Saber with Scabbard
The sword was probably assembled by a court jeweler, using a seventeenth-century Iranian blade, an eighteenth-century Indian jade grip, and gem-studded gold and gilt-brass mounts of contemporary workmanship. The emerald near the top of the scabbard opens to reveal a secret compartment containing a gold coin marked with the name of Süleyman the Magnificent (1494–1566), the most powerful Ottoman ruler of the sixteenth century. The underside of the emerald is inscribed with the phrase "According to God's will."
Artwork Details
- Title: Saber with Scabbard
- Date: grip, 18th or 19th century; guard and scabbard, 19th century; blade, dated A.H. 1099/1688 CE; decoration on blade, 19th century
- Culture: grip, Indian; guard, scabbard, and decoration on blade, Turkish; blade, Iranian
- Medium: Steel, gold, silver, jade (nephrite), diamonds, emeralds, pearls
- Dimensions: sword: L. 39 1/4 in. (99.8 cm); L. of blade 33 in. (83.7 cm); Wt. 2 lb. 8 oz. (1129 g); scabbard: L. 34 5/8 in. (88 cm); Wt. 2 lb. 4 oz. (1023 g)
- Classification: Swords
- Credit Line: Gift of Giulia P. Morosini, in memory of her father, Giovanni P. Morosini, 1923
- Object Number: 23.232.2a, b
- Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor
Audio
4416. Saber with Scabbard
NARRATOR: Curator Stuart Pyhrr.
STUART PYHRR: This sword is a saber dating from the nineteenth century, which is believed to have been made for the coronation of Sultan Murad the V who was to be enthroned in 1876 but was deposed by his brother before that occasion and was locked away in prison for the next several decades until his death.
Murad ruled only for several months, and this sword reflects the opulence of the late Ottoman court, with its diamond and emerald studded scabbard and hilt. The grip is of Indian nephrite ,or jade, and inset with delicate scrolls filled with diamonds and emeralds. The guard is also set with stones, and the grip wrapped with a chain of pearls with this decorative tassel. The blade is a Persian blade, perhaps of the seventeenth century, and is decorated in Ottoman style and with a Koranic inscription on the blade. The inscription actually is upside down. While the other swords in the case are shown so you can read the inscriptions with the cutting edge up. This sword is shown with cutting edge down in the more traditional way, as it would be worn.
NARRATOR: This sword contains a secret compartment that was recently discovered by the Museum. Press PLAY to hear more about it.
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