Musketeer Sword With A Blade Signed "tomas De Alla," Circa 1690

This beautiful sword is French. Indeed, while the blade is clearly that of a Spanish rapier, the style of the hilt is typically French.This hilt is characteristic of the final years of Louis XIV’s reign, around 1690–1700. Indeed, the finger rings or "arms"  known as “pas d’âne” are fully functional and designed to accommodate a finger.
The practice of fitting an older blade—usually one passed down through the family—onto a contemporary hilt “in the style of the time” was a way of showing that one came from a family of ancient nobility that had worn the sword for several generations. The quality of this sword’s decorations leaves no doubt about the social standing of the noble man who commissioned it.
BLADE: This is a narrow rapier blade, known as “verduguillo.”  (from spanish word "verdugo" = executionner) After a very short ricasso, it takes on a hexagonal cross-section. On each side, there is a central groove along the first 19 centimeters .In these grooves, the following can be read:
Outer side :   + T O M A S + +
Inner side:    + D E + A L L A +
This signature naturally evokes the famousToledo swordsmith Tomás de Ayala. Several spellings exist: Tomás Ayala, Tomás de Aïala, Tomás de Aïlala, Tomás de Alla … In any case, this brilliant armorer, who lived around 1624 never signed any of his blades himself, as he was illiterate.T his blade is undoubtedly of high quality and does indeed date from the 17th century, but it cannot be attributed with certainty to the famous swordmaker, whose mark was sometimes adopted by other masters.
Blade length= 82 cm to the quillons, 78.7 cm to the outer edge of theguard plates.
HANDGUARD: It is luxuriously decorated with figures dancing amid plants
Double kidney-shaped guard plates featuring on the outer side a dancing figure and a reclining figure, between two busts. All these depictions show long, curly hair styles like those worn during the reign of Louis XIV, which confirms the date of the making of this sword. On the inner side of the guard plates: men dancing between two dolphin heads.
The guard plate is decorated with a dancing man. A flattened quillon is slightly curved toward the blade.T he knuckle bow features the same decorations, it ends at the pommel, to which it is attached by ahook.
POMMEL : It is ovoid, surmounted by a small, flattened knob to which the blade tang is riveted. The decoration is the same as on the rest of the weapon, featuring a dancing figure.
GRIP : It is spool-shaped and covered with intricate, highly elaborate binding .The ferrule rings in the form of braided crowns, known as “Turk's heads,” are present and original, in very good condition.
This high-quality sword is entirely original, never restored; it is a fine example of French craftsmanship at the end of the Sun King’s reign.
Ref. D-2638R Shipping fee: France €30,Europe €40