Maritiem Digitaal
collectie zoeksyteem van de maritieme musea
geen titel
| titel | geen titel
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| inventarisnummer | WPN1263
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| collectie | Edged Weapons
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| museum | National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
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| datum | 1750
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| omschrijving | S-Bar fighting sword which belonged to Captain George Bague- R.N. (fl.1798-1855). The hallmarked silver hilt has a pierced half basket extending on both sides of the knuckle-bow- the reverse side being broken off. The pierced top to the guard resembles the heart-shaped shell of the small sword and has a short up-turned quillon set slightly to the obverse. From this base- two silver bars in the form of scrolls- the lower following the upper in design but being longer join the guard to the bow at the mid point in the case of the latter and higher than that in the case of the former. The pommel is of smooth flattened oviform shape with a prominent tang button. The grip is spirally bound by several different strands of silver wire arranged as follows; heavy plaited wire has thin twisted wire on each side- each of the groups thus formed is seperated from its neighbour by a spiral of narrow silver ribbon. The lower ferrule is one piece with the pommel- the upper ferrule is (in a different way) and broadens into a smooth finish to the guard. The arrangement of the bars was not symmetrical about the knuckle-bow even when the hilt was complete as there are traces of only one bar on the reverse side.
The blade is of the slightly curved falchion type with two grooves running nearly the whole length from the hilt to the point and a third groove at the back running to a six inch long false edge. The obverse is engraved with an oval plaque with a scalloped edge containing three horizontal bands of inscriptions: a circle enclosing a half-moon in the form of a human face (R); five- six-pointed stars- one- two and two; the sun with sixteen major rays on a rayed background and with a human face (full view). The reverse is engraved with an oval plaque with scalloped edges containing three lines horizontal bands of inscriptions; manuscript (cursive?) inscription in three lines; a human figure wearing flowing robes with a sleeve with ornate- wide cuff clutching in his right hand. The black leather scabbard has silver top locket.
The silver mark on the hilt shows that the piece was made in London in 1750. Although the maker's mark appears- 'F.C' and it is thought that this refers to Francis Crump- there are certain inconsistencies about it and it must be regarded as the work of an unrecorded maker. The blade is probably German in spite of its 'oriental' style. The R.U.S.I. Museum stated in its Catalogue that the sword belonged to a Captain Bague- R.N. The only officer of this name in the Commissioned Sea Officers List is George Bague whose career is- briefly- as follows: he entered the Navy as 1st Class Volunteer on the 15th June 1798- became Lieutenant on the 8th March 1805. He was concerned in operations in Egypt and served in the COLOSSUS- 74- at the Battle of Trafalgar. He went onto half-pay as a Commander on the 13th July 1837 and retired in the same rank (under the Order in Council of 1816) on the 9th June 1851. He is missing from the Navy List after December 1855. The sword was presented to R.U.S.I. by Miss F. Crosbie. The connection with Bague is vague and unsatisfactory.
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| afmetingen | Blade: 762 x 25 mm
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