French Cavalry saber a la Mameluke for comments

fernando · 31st December 2018, 01:16 PM

This appears to be a French light Cavalry saber à la Mameluke, for a superior officer of the First Empire.
With a blade length of 72 cms. (measured around) and a bow of 83 m/m. Total length 83 cms. (in a straight line) Sword weight 715 grams. The 'dark' steel scabbard weighs 511 grams. All other (visual) details need not to be mentioned, as pictures speak for themselves.
Could you guys confirm this identification and are able to discern if the grip is rhino horn ?
Thank you.

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corrado26 · 1st January 2019, 10:26 AM

After having consulted the book "Les Sabres portés par l'armée Francaise" de Lhoste/Resek I tend to say that this sabre is a "sabre d'officier supérieur de Cavalerie légère, modèle à l'orientale vers 1830. Are there any signatures or marks on the blade? By the way, all the similar sabres of this type shown in the book mentioned above have no rhino grips. They all have grips of corn, ivory, ebony or nacre.
corrado26

fernando · 1st January 2019, 12:37 PM

Thank you so much for your comments, corrado.
The rhino grip was only a guess. I thought of that, both because of its unusual (to me) color and also influenced by a an extremely expensive example from the same period that i saw in the Web, with a finger ridged rhino grip .
No, unfortunately after turning it around and around i found no marks or signatures.

kai · 7th January 2019, 08:25 PM

Hello Fernando,

We'd need to see a close-up of the end grain of the horn for any identification.
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=6162

From general appearance, I'd tend towards it possibly being some blonde variety (probably from cattle; rams also often exhibit lighter colored horn).

Regards,
Kai

fernando · 8th January 2019, 07:52 PM

Thanks much for caring Kai but, no need to browse further.
That was me giving wings to my imagination. After looking to the description and pictures of other examples, i am now certain this is some sort of "corne blonde" , as you suggested.

fernando · 10th January 2019, 03:04 PM

It is amazing how these Mameluke style swords 'digressed' into a path of luxury, their ostentation attempts reaching exponential limits. Some examples are so breathtaking that it hurts to watch them.
This 'specimen' from the Royal collection kept in the Armoury of the Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa may not the be an extreme achievement, but certainly mid way to it. All parts are gold (not golden), with the Paris proof house hallmark circa 1809; except for the grip, which is jade.
Such a pity that the picture in the catalog is rather small and the details can not be clearly appreciated. Just for perusal (all) chiselled motifs include Hercules fighting the lion, chariots pulled by oxen and deer carrying persons, a knight protected by a buckler, the head of Minerva, a woman figure, man and woman heads, volutes, palmettes, lyres, amphors, horses, arabescs.
This certainly is not a fighting sword but, surely a sword i would fight for

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31st December 2018, 01:16 PM	#1
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	French Cavalry saber a la Mameluke for comments This appears to be a French light Cavalry saber à la Mameluke, for a superior officer of the First Empire. With a blade length of 72 cms. (measured around) and a bow of 83 m/m. Total length 83 cms. (in a straight line) Sword weight 715 grams. The 'dark' steel scabbard weighs 511 grams. All other (visual) details need not to be mentioned, as pictures speak for themselves. Could you guys confirm this identification and are able to discern if the grip is rhino horn ? Thank you. . Attached Images

10th January 2019, 03:04 PM	#6
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	It is amazing how these Mameluke style swords 'digressed' into a path of luxury, their ostentation attempts reaching exponential limits. Some examples are so breathtaking that it hurts to watch them. This 'specimen' from the Royal collection kept in the Armoury of the Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa may not the be an extreme achievement, but certainly mid way to it. All parts are gold (not golden), with the Paris proof house hallmark circa 1809; except for the grip, which is jade. Such a pity that the picture in the catalog is rather small and the details can not be clearly appreciated. Just for perusal (all) chiselled motifs include Hercules fighting the lion, chariots pulled by oxen and deer carrying persons, a knight protected by a buckler, the head of Minerva, a woman figure, man and woman heads, volutes, palmettes, lyres, amphors, horses, arabescs. This certainly is not a fighting sword but, surely a sword i would fight for . Attached Images

1st January 2019, 10:26 AM	#2
corrado26 Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Black Forest, Germany Posts: 1,204	After having consulted the book "Les Sabres portés par l'armée Francaise" de Lhoste/Resek I tend to say that this sabre is a "sabre d'officier supérieur de Cavalerie légère, modèle à l'orientale vers 1830. Are there any signatures or marks on the blade? By the way, all the similar sabres of this type shown in the book mentioned above have no rhino grips. They all have grips of corn, ivory, ebony or nacre. corrado26

1st January 2019, 12:37 PM	#3
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	Thank you so much for your comments, corrado. The rhino grip was only a guess. I thought of that, both because of its unusual (to me) color and also influenced by a an extremely expensive example from the same period that i saw in the Web, with a finger ridged rhino grip . No, unfortunately after turning it around and around i found no marks or signatures.

7th January 2019, 08:25 PM	#4
kai Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Posts: 3,254	Hello Fernando, We'd need to see a close-up of the end grain of the horn for any identification. http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=6162 From general appearance, I'd tend towards it possibly being some blonde variety (probably from cattle; rams also often exhibit lighter colored horn). Regards, Kai

8th January 2019, 07:52 PM	#5
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	Thanks much for caring Kai but, no need to browse further. That was me giving wings to my imagination. After looking to the description and pictures of other examples, i am now certain this is some sort of "corne blonde" , as you suggested.