Hussar saber, real or not?

[Jim McDougall]

[QUOTE=Pertinax;297381]

Originally Posted by serdar

Hussar saber, blade marked with some kind of marka de mosca or something that looks like a germ

Hi serdar!

I recently exhibited a nimcha, there is a similar mark on the blade.

Respectfully,
Yuri

Thank you for adding this Yuri, excellent and most salient comparison.
Here I will note that these obviously spurious markings on a European blade imported into the centers in the Maghreb, and ambitiously applied by a native trader, less than skillfully are understandably so. . What is important here is that native armorers often applied copies of European markings for their perceived 'magic' and the quality artistically was less important than the presence of the mark itself. On the blades of Eastern European sabers the markings are typically more well executed and follow certain conventions in application.

It is noted in Wallace Collection (Mann, 1962, p.274, (A535, p.692) that this marking, which seems distinctive from the twig type, is often found in conjunction with the familiar 'sickle' dentated arcs, and "sometimes found on European blades mounted in the East". Here the sword associated is German c. 1560-1600.

In the case of this saber (original post) which appears to be an example in the manner of Polish sabers of 17th century, the clearly spurious markings are terribly executed and attempt to approximate marking groupings (x's) and a similar mark to that on the nimcha. FAR from being 'expert' ....these markings on the blade seem contrary to the others I have seen on similar examples, and applied in unusual configuration.

I like the 'germ' simile for this marking