Spanish Colonial Cup Hilt Sword

Object Name/Title

Spanish Colonial Cup Hilt Sword

Catalog Number

111-0259

Physical Description

A Spanish Colonial cup-hilt sword featuring distinctive characteristics of colonial manufacture, including a broader blade than European examples and modified hilt construction. The sword exhibits a well-balanced feel despite its heavier weight due to the iron cup construction. The hilt assembly features an ornate cup guard with detailed silver fretwork arranged in geometric patterns and floral motifs, complemented by straight quillons terminating in silver covered finials. The grip shows intricate silver nail work set against dark shagreen. Notable for its combination of imported blade technology with colonial craftsmanship, this piece represents a unique adaptation of European sword designs in the colonial context.

Sword Type

Cup-hilt sword, Spanish Colonial variant

Maker/Workshop

Unknown maker, likely Caribbean (West Indies) or Spanish colonial Americas manufacture with possible Solingen blade

Date of Creation

18th century

Component Materials

Blade: Steel
Cup/Guard: Iron with applied silver fretwork in geometric and floral patterns
Quillon Finials: Silver Covered
Grip: Wood core covered with shagreen (tanned leather with embedded seeds)
Grip Decoration: Silver nails with distinctive shapes arranged in patterns
Pommel: Silver, with fluted design
Knuckle Guard: Iron, curved design

Measurements

Overall length: 38 1/2 inches (97.79 cm)
Blade length: 32 inches (81.28 cm)
Blade thickness at forte: 3/16 inches (0.476 cm)
Blade width at forte: 1 3/8 inches (3.492 cm)
Quillons extension: 3 1/8 inches (7.937 cm)
Cup width: 5 3/8 inches (13.652 cm)
Point of balance: Approximately one inch from bottom of cup
Weight: 3 lb, 2 1/4 oz (1.424 kg)

Edge Configuration

Double-edged blade with lenticular cross-section profile

Guard Style

Complex cup-style guard made of iron decorated with applied silver fretwork in multiple decorative bands, featuring geometric patterns and floral motifs. The cup includes both upper and lower decorated bands separated by a plain central section. Straight quillons with silver finial caps extend from the cup base. A curved knuckle guard rises from the cup to the pommel. The guard shows careful attention to decorative detail while maintaining structural integrity, though lacking the traditional arms that would hold the cup in original Spanish forms.

Pommel Type

Silver pommel with pronounced fluting or ribbing in a melon shape, typical of the period but executed in a colonial style. The pommel is substantial in size and appears to be securely attached to the grip assembly.

Tang Construction

While the full tang construction is not visible, the substantial nature of the hilt assembly and the sword's reported balance suggest a full tang construction with secure mounting through the grip to the pommel.

Object History

The sword's origin is attributed to 18th century colonial manufacture in the Caribbean or Spanish Americas. One oral tradition links the sword to Georges Biassou, a former slave who became a leader in the 1791 Haitian Revolution and later fought alongside Spanish royalists against French revolutionary forces in colonial Haiti. Biassou reportedly relocated to St. Augustine in 1795. The sword's construction reflects the colonial adaptation of European sword-making traditions, featuring locally produced components combined with potentially imported Solingen blades, a common practice in colonial weapon manufacture.

Temporal and Spatial Coverage

Temporal: 18th Century
Spatial: Caribbean (West Indies) or Spanish Americas

Related Collections

The F.E. Williams III Collection of Antique Weapons and Artifacts

Collection Attribution

Frederick Eugene Williams III (known as Jack Williams), Collector

References and Citations

"Spanish Military Weapons of Colonial America" (Brinckerhoff & Chamberlain, 1972)

"Arms and Armour in Colonial America" , Harold Peterson

See: Galuchat method for false shagreening (Galuchat Shagreen)

Rights Statement

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