APPRAISER COMMENTS:

This is a pair of swept-hilt rapiers, circa 17th century, in fair condition. The term rapier was borrowed in the 16th century from the French rapiere, where it was recorded in 1474 in the phrase epee rapiere, which itself derived from the contemporary Spanish espada ropera, "dress sword," carried daily by gentlemen. As compared with the arming sword, the rapier was a much lighter weapon with a straight double-edged and pointed blade, which, with the development of the art of fencing in the 16th and 17th centuries, finally became narrower and lighter, and thus suitable for thrusts only. The rapier of the latter half of the 16th century usually had a hilt with straight or recurved quillions, side guards, arms of the hilt, and knuckle bows; additional rings and bars in ever increasing numbers were used in various types of hilts to improve the protection. But the sharp point of the opponent's blade often found a way through this sophisticated defense network, and the only foolproof way of stopping it was the use of a metal plate. In the early decades of the 17th century the shell guard started to increase in size until this protection reached the form of the cup guard.

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