Beschreibung:

Medieval Hand-and-a-Half Sword with Wolf Early 15th century AD An iron long sword of Oakeshott Type XIIa with double-edged blade, a damascened Passau wolf to one side of the fuller; crossguard variant of style 6; type G round pommel with incised flower; a well-balance sword of German manufacture. 1.9 kg, 1.14m (45"). Fine condition. Provenance The property of a private family; previously acquired from a collection formed before 1990; thence by descent; accompanied by an academic report by military specialist Dr Raffaele D'Amato Literature See Oakeshott, E., Records of the Medieval Sword, Woodbridge, 1991; Oakeshott, E., The sword in the Age of the Chivalry, Woodbridge, 1964 (1994); Oakeshott, E.,Sword in hand, London, 2001; two similar specimens in Gillot, C., Armes & Armures/Weapons and Armours, Bayeux, 2008, pp.128 and 131. Footnotes This sword type was a compromise between the cut and the thrust, with a shearing lenticular profile yet narrow, serviceable point. Hence, it was a very versatile weapon - balanced between being able to cut down a lightly armoured foot soldier with one blow, and pierce the weak points of a knight's plate harness in the next, with a well-aimed and well-timed two-handed thrust. The hardwood grip, originally used also in our specimen, was long enough to be wielded with one or two hands, and made this sword very easy to control. This sword type type is not particularly well represented in medieval art and a very few examples can be found in museums or private collections, increasing the rarity of our specimen.