Spanish Colonial Plug Bayonet (Dagger) Wood Grip with Sheath

This Spanish Colonial plug bayonet (often termed a baioneta de taco) features an elegant, high-status design typical of late 17th to 18th-century Iberian craftsmanship.  It features a curved, single-edged steel blade measuring 12.5 inches in length. The flat of the blade is deeply decorated with intricate, hand-engraved Baroque floral scrollwork and stylized foliage running down the center towards a distinct spear point. The cast metal crossguard features straight, decorative turned quillons with rounded, stacked baluster finials. It is mounted with heavily detailed, matching engraved collars (ferrules).  The handle is carved from a high-grain, polished hardwood featuring a characteristic bulbous basal swell that tapers sharply toward the pommel. This distinct conical shape was engineered to plug tightly directly into the muzzle of a smoothbore musket, transforming the firearm into a defensive pike after a shot was discharged