A fine French small-sword with paste-set silver-gilt hilt, Paris, late 18th century

From the Duques de Tamames Collection

A fine French small-sword with paste-set silver-gilt hilt, Paris, late 18th century

with tapering blade of flattened hexagonal section, stamped ‘X IN X SOLINGEN XX’ within a short fuller on each face, silver hilt cast and chased in low relief comprising oval openwork shell-guard formed as an expanded flowerhead, the inner face set with pastes, a pair of slender quillons with globular terminals, quillon-block decorated with a flowerhead, a pair of pas d’ânes, knuckle-guard interrupted by a flowerhead, gadrooned pommel decorated with alternating gilt bands and pastes and solid grip en suite, in its leather scabbard (extensive wear) and compete with its matching locket 

80.2 cm blade