with broad blade double-edged at the point and cut with three fullers along the back over most of its length on each side, the fullers at the forte retaining traces of incised letters, iron hilt of slender flat bars framing solid plates including four with decorative piercings flanked on either side by saltires, inner bifurcated wrist-guard, and formed with four bars at the top made in one with a semi-circular bar let into the flat disc-shaped pommel with prominent tang button, and writhen leather-covered grip (old rust patination overall), 91.2 cm blade

Literature

The Baron of Earlshall, The Scottish Basket Hilted Sword, Volume I c. 1450 to 1600, 2016, pp. 376-382, pls.268-272

For a discussion of guards of this type see Claude Blair, ‘The early Basket-Hilt in Britain’ in Scottish Weapons and Fortifications 1100-1800, D.H. Caldwell (ed.), Edinburgh, 1981, pp. 221-227, figs. 124-125 and 128, and G.M. Wilson, ‘Notes on Some Early Basket-Hilted Swords’ in Journal of the Arms and Armour Society, Vol. XII, No. 1 (March 1986), pp. 10-12, pls. VII and VIII. See also Cyril Mazansky, British Basket-Hilted Swords, 2005, pp. 59-60, A18-A18b.

For a related example see Christie’s South Kensington, 19 July 2001, lot 58.