An Undocumented Gladius from Baena (Spain)

Abstract

The hitherto undocumented sword from the collection of the Museo Histórico Municipal de Baena, Córdoba (Spain) is discussed. The sword is of unknown provenance but from its typology is judged to be Roman and could come from a site on the Iberian Peninsula.     

Original Sword Designs,Now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art,New York,Entered in Competition to Make Admiral Seymour’s City of London Sword of Honour in 1882

This paper examines two rare original Sword Designs, which have recently come to light, patterns said to be the two sides of the Sword of Honour awarded with the Freedom of the City of London to Admiral Seymour, Baron Alcester, Commander-in-Chief HM Ships and Vessels Mediterranean, for the Egyptian Campaign in 1882. The paper places the designs in their historical and iconographical context and assesses, by examining various evidence, if the patterns are, in fact, the original designs of the sword actually presented to Seymour at the Guildhall in 1883.     

A Sign of Victory?: ‘Scottish Swords’ and Other Weapons in the Possession of the ‘Auld Innemie’

Many late medieval documents, notably inventories of arms and armour, of Englishmen contain references to ‘Scottish swords’ and other weapons. What did the compilers of these documents mean when they described a weapon as ‘Scottish’? How did such weapons come to be in the possession of these men? This article will attempt to explain this phenomenon drawing on primary documentary sources and surviving material culture from Glasgow Museums’ collections and others, as well as artworks from the period.     

Honour,Comradeship and Betrayal: Lord Capel’s Sword

The sword which is the subject of this article and which will be referred to as the Capel sword, is a fine example of what has become known as an Irish basket-hilt. Whilst there are other examples in existence, what makes this sword unique and particularly important is the fact that it is known to have been owned by two important Royalist military leaders, Lord Arthur Capel and Sir John Owen. These two extraordinary men came from different backgrounds but their fate was linked through circumstances beyond their control. The story this sword tells is one of comradeship, loyalty, total belief in a cause, betrayal and ultimate sacrifice.     

A Uniquely Important Napoleonic Memorial Sword

This remarkably fine sword was commissioned by General Baron Gaspard Gourgaud, the close personal aide of Napoleon Bonaparte, to commemorate the return of the Emperor’s body from St Helena to Paris in 1840. It was designed and made in 1842 by Alexandre Lapret, a distinguished artist-craftsman working in the famous Paris atelier of Henri Lepage.