dating: about 1570 provenance: France, Strong, straight blade, ribbed at the center, of lozenge section. Rectangular tang, sharpened towards the center and with remains of gilding and finishing, stamped on the left side in a shape of stylized bird. Elegant gilded bronze hilt, partially abraded. Parallelepiped quillon block (veined on one side) with frames on the borders and a Pan face in bass-relief on both sides, quillons curved toward the blade (one cracked and slightly bent), decorated with floral motifs and animal's masks at the ends, on both sides as well. Parry-ring chiselled with leaves and spirals holding a female face in relief in the center. Quatrelobed pommel, in two halves joined in the center, surmounted with a two-faced lady's bust composing a button; front and back lobes chiselled with a lion's head, the two lateral are bulbiform and enriched with garlands in relief as well. Grip with a naked female figure, in relief, holding a vase with flowers, surrounded by bands and architectonic elements and flowers. Wooden scabbard, covered with velvet (completely worn) with fantastic, gilded bronze mounts. Cap with a scene in which a group of characters is worshiping an idol (a sort of ape demonic figure) placed on a column: in the center and on the right three ladies in classical period dress, one of which kneeling, on the left two male characters, one with a helmet, the other with a long beard and conical hat, under all the characters a crouching lion, the bottom of the cap with a big mask. Upper part of the cap with rounded ring, with a mask in the center surrounded by flowers and fruits. An additional mouthpiece with double slot in the upper part of the scabbard, a knife and an awl inside of it, provided with wooden grip with gilded brass cap, decorated with masks in relief. Long chape decorated with a beautiful effigy of Hermes, messenger of the Gods, surmounted with a garland; below a mask, flowers and effigy that resumes the idol on the cap. Lower end with carving similar to the pommel but of reduced dimensions and with male faces. Back part of the cap engraved with lozenges, with a big cross and provided with a loop, festooned border and engraved with leaves. Back of chape carved with floral motifs. This fantastic dagger shows many details found on works by Hans Holbein the Elder (Augsburg, 1460 - Issenheim, 1524). See a series of Swiss daggers in the Wallace Collection, illustrated in 'European Arms and Armor - Volume II Arms' on plate 137 which contain various resembles with ours, such as the pommel of the A 768 dagger, the chapes of A 769 and A 770 and the drawing of the cap of A 768 (found in our dagger on the back part). The stamp on the blade is very similar to the stamps of the A 768, and vaguely recalls also those of the A 769 and A 770. See also the very similar knife and awl in the dagger kept in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, which also shows similarities with ours on the chape and decoration engraved on the cap. Also the subject of the decorative elements of this dagger is of extreme interest, as the suggested theme is not only pagan, but esoteric: The main image, in fact, that is the scene on the cap, is an explicit esoteric reference, in which the idol worshiped on the column is probably Lucifer himself, portrayed inside a building, in a niche under a canopy (Lucifer, bearer of Light, does not need the light of the sun, since he himself is the light), depicted with monstrous features in the act of spreading his arms holding a scepter and (probably) a cornucopia. On his right he is in fact worshiped by ladies, on the left by a bearded man in the act of swearing, and by a man wearing a helmet pointing (or throwing) a torch (or a scale) to the ground. Pommel with button as two-faced female figure can recall the myth of Janus, who sees the future and the past. The naked figures on the grip can also be interpreted as sacrificial victims tied by straps to an altar. The back of the cap bears the effigy of a large crucifix, but this has engraved arms so that each element has both a light and a dark side, and the foliage at the base of the cap can also be interpreted as flames. The depiction of Hermes, messenger of the gods but also god of writing and Magic. Quillon block bears Pan's heads, obviously also assimilated to the iconography of the Devil. An extraordinary dagger that deserves an adequate study of its unique characteristics. Museum restorations. length 38,2 cm.
