Swept Hilt Rapier

This Swept Hilt, Toledo Blade Rapier was forged in the 1600's by Alonso Perez. The sword was likely developed for an armoury of one of the Electors of Bavaria, and the chiselling on the hilt was based on the designs of the French engraver Etienne Delaune. This Rapier has a swept hilt with interlinked bars and rings that protect the hand. As wearing a Rapier was in fashion during this period, it was likely a display piece and wouldn't have been used in any sort of combat.
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Like the Hand and a Half Sword I made earlier in the year, I also came across this Rapier in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and the intricate details presented an interesting challenge. I used Maya for the blockout, the engravings and sculpted details were done in Zbrush, and the grip was done in Blender using the array meshes along curves/splines. This sword was a nice increase in challenge from the last piece.
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Thanks to Rick Greeve, Jacob Norris, and Ben Keeling for the feedback on texturing and presentation, it really helped push it to the next level :)