MEDIEVAL IRON SWORD WITH HANDLE

Ca. 1360-1390 AD. Medieval Western Europe. A stunning, forged-iron long sword of the Oakeshott Type XVII.2 with a long hilt and a deep wheel pommel. The cross is hexagonal and rather long with a neat rhomboidal section. The narrow triangular blade is complete with a deep fuller that traverses almost halfway down from the tang base as well as sharpened edges that taper downwards to form the acutely pointed tip. The High Middle Ages saw swordsmiths develop new types of blades to combat the ever-increasing usage of plate armour. Against these defences, early-styled swords with light, flat cutting blades lost much of their effectiveness. Warriors and craftsmen of the day saw the need for more acutely pointed blades with cross-sections reinforced for thrusting. Mounted on a custom-made stand. Excellent condition. For more information on Medieval swords, see Oakeshott, R. Ewart (1998). Records of the medieval sword. Boydell Press.Size: L:1055mm / W:215mm ; 1.5kgProvenance: Property of a European collector. Formerly in the collection of Earl Mitchell, London 1990s.