A Fine North European Rapier With Gilt Swept-Hilt, Early 17th Century

With bright slender tapering blade of flattened hexagonal section becoming flattened diamond at the point, the forte with central fuller on each side incised 'MEVES BERNS' between cross potent marks, rectangular ricasso with double fuller on both sides and struck with the mark of Mewes Berns, a stag in a roundel, hilt of flattened rounded bars composed of an outer ring linked by a diagonally downcurved bar to a small side-ring beneath, the space opposite filled by an upcurved bar, curved arms, vertically recurved quillons widening towards the tips, inner-guard of three slender bars of circular section swept-up into one and joining the forward quillon, tall faceted ovoidal pommel, later grip and button, the former bound with variously twisted iron wire, and retaining much of its original gilding
96.8 cm. blade

Provenance
Sotheby's Olympia, Antique Arms, Armour & Militaria, 29 June 2005, lot 35
Christie's South Kensington, Antique Arms, Armour And Collectors Firearms, 22 June 2011, lot 109

For more information regarding other examples and locations of rapiers of this type see A.V.B. Norman, The Rapier and Small-Sword 1460-1820, 1980, pp. 94-95, pls. 48 and 49

For the bladesmith's mark see Albert Weyersberg, Solinger Schwertschmiede Des 16. Und 17. Jahrhunderts Und Ihre Erzeugnisse..., 1926, p. 11, figs. 6