Basket-hilted Sword

Johannes Wundes the Younger

blade dated 1662 · Steel, wood, silver · Arms and Armor

English hilts of this type, with chiseled ornament featuring portrait medallions, are often referred to as mortuary swords. The term seems to be an invention of nineteenth-century collectors and refers to a supposed likeness between King Charles I (executed in 1649) and the portrait medallions on the hilts.

Artist

Johannes Wundes the Younger

Date

blade dated 1662

Medium

Steel, wood, silver

Culture

hilt, British; blade, German

Department

Arms and Armor

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1909