A NORTH EUROPEAN BROADSWORD, SECOND QUARTER OF THE 17TH CENTURY with broad flat blade decorated with a gibbet and an inscription on one side, steel hilt of circular bars, comprising inner and outer ring guards of differing size each filled with a pierced sprung-in plate chiselled with scrolling mulberry fruit and foliage issuant from an urn, drawn-up at the front to an additional bar interrupted by a globular moulding, short down-curved quillon with globular terminal, knuckle-guard formed en suite and joined to the frontal guard by a diagonal bar, the inside with a thumb loop, compressed spherical pommel, and wire-bound grip with 'Turk's heads' 83.2cm; 32 3/4in blade Provenance Sotheby's 23rd April 1985, lot 139 The inscription reads 'Der Kav Fied As Fail Wirt Und Find Eias Verlorn Wirt Der Stirwt Edas Er Kranckh Wiert' which reads in translation 'If you find this sword and do not return it to its owner you will become ill.'