MEDIEVAL IRON SWORD WITH HANDLE

Ca. 1250-1400 AD. Medieval Western Europe. A beautiful forged Oakeshott type XIIa longsword with a long grip ending in a short bar. The cross is lenticular and the arms are short and straight. 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. Excellent condition. Mounted on a custom-made stand. For more information on Medieval swords, see Oakeshott, R. Ewart (1998). Records of the medieval sword. Boydell Press.Size: L:730mm / W:100mm ; 635g. Provenance: Property of a European collector. Formerly in the collection of Earl Mitchell, London 1990s.