A Fine Dutch Hunting Sword - Late 17th Century

Lot No: 43. With slightly curved fullered blade (scattered minor pitting) double-edged towards the point and cut with three additional narrow fullers along the back edge over part of its length on each side, the forte etched on each face with a mounted cavalryman in contemporary costume between the inscriptions 'Vincere / aut more' and 'Soli deo glo/ria', a hand emerging from a cloud and holding a bunch of flowers above, and a panel of fruit and foliage below, silvered brass hilt comprising side-guard cast, pierced and chased with confronted hounds amid foliage, all in relief, downturned rear quillon with monster-head terminal, knuckle-guard with confronted monster-heads at its centre, gilt-brass ferrule engraved with a running design of berries and foliage, and spiral twist ivory grip rising from an integral collar of calyxes, the pommel carved in the round as a lion's head with open mouth above swags of fruit suspended from a ribbon on each side, in associated wooden scabbard covered in blackened fabric with silvered chape punched with foliage, the mouth with pockets for the contemporary by-knife and fork, the former with single-edged blade struck with copper-lined comet mark on one side, the latter with two sharply tapering tines, and each with ivory handle (split) carved in the round with a pair of naked infants holding central swags of fruit draped over their shoulders  57.8 cm. blade - Estimate: £4,000 - 5,000

Literature: G. de Vries and B.J. Martens, The Visser Collection, vol. I, part 4, cat. no. 981, pp. 678-679

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Bonhams. Fine Antique Arms & Armour from the Henk L. Visser Collection, 28 Nov 2007. Knightsbridge