One-handed iron sword from the "Castillon group". - Lot 19

Lot n° 19
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Estimation :
25000 - 35000 EUR
Result with fees
Result : 184 625EUR
One-handed iron sword from the "Castillon group". - Lot 19
One-handed iron sword from the "Castillon group". Western Europe (found in the Dordogne near Castillon-la-Bataille), second quarter of the 15th century L.79,5 cm - l. 16 cm Iron one-handed sword from the "Castillon group" Western Europe (found in the Dordogne River near Castillon-la-Bataille), second quarter of the 15th century L. 31 3/8 in - l. 6 1/4 in 828 CH Provenance : - Christie's Geneva sale, April 26, 1977, lot 66. Triangular blade with central ridge. Straight, flattened quillons, curved downward at the ends and adorned with moldings at the crosspiece. The leather rain cap has left a clear mark on the heel of the blade. Circular chamfered pommel hollowed out in the center on both sides for a painted or added ornament. This sword comes from the first batch of seven swords from the Castillon group to appear at public auction in 1977. Another sword, identical except for the molding on its crosspiece, also from the Castillon group, is in the Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds (IX.3683). In the early 1970s (probably 1974), persons unknown made the fortuitous discovery at a ford in the Dordogne of 80 medieval swords, piled into two chests aboard a barge that had sunk to the bottom of the river halfway between the town of Castillon-la-Bataille and the site of the French victory of July 18, 1453. Given their location and dating, these swords appear to be linked to the famous Hundred Years' War battle. certainly part of the booty recovered from the English troops. Swords from this group appeared on the market as early as the late 1970s. Over the years, information about the discovery of this set, which was initially kept secret, has gradually leaked out, enabling us to reconstruct the context of these pieces, which are exceptional in terms of their number, state of preservation and the great history with which they are associated.
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