French Hunting Sword, ca. 1750.

Antique and decorative French hunting sword dating from the 18th century, circa 1750. It is a great sword which is enhanced by the quality of the hilts making. The sword comes with an elegant scabbard made of dark wood, reinforced and embellished with polished brass accessories. This is probably not the original scabbard, but it may have been manufactured afterwards (19th-20th centuries) in a style which reproduces ancient scabbards. The sword is quite small, something usual in this kind of weapons designed for hunting. It is a sword that used to be carried by the noblemen when they came out to hunt. The most remarkable part of this sword is undoubtedly the hilt. We can see a delicate grip covered in authentic ivory and adorned with brass details; every part is in perfect condition. The hilt is accompanied by a wide rain guard made of engraved brass, which continues to the pommel making up a fine D-guard. The rain guard is engraved with a hunting scene, somewhat worn but in which we can still see clearly the riding hunter, the servants and a deer trying to escape. The scene is surrounded by the trees of a forest. The brass is in good condition, polished and shiny and with no trace of pitting or bumps. Furthermore, the scabbard is made of dark-dyed wood which makes a nice contrast with the golden brass details: the rings (designed to hang the sword from the straps), the chape and the locket. The wood is slightly open on one side, but this is something easy to mend by a good professional restorer. So we are looking at a rare sword, as antique as elegant, which will be the finishing touch to any collection of old weapons. Measurements: 665 mm lenght.