Antique 17th Century Polish Sword Saber Batorowka With Spanish Toledo Blade By Pedro Hernandes

This is a very rare authentic antique, an early 17th-century Polish sword Batorowka saber with a blade made by famous Spanish Toledo sword maker Pedro Hernandes.

DETAILS: a well-made, sturdy, single-edged steel blade that is slightly curved. It features a full-length fuller on the outer face of the ricasso that has been deeply stamped with Pedro Hernandes' mark, which is a crucifix flanked by two other marks. The blade's spine is raised near the hilt and has a pronounced false edge-yelmen, characteristic of early 17th-century Polish sword blades. The crossguard is made of iron and has a typical Polish form with flattened quillons and spatulate terminals. The front terminal of the crossguard has two holes (which are worn) for attaching the chains that connect to the pommel of the hilt.

Hilt: This type of Polish hilt is described as Type nr III in the book "Cięcia prawdziwą szablą" by Wojciech Zabłocki on page 86.

Crossguard: Most of this type of crossguard, known as the Polish-Hungarian type, is usually affixed with long langets, but this particular crossguard does not have them. There are no indications that they were ever there and then removed, so it must be a unique Polish version of this type of crossguard.

Blade: a rare blade made by Spanish Toledo sword maker Pedro Hernandes in the early 17th century for the Polish market. The professional literature that describes the types of Polish sabers in Batorowka form with Spanish blades used in Poland during the early 17th "Hiszpanka" (Spanish), among other names of the sabers. For more information, please refer to "Polska Bron biala" by Andrzej Nadolski, page 108.

Most of these names refer to the origin of the blades imported to Poland from various countries. Many of these blades were exclusively made for export to Poland in the style of the Polish sabers, including the blades made by Italian, German, Spanish, and Styrian swordsmiths; however, none of the blades made by the Spanish masters survived to the present day in any museums or private collections.

This Polish sword with an early 17th-century blade made by the Spanish master is only one well-known example of these blades.

REFERENCES:

1. Pedro Hernandes Toledo Spain makers' marks are published in the book "Wallace Collection Catalogues - European Arms and Armour Volume II" on pages 291, 298, and 693.

Pictures of these pages are attached to the listing.

2. Four Polish swords are currently preserved in The Polish Army Museum in Warsaw. They have a similar blade and crossguard style. The swords are featured in the book Broń w Dawnej Polsce by Zdzisław Żygulski on pages 125, 126, 128, and 129.

Please see the last pictures in the listing.

We will also provide the buyer with photocopies of the pages from the mentioned references together with a certificate of authenticity.

PROVENANCE:

We acquired this sword, along with other antique Polish arms and armor, from a Canadian collection. This collection, built over 40 years ago, likely the largest in North America. We invite you to visit our store and explore other rare objects from this collection.

MEASUREMENTS:

Overall length: 71.5 cm (28.15 inches).

Width of the blade at the widest point: 3 cm (1.18 inches).

CONDITION: It shows age and use. It is pitted, and there is some combat nick on the edge. The hand grip is missing. All of this can be expected from a 400-year-old combat sword.

In my over 50 years dealing with antique arms, this is the only Polish sword I've encountered with a blade crafted by Pedro Hernandes, the renowned Spanish Toledo swordsmith.

NOTE: Antique Polish arms and armor from the 17th to 18th centuries are highly sought after by collectors, but they are scarce and difficult to acquire.

Unfortunately, due to the significant demand for these historical artifacts, many reproductions of 17th-18th century Polish arms and armor have appeared on the antique market. These reproductions include swords, maces, war hammers, helmets, and armor and are often made by craftsmen in the USA, Poland, Lithuania, and Ukraine.

In many cases, these objects are very well made and professionally aged, rusted, and damaged to look old, which can deceive inexperienced collectors into thinking that they are authentic artifacts.

These reproductions are being sold as genuine antique objects directly by these counterfeiters and by many dealers who lack knowledge and experience in antique Polish Arms and Armor.

It is important to understand that these reproductions have no historical or investment value.