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The cruciform iron hilt formed of a
long, leather-covered grip between a pommel formed of two cones, base to base,
and long, straight quillons terminating in similar double cones and with
substantial side rings on either side of the blade. The broad double-edged
blade with a long plain ricasso and with panels of deep and shallow etching
running from the blade spurs onto the base of the blade.
Overall length: 68 ½”,
blade length 49”.
This superb and impressive sword is
one of a small group with blades thought to have been decorated by the Swiss
master smith Hans Hofmann. Hofmann was a native of Lindau-am-Bodensee, at the
eastern end of Lake Constance, and is believed to have worked in Nürnberg
before establishing his workshop in Frauenfeld, in northern Switzerland, in
1551. He is known to have died in Frauenfeld in 1571, whereupon the business
passed to his son, Lorenz, who had worked with his father for some years
previously.
Four similar swords were recorded by
the late Dr Hugo Schneider in 1969, at which time they were in the possession
of the Museum of the Canton of Thurgau, situated in the castle in Frauenfeld;
two of the four have had their blades shortened so that the parrying spurs now
sit close to the quillons. All have similar etching to this sword, with the
distinctive shield divided horizontally and occupied by the figure of the smith
flanked by the letters HH, the lower shield charged with a cross pattée
of the Confederation of Switzerland, musical instruments on the foil between
the spurs and the edges of the blade and dolphins decorating the spurs.
Thus, this bearing sword is one of
only three so far recorded in its original condition and one of only five known
at all. Schneider was of the opinion that Hofmann decorated the blades of these
swords, rather than made and decorated them, although none bear the marks of
any other bladesmith. Hofmann was a master smith, and probably a master
armourer: this much is indicated by the weapon-filled crown that is engraved at
the top of the decoration. While he would have been entirely capable of making
such blades - especially since they were not intended for war but for ceremony
- he is not recorded as a bladesmith. He may have decorated blades that had
been imported from outside Frauenfeld (Schneider suggested from Munich), made
the hilt components and assembled the swords.
Two-handed swords as symbols of
sovereignty are known to have been in widespread use in Europe in the high
Medieval and early Renaissance period and would have been carried before
dignitaries in a town, city or state on important occasions: being thus borne
in procession and no longer having a fighting role, they are now referred to as
“Bearing Swords”. The fighting sword had reduced in size and become
more subtle in its use by this time but the Great Sword, as a symbol of
Justice, remained and, indeed, is still employed upon State Occasions in some
European nations. It appears likely that this group of Frauenfeld two-handed
bearing swords may date from shortly after Frauenfeld bought its freedom from
the jurisdiction and taxation of the district of Reichenau late in 1567. In
that year, the Bishop of Constance, Hugo von Landenberg, needed to raise money
for a war and, as Schneider says, “readily accepted a high payment of 700
guilders” for Frauenfeld’s freedom. As an independent town,
Frauenfeld would have required symbols of its own and thus commissioned a
suitable quantity of swords such as this magnificent example: the only one
recorded that is not in a public collection.
Image reproduced by courtesy of Peter
Finer |
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