Russian Court Sword ?

trenchwarfare · 13th August 2014, 05:28 PM

Or, just resize the images on your camera. I did that, now I can post them on any website, with no problems.

NigelP · 14th August 2014, 08:44 PM

Thanks for the re-sizing hints. I did discover another resizer shortly after posting so I've uploaded the pics.

Have discovered that the "H I" is probably Tsar Nicolas 1st, where Nicolas seems to begin with H in Russian according to Wikipedia! Nicolas' reign runs from 1825-1855 and his Imperial Monogram looks remarkably similar to that of the sword even if not precisely the same.

Any further inputs would be welcome.

Jim McDougall · 15th August 2014, 06:49 AM

Nigel,
While I do not have anything to add at this point, I would thank to thank you and the others for the teamwork in getting these images posted.
Also, may I commend you on the research groundwork you have included with your query, which is extremely well detailed. Russian swords are an intriguing field in which resources are pretty limited, so having this example added here offers some great opportunity to learn more on them.

Thank you very much!
Looking forward to continued discussion,

Jim

Jim McDougall · 18th August 2014, 08:41 PM

Hi Nigel,
While I was hoping more discussion would ensue here, it seems that more detail to exceed your already superbly detailed research is unlikely. We have already established the cypher is that of Nicholas I, who reigned from December of 1825 until 1855.
I did find that under his reign the degree of French influence in arms continued, and we know that many weapons captured during the Napoleonic campaigns were copied by Russian makers.
("Russian Military Swords 1801-1917", Eugene Mollo, 1969, p.22)

While this 'court sword', which essentially follows the designs used in various couteaux de chasse, or hunting swords in general, not necessarily French alone, it does seem possible parallels in design might be found among French forms. In checking through "Catalog of European Court and Hunting Swords", Bashford Dean, 1928) did not reveal any distinct matches other than occasional similarity in features such as extended shellguards etc.

I would point out that the court sword term is employed loosely in describing various smallswords and hunting swords, as these were accoutrements of fashion worn by gentry as well as court associated officials and constituents. The military element is often factored in as these individuals were often of course in the military as well.

It is a beautiful example and I wish I could offer more conclusive detail.

Best regards,
Jim

PS, again, thank you for the excellent detail and photos!!

14th August 2014, 08:44 PM	#2
NigelP Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 6	Russian Sword more info Thanks for the re-sizing hints. I did discover another resizer shortly after posting so I've uploaded the pics. Have discovered that the "H I" is probably Tsar Nicolas 1st, where Nicolas seems to begin with H in Russian according to Wikipedia! Nicolas' reign runs from 1825-1855 and his Imperial Monogram looks remarkably similar to that of the sword even if not precisely the same. Any further inputs would be welcome. Attached Images

13th August 2014, 05:28 PM	#1
trenchwarfare Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Posts: 385	Or, just resize the images on your camera. I did that, now I can post them on any website, with no problems.

15th August 2014, 06:49 AM	#3
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,278	Nigel, While I do not have anything to add at this point, I would thank to thank you and the others for the teamwork in getting these images posted. Also, may I commend you on the research groundwork you have included with your query, which is extremely well detailed. Russian swords are an intriguing field in which resources are pretty limited, so having this example added here offers some great opportunity to learn more on them. Thank you very much! Looking forward to continued discussion, Jim

18th August 2014, 08:41 PM	#4
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 10,278	Hi Nigel, While I was hoping more discussion would ensue here, it seems that more detail to exceed your already superbly detailed research is unlikely. We have already established the cypher is that of Nicholas I, who reigned from December of 1825 until 1855. I did find that under his reign the degree of French influence in arms continued, and we know that many weapons captured during the Napoleonic campaigns were copied by Russian makers. ("Russian Military Swords 1801-1917", Eugene Mollo, 1969, p.22) While this 'court sword', which essentially follows the designs used in various couteaux de chasse, or hunting swords in general, not necessarily French alone, it does seem possible parallels in design might be found among French forms. In checking through "Catalog of European Court and Hunting Swords", Bashford Dean, 1928) did not reveal any distinct matches other than occasional similarity in features such as extended shellguards etc. I would point out that the court sword term is employed loosely in describing various smallswords and hunting swords, as these were accoutrements of fashion worn by gentry as well as court associated officials and constituents. The military element is often factored in as these individuals were often of course in the military as well. It is a beautiful example and I wish I could offer more conclusive detail. Best regards, Jim PS, again, thank you for the excellent detail and photos!!