Oakeshott Type XIIIa - Medieval Bastard Sword / Two Hander

Hand-and-a-half Sword

Dated: circa 1300 - 1350

Culture: Western European, almost certainly German

Place of Origin: Germany (production)

Medium: steel

Measurements: overall length, 118 cm. Blade length, 89 cm. Blade at hilt width, 5.8 cm. Tang length, 23 cm. Pommel width, 7 cm. Pommel depth, 5 cm. Pommel thickness,2.5 cm. Cross width, 21.5 cm

This is a very large hand-and-a-half war sword of type XIIIA. It has a large, flat oval pommel, the edges bevelled off, plus a very long, stout tang of flat rectangular. The cross of faintly hexagonal section is very slightly arched and widening imperceptibly to the tips.
The sword features a very broad, heavy blade of flat section with very well-marked chamfered edges with a broad shallow fuller running halfway down. The length of the tang of this sword is such that it is more in the nature of a small two handed sword.

Sidenotes:

The length of the tang of this sword is such that it is more in the nature of a small two handed sword.
A hilt similar in all respects is shown on the tomb-effigy of Guther von Schwarzburg in the Cathedral at Frankfurt (1349).

For more information on Type XIIIa swords see this extract from Ewart Oakeshott's Records of the Medieval Sword: sword-site.com/thread/152/oakeshott-xiiib-records-medieval-sword

Source: www.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/