All Steel Left Hand Dagger

Third Quarter Of The 16th Century, Probably Spanish.

With broad blade double-edged over half its length to the reinforced point and with pierced central fuller bordered by incised lines on each side and interrupted by small circular piercings, long ricasso in two stages with pierced and fluted fullers en suite, iron hilt comprising downbent reeded quillons with fluted bud-shaped terminals, rectangular quillon-block with a rayed design on both sides, side-ring and pommel en suite with the quillons, the latter with button, and waisted reeded grip of tapering circular section (some pitting overall)

29.2 cm. blade

For two related daggers see Bashford Dean, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Catalogue of European Daggers ..., 1928, pp. 119 and 166, nos. 133 and 166

A sword with a similar hilt is in the Royal Armoury, Madrid (inv. no. G54), illustrated in Laking IV, fig. 1365, and another in the Wallace Collection (inv. no. A509). The blade of the former is dated 1567

Source: www.bonhams.com/auctions/17944/lot/84/