Antique 17th Century Italian Military Gunners Stiletto Dagger Knife Sword

View Similar Items

17th Century Italian Holy Water Stoop

Italian 17th Century Mannequin

Rare 17th Century Espada, Sword Rest Console

17th Century Italian Ecclesiastical Lectern

17th Century Italian Rare Carved Walnut Antique Kneeler

Early 17th Century Sculpture

17th c. Italian Lecturn

Impressive Tabernacle, Italian Altar, 17th Century

Italian 17th Century "Mannequin De Presentation"

17th Century Italian Painted Confessional Box

17th Century Sterling Silver Reliquary

Chapel, Walnut Wood, 17th Century

About the Item

Antique 17th century Italian gunner’s stiletto featuring a triangular blade marked with incremented markings for measuring cannon bores / powder levels. Turned iron pommel, bolster, and cross guard, flanking a wooden grips, decorated with grooves once sporting wire inlays and accented with round amber beads. Particularly suited for thrusting, was often a gunner's last line of defense after the cannon and other arms available to the gun crew had been used. The triangular blades were often engraved with graduated markings and numbers. These divisions gave the gunner a means of measuring a gun bore and calibre of the ball, the ability to calculate distances, among other tasks. “First developed in Italy, the stiletto dates from the late 1400s, and is thought to be a development of the rondel dagger or misericordia, a needle-pointed weapon with a narrow blade designed primarily for thrusting, though possessing cutting edges.[6][7] Early stilettos normally used a one-piece cast-metal handle which was shaped and turned on a lathe. The stiletto blade was usually hammer-forged into a dense rod with a narrow, triangular cross section, without any sharpened edges. However, other examples of the period have emerged bearing round, square, or diamond cross sections. The Italian word ""stiletto"" comes from the Latin stilus,[8] the thin pointed Roman writing instrument used to engrave wax or clay tablets in ancient times. The stiletto began to gain fame during the late Middle Ages, when it was the secondary weapon of knights.[9] Originally designed as a purely offensive weapon, the stiletto was used to finish off a fallen or severely wounded heavily armored opponent. The needle-like blade could easily penetrate most mail or find its way through gaps in a knight's plate armor, and was narrow enough to pass through the eye slits of the helmeted knight. A severely wounded opponent, who was not expected to survive, would be given a ""mercy strike"" (French coup de grâce), hence the name miséricorde. Later the Gunner's Stiletto became a tool for clearing cannon-fuse touch holes; used in the manner of an automotive oil dipstick, they were often inscribed with marks indicating levels of powder charges for ranging distance. Measures: 22.25” x 2.75” x 1” / Blade Length – 17” (Length x Width x Depth).

Dimensions:
Height: 1 in (2.54 cm)Width: 22.25 in (56.52 cm)Depth: 2.75 in (6.99 cm)
Style:
Baroque (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Hardwood,Metal
Period:
17th Century
Date of Manufacture:
17th Century
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use. Good Antique Condition - Some light surface rust; stains in grooves/some missing wire inlay; cross guard slightly loose; some missing decorative beads.
Seller Location:
Dayton, OH
Reference Number:
Seller: 365601stDibs: LU5343232660932

More From This Seller

View All

Antique 17th Century English Quartersawn Oak Sideboard Server Court Cupboard

Located in Dayton, OH

A beautiful English Charles II era sideboard or server, circa 1660s. Reminiscent of the Jacobean era Court Cupboard. Made from quartersawn oak with intric...

Category

Antique Mid-17th Century Charles II Sideboards

Materials

Brass

Antique 17th Century English Quartersawn Oak Sideboard Server Court Cupboard

$4,000 Sale Price

20% Off

18th Century Antique Conrad Lotter Septentrionalis Meridionalis American Maps

Located in Dayton, OH

Pair of rare hand colored maps from the 1770's, depicting "America Septentrionalis" (North America), engraved by Georg Friedrich Lotter and America Meridionalis (South America), engr...

Category

Antique 18th Century Maps

Materials

Paper

18th Century Antique Conrad Lotter Septentrionalis Meridionalis American Maps

$2,400 Sale Price

20% Off

Antique Bayliss & Co 19th Century English Brass Apothecary Counter Scale Balance

By Bayliss & Coulthard

Located in Dayton, OH

An antique 4 lb mercantile balance by Bayliss & Co of Birmingham, England. Features a twisted iron stand and brass balance with tray and scoop. Makers mark engraved along top arm.

Category

Antique Late 19th Century Victorian Scientific Instruments

Materials

Brass, Iron

Antique Bayliss & Co 19th Century English Brass Apothecary Counter Scale Balance

$640 Sale Price

20% Off

Antique Gamewell Cast Iron Fire Alarm Station Radio Telegraph Box 17"

Located in Dayton, OH

Antique Gamewell Co wall hanging cast iron fire alarm box. #2462, from Dayton Ohio. Dimensions: 12.5" x 6" x 16.75" (Width x Depth x Height)

Category

Vintage 1910s American American Classical Historical Memorabilia

Materials

Iron

Antique Gamewell Cast Iron Fire Alarm Station Radio Telegraph Box 17"

$480 Sale Price

20% Off

H.T. Cushman Antique Early 20th Century Petite Smoking Stand Humidor Ashtray 26"

By H.T. Cushman Manufacturing Company

Located in Dayton, OH

A quaint smoke stand by H.T. Cushman, circa early 20th century. Features wooden construction with turned pots, 2 central glass ashtrays, a strike pad and lower humidor cabinet. D...

Category

Early 20th Century Tobacco Accessories

Materials

Glass, Hardwood

H.T. Cushman Antique Early 20th Century Petite Smoking Stand Humidor Ashtray 26"

$468 Sale Price

20% Off

1950s Russian Military PAB-2M Periscope Artillery Aiming Circle Theodolite 9"

Located in Dayton, OH

Vintage circa 1950s Russian military periscope artillery aiming circle - PAB-2M/7A919. Includes instruction booklet and hardwood base for sculpture mount display. Designed to determ...

Category