Saber
The green nephrite grip is carved with a rippling pattern that echoes the crucible, or "watered," steel of the blade. The Arabic inscriptions on the blade include one verse praising the infinite gentleness and power of God and another verse referring to the sword called dhu'l-faqar. The latter was one of the swords of the prophet Muhammad and was widely regarded as a symbol of spiritual and political authority.
Artwork Details
- Title: Saber
- Date: Grip and guard, second half of the 17th century; blade, late 18th–19th century
- Culture: Turkish
- Medium: Steel, jade (nephrite), gold, copper, diamond
- Dimensions: L. 38 in. (96.5 cm); L. of blade 32 3/4 in. (83.2 cm); Wt. 1 lb. 15 oz. (889 g)
- Classification: Swords
- Credit Line: Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935
- Object Number: 36.25.1298
- Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Turkish, probably Istanbul
1522–66
Turkish, in the style of Turkman armor
late 15th–16th century
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
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
Turkish, probably Istanbul
ca. 1560
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Free to download
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.