Western European rapier

Silver encrusted swept hilt rapier with intricately chiselled hilt featuring scorlling floral and foliate designs across its hilt, and a silver wire grip.   Both faces of the ricasso bears the mark of a pair of pincers and is engraved in the flutes 'Wilhelm Wirsberg'.   Swords with richly decorated hilts such as this were worn in civilian dress on important occasions; the sword itself indicating nobility and its decoration the taste and wealth of the wearer. The Wirsberg family were among the leading sword cutlers in Solingen, a city which exported sword blades all over Europe as well as to North Africa and even to India. The most famous of several Wirsbergs called William was Burgermaster of Solingen in 1590 and 1594.
Object no :
RI_DC_0000161
Collection :
Rapiers
Creator :
NA
Place of Production :
NA
Dimensions :
Lenght:116cm
Materials :
NA
Location :
NA
Related site :
Mark Farm, Castle Kennedy
2 Fmedia2 F13993362 Fri dc 0000161 2

More objects in this Collection

2 Fmedia2 F14146082 Fri dc 0000149 4
Shell guard damascene rapier
Early Modern shell guard rapier with an exquisite gold damascene hilt. The shell guard features gild
2 Fmedia2 F14117762 Fri dc 0000168 2 a
Italian swept hilt rapier 3
The rapier sword was both a stylish accessory and weapon of self-defence used by civilian and milita
2 Fmedia2 F14117552 Fdc165a
Western European composite rapier
17th century Western European rapier with a German blade, and likely a Dutch hilt. The blade is inci
2 Fmedia2 F14112562 Fri dc 0000106 1
Cup hilt rapier 5
The word "rapier" generally refers to a primarily thrusting weapon, it was the civilian weapon of ch
2 Fmedia2 F13993102 Fri dc 0000159 6
Italian swept hilt rapier 2
This late 16th century swept hilt rapier is chiselled in low relief with hunting scenes and foliate
2 Fmedia2 F13992942 Fri dc 0000145 2
Swept hilt rapier 4
Swept hilt rapier with unembellished spherical pommel, hand guard and quillons. This form of hilt in
2 Fmedia2 F13992732 Fri dc 0000137 5
Swept hilt rapier of Italian or German origin
Swept hilt rapier dating from c. 1600, likely of Italian or German origin. Gold-encrusted hilt featu
2 Fmedia2 F13992422 Fri dc 0000131 9
Cup hilt rapier, likely of Spanish origin
Composite cup hilt rapier, probably of Spanish origin, the blade of which has likely be remounted wi
2 Fmedia2 F13973672 Fri dc 0000119 2
Italian cup hilt rapier
The slender and sharply pointed rapier was a popular sidearm for civilians and in military use throu
2 Fmedia2 F13178772 Fri dc 0000167 3
Spanish shell guard rapier
Similar to cup hilt rapiers, shell guard rapiers provided excellent protection for the hand in confr
You must enable javascript to view this website