Vatican Diplomat's Smallsword
Data
| Period1 | 20th Century | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Min/Max date1 | 1925-01-01 - 1950-12-31 | Location(cntry)1 | Belgium |
| Origin1 | Vatican | Location(detail)1 | ex author's collection |
| Sword type1 | Smallsword | Displayed at1 | -- |
| Corps1 | Civilian | Reference1 | -- |
| Outfit1 | -- | ||
| Owner1 | Author | ||
| Guard type1 | 1 bar | Provenance1 | Czerny s International Auction House |
| Quillions1 | 1 | Provenance(detail)1 | Aste 58, March 29 2016 |
| Hilt type1 | Pierced shell | Original owner1 | -- |
| Grip form1 | Elliptical | ||
| Pommmel type1 | Globular, pearls | Condition1 | Very good |
| Blade type1 | Straight | ||
| Edge1 | Triple edged | ||
| Fuller1 | 3 | Information date | 2016-05-08 |
| Information source | 1 Author 2 Source |
| Sword | Blade | Scabbard | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max length(cm/In)1 | 87.3 | 34.37 | 73.2 | 28.82 | 78.2 | 30.79 |
| Max width(cm/In)1 | 10.90 | 4.29 | 1.60 | 0.63 | 2.38 | 9.37 |
| Max thickness(cm/In)1 | 4.90 | 1.93 | 0.65 | 0.26 | 2.27 | 0.89 |
| Curvature(cm/In)1 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 0.0 | 0.00 | 0.0 | 0.00 |
| Width at 10 cm(cm/In)1 | -- | -- | 0.64 | 0.25 | 1.25 | 0.49 |
| Thickness at 10 cm(cm/In)1 | -- | -- | 0.42 | 0.17 | 0.99 | 0.39 |
| Width at 50 cm(cm/In)1 | -- | -- | 1.01 | 0.40 | 1.62 | 0.64 |
| Thickness at 50 cm(cm/In)1 | -- | -- | 0.46 | 0.18 | 1.06 | 0.42 |
| Section at 10 cm(cm/In)1 | -- | -- | Triangle | Rounded triangle | ||
| Section at 50 cm(cm/In)1 | -- | -- | Triangle | Rounded triangle | ||
| Weight(kg/lb+oz)1 | 0.43 | 0lb 15oz | -- | -- | 0.11 | 0lb 4oz |
| Information source | 1 Author | |||||
| Hilt | Blade | Scabbard | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Materials1 | Mother of pearl | Steel | Black leather |
| Bronze | Nickel coating | Bronze | |
| Gilding | -- | Gilding | |
| -- | -- | -- | |
| Features1 | Vatican coat of arms | -- | Folliage |
| Laurel leaves | -- | Flower | |
| Oak leaves | -- | Star | |
| Flower | -- | -- | |
| Pearls | -- | -- | |
| Gold and blue portepee | -- | -- | |
| Marks1 | -- | -- | -- |
| -- | -- | -- | |
| -- | -- | -- | |
| -- | -- | -- | |
| Hilt inscription1 | -- | ||
| Blade inscription1 | -- | ||
| Scabbard inscription1 | -- | ||
| Information source | 1 Author | ||
This sword is quite recent and appears in Cesare Calamandrei's book "Storia dell'arma biancca italiana" as a papal state diplomat's sword from around 1930.
The way the papal symbols are screwed onto the shell is typical of more modern realisations. (see the detailed picture in the 'Details' tab hereunder).
The design of the blade is also typical of more modern swords, as the reverse side's fuller is but a central groove instead of the rounding of the whole blade's surface found on older swords. On the plus side, the grips are real mother of pearl, not plastic.
The way the papal symbols are screwed onto the shell is typical of more modern realisations. (see the detailed picture in the 'Details' tab hereunder).
The design of the blade is also typical of more modern swords, as the reverse side's fuller is but a central groove instead of the rounding of the whole blade's surface found on older swords. On the plus side, the grips are real mother of pearl, not plastic.
Pictures
