Teutonic Ceremonial Great Slashing Sword

Late 16th century AD or earlier. A colossal two-handed sword, possibly of German workmanship, straight double-edged blade with wide and shallow blood channel, two punched armourer's marks to each side depicting a Latin cross surmounting a sickle, both sides of the blade with incised inscription in uncial letters 'INRI' with reference to the titulum of the cross of Our Lord, letter 'I' on one side forming a monogram with the letter 'R' over the latter 'I'; two incised bronze figures to both sides, one resembling a stylised Passau Wolf; a wide diamond-section bronze quillon with rounded finials, possibly a later replacement; long tang with wooden grip, copper-alloy wire wrapping to each end; bronze facetted pear-shaped pommel, the rivet button possibly a later replacement. See Foulkes, C., Inventory and survey of the Armouries of the Tower of London, 2 volumes, London, 1916; Dudley, S.H.G., Armourers Marks, London, 1959; Dufty, A.R., European swords and daggers in the Tower of London, London, 1974; Newman, P.R., A catalogue of the sword, collection at York Castle Museum, York, 1985.6.4 kg, 2.08m (82"). Property of a Surrey gentleman; acquired from a Sussex collector; formerly from an old country house in East Sussex; accompanied by an academic report by military expert Dr. Raffaele D'Amato; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.10319-169180. Within the inventories in the Tower of London Armoury, a large number of swords among the possessions of King Henry VIII are listed, such as the grete slaghe swords, which must have been the age denomination for the two-handers, like this specimen. The state of preservation of the blade is noteworthy, being without battle nicks and therefore indicating a sword which was not intended for use in battle, but probably employed only for ceremonial purposes. A clue to the age of this sword if offered by a comparable maker’s mark on a shell dagger of late 16th century (The Armouries, 1916, p.26) in the Tower. Fine condition.