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Saber (Kilij) with Scabbard

hilt and scabbard, 19th century; blade, probably late 18th–early 19th century
Not on view
This type of Ottoman saber, with its distinctive curled “pistol grip” and cruciform guard, was used throughout Turkey and North Africa from the eighteenth century. Following Napoleon’s invasion of Egypt in 1798, the type, widely referred to as a “Mamluk” saber, became popular for European and North American officers’ swords and remains in use today. The blade of this example bears the false signature of Haji Sunqur, a legendary swordsmith active in Istanbul in the early sixteenth century.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Saber (Kilij) with Scabbard
  • Date: hilt and scabbard, 19th century; blade, probably late 18th–early 19th century
  • Culture: Hilt, Turkish or North African; blade, Iranian
  • Medium: Steel, gold, horn (rhinoceros), wood, leather
  • Dimensions: H. with scabbard 36 1/2 in. (92.7 cm); H. without scabbard 35 1/2 in. (90.2 cm); H. of blade 30 3/4 in. (78.2 cm); W. 5 1/4 in. (13.3 cm); Wt. 1 lb. 8.3 oz. (688.9 g); Wt. of scabbard 14 oz. (396.9 g)
  • Classification: Swords
  • Credit Line: Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935
  • Object Number: 36.25.1292a, b
  • Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor

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