Swordfish Blade Sword with Marquetry Wooden Handle. 

Condition: Point broken, and a piece missing from the corner that connects to the handle. 

Size: 7 x 3/4 x 43 1/2 in. 

A swordfish blade sword refers to a weapon made from the bill, or rostrum, of a swordfish. The swordfish bill is a long, pointed, and flat extension of the fish’s upper jaw, which has very sharp edges, and its unique characteristic made it sought after by Polynesian and Hawaiian cultures for centuries. The blade is not particularly sharp (in fact, rather brittle) and significantly weaker than a steel blade. In nature, swordfish use their bill to stun and injure prey by slashing through schools of fish, rather than skewering. Pacific Islanders, aware of this, primarily turned the bills of swordfish and marlin into weapons like daggers and swords with intricate bindings and wooden handles with religious iconography and marquetry, such as the Hawaiian pahoa a'u ku. They would be used in combat purely for deflection and side attacks, which often threw off their opponents who were more used to a direct stabbing technique. Today, swordfish bill swords are considered folk art, collectibles, or decorative pieces rather than functional weapons.

Point broken, and a piece missing from the corner that connects to the handle. 

All items are sold AS IS. Lot and condition details are for descriptive purposes only. Sarasota Estate Auction is not responsible for errors and/or omissions of condition. The absence of a condition report does not imply that the lot is perfect or free from wear, flaws, or characteristics of age. Please bid according to your own expertise, or request any additional information and/or photographs you deem necessary.