Jan.30th,2021 World Antique Arms and Art Sale
Lot 353:
Rare 18th C. American Revolution English Silver Mounted Navy Officer’s Dirk ~ Naval Dagger ~ Gary Lattimer Collection ~ Published. This silver mounted dirk features a smallsword type hilt with urn pommel and thin knuckle-guard. The pommel is finely decorated with minute lines and half-moons or eye-brow stamps, and some small floral starbursts that are reflected in much grander fashion in engraving on either side of the quillon block. The wood grip mold is present, but only several sprung turns of the binding wire remain, consisting of one single strand and one twisted strand. The upper quillon of the guard is missing. The lower quillon was repaired. The upper loops of two pas-d’anes remain. A small oval silver sheath cap, decorated en suite with the pommel, is present with a thin red wool pad. The blade has a good point and no edge nicks. There is no pitting, but scattered dark gray areas and some brown toward the point. The black leather scabbard is solid, though showing crackling and finish loss. The silver mounts are good and in place, but show differing edge contours and engraving. The carrying ring on the middle mount has been repaired. A red collection number "472" appears on the blade near the guard and the scabbard mounts. Ex-Lattimer collection. Illustrated as Figure 56, Hartzler, Silver Mounted Swords. The sheath cap is rather small for the width of the blade and the scabbard throat, but examples of dirks with similar hilts are known. The fuller of the blade ends about 2-1/2" from the hilt, indicating that if a sword blade was reused, it was not shortened from the tip. Naval officers of all ranks favored fighting dirks of this length from about 1790 to 1815, but dirks are known among army officers as well. One Napoleonic British artillery officer remarked on the carrying of dirks for field service where swords got in the way when on foot. Total Length (inside scabbard if present) : 22 3/3", Blade Length : 16 1/2". Detailed condition reports are not included in this catalog. For additional information, including condition reports, please contact us at [email protected]
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