Property from a Central European Collection A RARE SWEPT-HILT RAPIER, LATE 16TH CENTURY, FRENCH OR NORTH ITALIAN with slender blade of flattened-diamond section, rectangular ricasso struck with the bladesmith's mark, a Maltese cross, on each side, iron hilt of rounded bars, comprising down-turned slightly forward-canted quillon with swollen tip, engraved quillon-block chiselled with hairy circular mouldings at the joins with the arms, drawn-out at the base to a scrolling écusson on each side, knuckle-guard with recurved tip chiselled as a gaping hairy monster, upper and lower ring-guards each swelling slightly in the centre, the upper joined to the knuckle-guard by an additional bar and at the base to a pair of arms, trifurcated inner-guard, barrel-shaped pommel decorated at the base en suite with the quillon-block (small areas of pitting) , and early grip of plaited wire and 'Turks' heads' 102.3 cm; 40 3/8 in blade Provenance Sold in this room, 7th December 2006, lot 170 The hilt conforms to Norman type 57.