NARRATOR: This bejeweled sabre was created in Poland or Hungary during the mid-sixteenth century, but its design draws heavily on Islamic prototypes. Curator Pierre Terjanian.

PIERRE TERJANIAN: The fascination for Islamic ornament, both in terms of jewelry, clothing, and weapons came very much from the fact that the Ottomans were at the gates of Western Europe by 1529. Typical of an Islamic sword of the period is the blade that swells at the end and is curved. If you look at the tip, it's much broader. It's essentially a slashing weapon. And then also the hilt—the part that protects the hand—which has even a curved pommel—the part that serves as a counterweight for the rest of the weapon. The presence of stones and other gems on the mounts for the scabbard are also typical of Ottoman or Turkish style.

This was part of a set of twelve similar swords that were kept in the armory of the Princes-Electors of Saxony. They had a collection known as the Turkish Chamber, in which they had both Turkish objects, and objects made in the Turkish style, which they both admired but also used in ceremonies, in festivals, and so on. It was extremely fashionable to organize festivals, which could include masquerades and dancing, but also tournaments, in which all the participants would be dressed in the Oriental style.

NARRATOR: Press play to see what the participants in one of these festivals looked like.