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KNOTTED SPANISH SMALL-CUP TIZONA. 16th Century. Handcrafted in carbon steel with an antiqued finish, made by master swordsmith of Toledo, .
The rapier, or the Spanish Tizona, was a weapon that defined an era: It was widely used and highly popular in Spain, but it also had numerous supporters in northern Europe.
To wield this type of sword was a symbol of prestige and power. Scholars, the bourgeois and soldiers in civilian dress began wearing a rapier. This sword was highly popular for duelling and a dagger was often held in the left hand as a parrying weapon. The dagger hilt was made to match that of the sword.
CHARACTERISTICS
BLADE. 90 cm long blade, 1.8 cm wide at the ricasso and 0.5 cm at the point. It was forged and tempered by hand in carbon steel by the master . Very light-weight, thin, easy to use blade.
The ricasso is engraved on both sides: on the front it is inscribed with the words “En Toledo”, to indicate that it was made in this city, and bears the master’s touchmark, “AA”. The back side features a very delicate engraving. A fuller runs down the blade from the ricasso to the forte, featuring engraving on both sides. Very light-weight, thin, easy to use blade.
CUP. The cup is extremely elegant, comparable only to the most highly prized swords of that period. It is elaborately decorated with numerous designs, featuring an interlaced pattern at the bottom, Renaissance-style fretwork in the middle and chiselled fluting along the upper edge. It is extremely light-weight.
CROSS GUARD. The cross is delicately decorated to match the cup. The main quillon measures 30 cm long, and is made of twisted iron on both sides with a chiselled central block. The knuckle guard bears the same pattern as the cross. Two semi-circular side arms reach out from the cross to the cup, and are attached to form a single piece.
GRIP. The grip is wrapped with twisted double steel wire alternating with twisted double copper wire. Four ribs divide the grip into equal parts, and the grip is finished with two chiselled ferrules at the ends.
POMMEL. The chiselled wheel-shaped solid pommel is round at the top. It is topped with a ball and threaded onto the blade tang to make the sword stronger and sturdier.
SCABBARD. Brown leather scabbard made by hand especially for this sword. It contains three iron pieces: at the top is the “brocal”, or locket, chiselled on both sides and featuring a round button to attach the scabbard to a belt. There is one “cantonera” fitting in the upper third of the scabbard, chiselled on both sides, and it is finished with a “batiente”, or chape, in chiselled iron to cover the point.
Sword handmade by the last swordsman master in Toledo. Unique piece.
CRAFTSMANSHIP OF TOLEDO. SPAIN.
