June 9-10, 2017 Premier Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/10/2017
Circa 1830's. Double edged blade with fileworked ricasso, marked on both sides "FLERSHEIM REINGANUM & CO’S CUTLERY". One piece ivory handle carved with a lioness at pommel end, yellow glass eyes, nickel silver crossguard and foliate ferrule. Blade with even patina, appears unsharpened, tip slightly blunted and with fine pitting to last 1” of blade. Small chips to tips of lioness’s ears. No sheath. Flersheim Reinganum & Co. was a Birmingham-based firm that dealt in English-made hardware, and was dissolved in November 1839. While this is the first lioness we have encountered, the style of the carving is identical to the horse heads, alligators and similar carved ivory Sheffield knives by James Rodgers and others. Woodcock is believed to have done the carving on them.