the work

Plating composed of silver ( or tin)
Bound Tang composed of leather
Tang Length 29.5 cm
Blade Length 89 cm
Cross Width 20 cm
Blade At Hilt Width 4 cm
Pommel

Materials used in production

Steel

Techniques used in production

Casting (process) : Sword, cast, with traces of plating on the pommel

Identification numbers

Accession number: HEN.M.187-1933
Primary reference Number: 18824
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Monday 17 February 2025 Last processed: Tuesday 13 May 2025

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Applied Arts

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Hand-and-a-half sword" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/18824 Accessed: 2025-06-22 07:35:35

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{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/18824 |title=Hand-and-a-half sword |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-06-22 07:35:35|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

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