Hilt: Italy (?); Blade: Germany, Saxony, late 16th-17th Century / late 1600s
Hanger (Hunting Sword)
The Cleveland Museum of Art catalogs Hanger (Hunting Sword) as arms and armor (Hilt: Italy (?); Blade: Germany, Saxony, late 16th-17th Century · late 1600s).
The swordsmith's mark, a crowned stag visible on the blade below the hilt, is unidentified.
A CLOSER LOOK
The museum identifies this arms and armor as steel; gold and silver damascened hilt and credits Jaspar Bongen the Younger (German, active late 1600s).
The museum's collection notes: Damascening, the technique of hammering gold and silver wires into grooves cut to receive them, enlivens this sword's hilt. Further texture was added with wires to improve the user's grip, which allowed him to hunt with more control and accuracy. Hunting was a popular sport among the wealthy and many nobles owned tracts of forest, but peasants were prohibited from hunting on these lands.
FOLLOW THE EVIDENCE
The Cleveland Museum of ArtHanger (Hunting Sword)Original explanation based on the sources above. Images carry their own reuse terms.