ticketsMember | Make a donation

Saber (Shamshir) with Scabbard

hilt and scabbard, dated 1819; blade, 18th century
Not on view
The grip bears a gold plaque indicating that this saber was presented in 1819 to Captain Hugh Caldwell of the Bengal Army by his commander. The saber is mounted in engraved and enameled silver typical of Lucknow, where a distinctive school of enameled metalwork flourished starting in the late eighteenth century. The colorful zoomorphic decoration includes a pommel and tips of the guard formed as rams’ heads.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Saber (Shamshir) with Scabbard
  • Date: hilt and scabbard, dated 1819; blade, 18th century
  • Geography: probably Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
  • Culture: probably Indian; hilt and scabbard, Indian, probably Lucknow
  • Medium: Steel, silver, enamel, ivory, gold, glass
  • Dimensions: L. with scabbard 38 3/4 in. (98.4 cm); L. without scabbard 36 1/4 in. (92.2 cm); L. of blade 31 1/8 in. (79.1 cm); Wt. 3 lb. 6 oz. (1521 g); Wt. of scabbard 3 lb. 3 oz. (1435 g)
  • Classification: Swords
  • Credit Line: Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935
  • Object Number: 36.25.1302a, b
  • Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Saber with Scabbard, Steel, gold, silver, jade (nephrite), diamonds, emeralds, pearls, grip, Indian; guard, scabbard, and decoration on blade, Turkish; blade, Iranian
Saber with Scabbard
grip, Indian; guard, scabbard, and decoration on blade, Turkish; blade, Iranian
grip, 18th or 19th century; guard and scabbard, 19th century; blade, dated A.H. 1099/1688 CE; decoration on blade, 19th century
Dagger with Scabbard, Steel, iron, gold, rubies, emeralds, glass, wood, textile, Indian, Mughal
Dagger with Scabbard
Indian, Mughal
1605–27
Saber, Steel, jade (nephrite), gold, blade, possibly Iranian; guard and decoration on blade, Turkish; grip, Indian
Saber
blade, possibly Iranian; guard and decoration on blade, Turkish; grip, Indian
blade, 18th–19th century; guard and decoration on blade, 19th century; grip, 18th century
Armor of Mail and Plate, Steel, iron, copper alloy, textile, Indian, Sindh (now Pakistan)
Armor of Mail and Plate
Indian, Sindh (now Pakistan)
late 18th–first half of the 19th century
Saber (Talwar) with Scabbard, Steel, silver, diamonds enamel, leather, Indian
Saber (Talwar) with Scabbard
Indian
blade, dated A.H. 835/1673 CE; hilt, 19th century

Related Content

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.