Bidspirit auction | Fine American Revolution Silver Mounted

Fine American Revolution Silver Mounted ”Cuttoe” - Very Fine American Revolution Silver Mounted ”Cuttoe” Hunting Sword, Similar to George Washingtons Sword. Exceptional lion head pommel example with silver mounts and ebony grip fluted and overlaid with flat copper strap. Multi fullered blade with long false edge. original tooled leather scabbard with silver mounts en suite to the hilt. Similar to one of the known George Washingtons swords of the period.The varying types of swords in Washington possession followed a distinct evolution of form, much like American cars did throughout most of the 20th century. Just as decorative arts in his day morphed through the Baroque, Rococo and Neo-Classical styles, so did sword hilts. Any gentlemen who had the desire to be seen as up-to-date had to keep up with these evolving trends, and Washington was no different. If we look at his smallswords, represented by four examples, we see the pinnacle of British sword hilt fashion as it spans the 1750s through the 1790s. All of these swords are architecturally identical but look strikingly dissimilar; we start with delicate and restrained gadrooning and end up with polished steel studs and filigree. A similar evolution of fashion and desirability can be seen in his choice of cuttoes. Washington lion-head example was superseded by the silver and iv0ry hilted cuttoe in the late 1770s, perhaps due to the association between a lion and Great Britain. Since cuttoes were falling out of use by the time Washington became President, there is no evidence that he ever acquired another in the pursuit of fashion. Total length 31.5”, length of the blade - 25”