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PROPERTY FROM THE DESCENDANT FAMILY OF ARTHUR RICHARD DUFTY CB, 1911-1993), MASTER OF THE ROYAL ARMOURIES (1963-76) AND PRESIDENT OF THE SOCIETY OF ANTIQUARIES (1978-81) 118 A FINE ITALIAN LEFT-HAND DAGGER, CIRCA 1600 with tapering blade of stiff-diamond section, pierced with a series of circles and ovals within two long slender fullers framed by a further pair of fullers top and bottom on each face, rectangular ricasso pierced and fullered en suite on the outer face and hollowed for the thumb on the inner, iron hilt comprising a pair of down-curved quillons of flattened-rounded section, side-ring swelling slightly towards the centre, and flattened barrel-shaped pommel, decorated throughout with panels of punched and gilt pellets within matching diagonal frames (small losses), and retaining an early grip of plaited silver wire between ‘Turk’s heads’, almost certainly the original, in its leather-covered wooden scabbard with iron lockets and chape decorated en suite with the hilt, the former with a loop on the inner face for suspension and the latter with moulded terminal 26.5 cm; 10 ½ in blade £3500-4500
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