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#1 |
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Join Date: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,057
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http://www.christies.com/features/Di...rd-6932-3.aspx
and http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/a...9-f6e31b77b540 |
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#2 |
Lead Moderator European Armoury
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Portugal
Posts: 9,694
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Stupendous.
The easy part is to fall in love with this magnificent sword; the hard part is to get the funds to bring it home with us. Thank you so much for showing us, Jasper. |
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#3 |
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: USA
Posts: 1,497
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Not very good images for the value of this sword.
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#4 |
EAAF Staff
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Upstate New York, USA
Posts: 909
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This really does demonstrate what the premium for provenance can be at the top of the market. I had totally missed that this was coming on sale and greatly appreciate the links and photos.
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#5 | |
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Olomouc
Posts: 1,693
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![]() In any case a fabulous result for a sword with a wonderful history. |
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#6 |
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#7 |
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Olomouc
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That's the one in the Met correct? The Bashford Dean sword.
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#8 | |
EAAF Staff
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Upstate New York, USA
Posts: 909
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P.S. The one to the right in the picture (that has lost its tip, presumably to many re-honings, ex Maj. Prescott and presently lent to the Met courtesy of Ron Lauder) is a much nicer sword than pictures ever suggest. |
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#9 | |
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Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: USA
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Sword Date: before 1419 Culture: European Medium: Steel, wood Dimensions: L. 43 11/16 in. (110.96 cm); L. of blade 34 1/8 in. (86.67 cm); W. of cross guard 12 3/8 in. (31.43 cm) Wt. 3 lb. 10 oz. (1644 g) Classification: Swords Credit Line: Bashford Dean Memorial Collection, Bequest of Bashford Dean, 1928 Accession Number: 29.150.143 The Arabic inscription engraved on the blade of this sword indicates that it was part of the large group of European arms and armor once stored in the Mamluk arsenal in Alexandria, Egypt. Many of those pieces were taken as booty in the battles between Muslim and Christian armies in the Near East and Aegean regions; others were sent to the sultan as tribute, possibly by the king of Cyprus. The inscription reads in translation: "Donation of al-Mālik al Mu`ayyad Abū al-Nasr Shaykh to the armory in the frontier city of Alexandria [in the] year 822 [A.D. 1419]." Marking: Stamped on one face: W; on the other face: a cross. |
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#10 | |
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Olomouc
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My interest in the Alexandria grouping is more with the earlier ascensions, under Sayf al-din Aristay. Again I highly recommend Clive Thomas'article in the same publication from Spring 2011. Clive Thomas and David Oliver have additional articles on certain Alexandria arsenal swords in the Spring 2009 and Spring 2013 editions respectively. |
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#11 | |
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Olomouc
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https://www.flickr.com/photos/980156...7634798190647/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/980156...7634798190647/ |
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#12 | |
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Location: USA
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Saint Michael and the Dragon Artist: Spanish (Valencian) Painter (active in Italy, early 15th century) Date: ca. 1405 Medium: Tempera on wood, gold ground Dimensions: 41 3/8 x 40 3/4 in. (105.1 x 103.5 cm) Sword Date: ca. 1400 Culture: Western European Medium: Steel, silver, copper alloy, leather Dimensions: L. 40 1/4 in. (102.2 cm); L. of blade 32 in. (81.3 cm); Wt. 3 lb. 11 oz. (1673 g) Last edited by estcrh; 21st December 2015 at 02:36 PM. |
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#13 | |
EAAF Staff
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Upstate New York, USA
Posts: 909
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The Aristay group (1400-1408) is especially interesting as the great diversity of types as well as evidence of wear and re-honing of several examples so inscribed suggests this group as war booty. D.G. Alexander's 1985 article European Swords in the Collections of Istanbul (Waffen und Kostümkunde, 27-2) sets out his multifactorial analysis of the inscription groups as diplomatic gifts versus war booty. |
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#14 | |
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Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Olomouc
Posts: 1,693
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#15 |
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Join Date: Mar 2016
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Another previously unlocated Alexandrian XVIIIc has resurfaced at auction! It shares the same maker's mark that appears on the XVIIIc in the Royal Armouries: the letter P surmounted by a cross potent, twice repeated. It looks like this is the sword shown in the lower left in the photo from the Ottoman armoury, distinguished for the maker's mark and the damaged tip of the blade by Clive Thomas in his 2003 article. This one sold last month for the "low" price of only £200,000!
![]() https://www.christies.com/lotfinder/...=6153918&lid=1 |
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