Russian Court Sword ?

NigelP · 12th August 2014, 05:59 PM

Anybody got any ideas on this sword which I believe to be a Russian Court Sword according to what I've gleaned already.

Comprises a plain tapered double-edged steel pointed blade with central ridge, without any markings, mounted with a bronze (?) guard and a grip decorated with mother of pearl. All metal-work was probably originally gilded but is now in poor condition due to some early cleaning attempts.
The guard has a marking of a double-headed eagle in Russian style with a crown, with cross atop, and also with two five-pointed stars above the crown. The eagle has an escutcheon mounted on its breast.
This eagle and escutcheon is almost identical to that seen on a Russian Coronation Herald’s Tabard dated 1826 and held in the Kremlin Museum, except that it is not clear what the eagle is holding within its talons. Apparently various items were typically held in the talons at different dates.
The pommel is formed of a moustachioed soldier with a helmet, possibly showing olive branches on its frontal face, and including a crown and the letters “H” & “I”, the ”I“ being smaller and placed within the lower part of the “H”. The “H” is somewhat ornately serified, while the “I” is a plain Roman character. This lettering is identical to that on the Coronation Tabard.

I would provide some photos but seem to be unable to upload any because the file sizes are too big.

Roland_M · 13th August 2014, 03:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NigelP

I would provide some photos but seem to be unable to upload any because the file sizes are too big.

Hello Nigel,

you can use XnView to make the Pictures smaller, very easy to use, fast and it is Freeware. Much more comfortable to work with than Microsofts Paint.

Best wishes Roland

trenchwarfare · 13th August 2014, 06:28 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, 09:44 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, 07:49 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, 09:41 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!!

12th August 2014, 05:59 PM	#1
NigelP Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 6	Russian Court Sword ? Anybody got any ideas on this sword which I believe to be a Russian Court Sword according to what I've gleaned already. Comprises a plain tapered double-edged steel pointed blade with central ridge, without any markings, mounted with a bronze (?) guard and a grip decorated with mother of pearl. All metal-work was probably originally gilded but is now in poor condition due to some early cleaning attempts. The guard has a marking of a double-headed eagle in Russian style with a crown, with cross atop, and also with two five-pointed stars above the crown. The eagle has an escutcheon mounted on its breast. This eagle and escutcheon is almost identical to that seen on a Russian Coronation Herald’s Tabard dated 1826 and held in the Kremlin Museum, except that it is not clear what the eagle is holding within its talons. Apparently various items were typically held in the talons at different dates. The pommel is formed of a moustachioed soldier with a helmet, possibly showing olive branches on its frontal face, and including a crown and the letters “H” & “I”, the ”I“ being smaller and placed within the lower part of the “H”. The “H” is somewhat ornately serified, while the “I” is a plain Roman character. This lettering is identical to that on the Coronation Tabard. I would provide some photos but seem to be unable to upload any because the file sizes are too big.

14th August 2014, 09:44 PM	#4
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, 06:28 PM	#3
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, 07:49 AM	#5
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,957	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, 09:41 PM	#6
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,957	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!!