MEDIEVAL IRON SWORD WITH HANDLE

Ca. 1200-1300 AD. Medieval Western Europe. A stunning, forged-iron long sword of the Oakeshott Type XIII.1 with a long hilt and a flat disc pommel. The cross is lenticular. The tapering arms are "waisted" and flare back to their original width at the terminal. A gilded ring is attached to the handle. 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:900mm / W:150mm ; 1.2kgProvenance: Property of a European collector. Formerly in the collection of Earl Mitchell, London 1990s.