"Sword Of The King's Bodyguard. 18th-century Hilt And Blade From The First Restoration Period, Early 19th Century. France."
Sword of the King's Bodyguard. 18th-century hilt and early 19th-century First Restoration blade. Silvered bronze hilt. Slightly olive-shaped pommel, laterally grooved. Joint arch, quillon, and edge of the guard plate decorated with sinuous lines or "rope" motifs, a special ornament for the King's Bodyguards. The 76.7 cm blade has the inscription "Gardes du Corps du Roi" (King's Bodyguards) on the central ridge and opposite the blade. Overall length 92.5 cm. During the French Revolution, most of the blades of the King's Household were broken. France. Late 18th century for the hilt and early 19th-century for the blade.