A SCOTTISH BASKET-HILT BROADSWORD, CIRCLE OF OR INFLUENCED BY THE STIRLING MAKERS

This fine sword is from a group discussed in Culloden The Swords and Sorrows, where two additional examples, 1:41 and 1:42, are illustrated. The hilts are influenced by the Stirling masters and compare with their best for quality, though at present, the maker is unidentified. This example is additionally distinguished among all surviving Scottish basket-hilts as the blade, made in Germany bears the motto GOTT BEWAHR DIE AVERECHTE SCHOTTEN which translates to God Keep or God Protect the True Scot. Another sword bearing this legend is at Inverary Castle, ancestral home of the Campbells and Dukes of Argyle. In this instance, it is valuable in dating this sword and its group to the Rebellion period, pre 1746, as its use after that would have been considered treasonous. Blade length: 33 1/8”