Sword Known As A "pillow Sword," Early 17th Century

This is a sword known as a "pillow sword," which, strictly speaking, was placed close to the bed to allow its owner to have a weapon within reach in the eventof a night time attack. 
In a more general acceptation, a sword or rapier known as a “pillow sword” is a short weapon, whose guard is almost always of  small size.
This type of sword allowed one to discreetly keep a weapon within reach, primarily for use inside a castle or house, where the long blades of the rapiers used at the time would have been cumbersome.
This sword is probably of French or Germanic origin, based on the shape of the blade and of thecross guard. It can be dated from the first half of the 17th century.
BLADE: It is a six-faceted blade, which, after a very short 2 mm ricasso, takes on a flattened hexagonal cross-section, whose edges have become rounded over the years.
Blade length = 76.2 cm, width at the shoulder= 2.2cm, thickness at the shoulder= 5.6 mm
GUARD: This is a solid iron guard, decorated with leaf-shaped chiseling. It features an oval central section and a wide protective ring, the middle part of which is shaped like two facing balusters. The quillons are curved toward the blade and offset from the plane of the blade, as is very often the case with weapons intended for combat. This angle of the quillons allowed an opponent’s blade to be blocked between them and the strong finger guard ring. The quillons end in bulges shaped like gourds.
POMMEL: It is rounded, smooth, and topped by asmall button on which the blade tang is riveted.
GRIP : It is made of dark wood, carved into rhombuses, with a decoration of inlaid bone discs, and a twisted binding lines which separates the rhombuses.
This high-quality, attractive weapon will be a fine addition to acollection of swords or rapiers.
Ref B-2638E2 Shipping costs: France €30, Europe €45