Rights Holder: Birmingham Museums Trust
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Unique ID: HESH-189308
Object type certainty: Certain
Workflow
status: Awaiting validation
A broken incomplete cast copper alloy guard from a small-sword or dress sword of late post medieval date (1650 - 1800). Approximately half the guard survives; it is an irregular oval shape in plan being concave / dished in profile and distorted from original shape. On the internal edge are the remains of a rectangular slot through which the tang of the blade passed. It is across this slot that the hilt guard is broken. The size of the tang cannot be assessed due to the damage. The upper and lower faces of the plate are decorated with a similar design comprising a seated figure in classical dress. The figure holds a staff or possibly cornucopiae and is positioned between two vertical pillars. A decorative cast border extends around the exterior edge - this is formed from opposing C shaped curls with small rounded masks between. The internal edge - around the rectangular slot - is decorated with a star-burst / flower like design formed of oval pellets which are bisected by single grooves. The fragment is a mid green colour with a well formed relatively unabraded surface patina. The style of the decoration and the form of the guard both suggest a date in the period 1650 - 1800 where the wearing of ornate small swords was fashionable dress. The decoration clearly suggests that this is a decorative and functional object in the Baroque style. Similar undecorated examples can be seen on the PAS database from the Isle of Wight ( IOW-479316 and IOW-BEB276) where they have been identified as being similar to the late eighteenth century military sword. A further example from the Isle of Wight (IOW-FE8193) has a similar neo-classical design.
The guard measures 59.3mm length, 28.3mm width, is 5.5mm thick and weighs 21.8 grams.
Class: Guard
Subsequent action after recording: Returned to finder
Broad period: POST MEDIEVAL
Period from: POST MEDIEVAL
Period to: POST MEDIEVAL
Date from: Circa AD 1650
Date to: Circa AD 1800
Quantity: 1
Length: 59.3 mm
Width: 28.3 mm
Thickness: 5.5 mm
Weight: 21.8 g
Date(s) of discovery: Thursday 21st August 2014
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Other reference: Hereford Museum Object Entry Form: HFDMG: 3227
Primary material: Copper alloy
Manufacture method: Cast
Decoration style: Figurative
Completeness: Incomplete
Grid reference source: From finder
Unmasked grid reference accurate to a 1 metre square.
No references cited so far.