Dress Sword
1743
Hilt: Portuguese or Spanish; blade: probably German
Spain
Cast in solid gold, the hilt of this dress sword is a rare survival. More often such extravagant pieces were melted down for the value of the precious material. The goldsmith who made it is unknown, though the heavy florid style and form of the guard suggests a southern European, perhaps Portuguese origin.
Gold-Copper alloy, steel, and gilding