Short hunting swords aka hunting hangers were popular with European and American gentlemen in the 16th through 18th centuries and could also be carried as sidearms by officers. Later examples with integral flintlock pistols like this one generally date to the mid-18th century. They would have been primarily employed by hunters to finish off wounded or subdued game such as wild boars. This example is 28 3/4 inches in overall length with a 21 1/2 inch cutting edge, 5 3/8 inch false edge, 3 3/4 inch two-stage barrel with smooth bore on the left, small lock with light engraving on the right, small trigger on top, engraved hilt with gilt backgrounds and foliate and mask designs, and an unusual grip featuring rococo scroll and shell patterns, a scene of a lady and gentleman, and a thin coating of horn. It was Item 15 in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's "Loan Exhibition of European Arms and Armor" from 1931 noted as "lent by E. Hubert Litchfield." He was the son of Edward Hubbard Litchfield, and it was also featured as Item 76 in the catalog of the Edward Hubbard Litchfield collection (copies of pages from the catalogs included). Provenance: The Edward Hubbard Litchfield Collection; Property of a Gentleman

Very good with silver-gray patina on the blade and much of the hilt, strong gold backgrounds, minor oxidation, and some loss of the grip coating. Mechanically fine.