PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF THE DOWAGER COUNTESS CAWDOR A SCOTTISH BASKET-HILTED BROADSWORD, MID-18TH CENTURY, THE HILT PROBABLY BY WALTER ALLAN OF STIRLING with tapering double-edged blade, stamped with a King's head mark, signed 'Conrad Wundes' and 'Me Fecit Solingen' divided by the running wolf of Solingen within a short fuller framed by a pair of slender fullers on each face, well formed iron hilt signed beneath the quillon base 'WA' over 'S' (feint, heavily worn, quillon missing), basket-guard formed of rounded bars carrying an alternating arrangement of slender and broad panels each pierced with circles and stylised hearts emphasised by delicate fluted patterns, including a pair of 'ram's horn' mouldings at the base, two looped bars and associated spirally-fluted bun-shaped pommel (guard repaired at the pommel ring, small chips and areas of pitting), later wooden grip and leather liner 73.7 cm; 29 in blade For a discussion of Walter Allan see Reid 1963, pp. 16-21.