A dress sabre with gem set hilt and scabbard

BLADE 16TH/17TH CENTURY PERSIAN, MOUNTS THIRD QUARTER 19TH CENTURY FRANCE

細節

A dress sabre with gem set hilt and scabbard
Blade 16th/17th Century Persian, mounts third quarter 19th century France
With fine curving watered steel shamshir blade with four gold-damascened inscription cartouches, hilt of Mamluk form decorated on both sides with a coat of arms of a coronet surmounted by a pair of antlers and a cross, a larger crown above, swirling repouss arabesques in white, green and blue enamel, the pommel set with a large pearl on each side surrounded by cut emeralds and rubies, the quillons similar also set with emeralds and pearls, the silver-gilt scabbard covered in blue enamel divided into compartments filled with foliage, phoenixes and perching birds on one side, the other side similar with two additional finely drawn cartouches with images of hunters, the scabbard similarly mounted with large pearls, emerald and rubies, the chape stamped Wagner, Paris, slight areas of corrosion to blade, one emerald, one small ruby lacking, enamel rubbed, in original black leather presentation case stamped in gold with the same coat of arms, rubbed
37in. (96cm.) long

拍品專文

This sword has a fascinating provenance. The coat of arms belongs to the family of Zichy de Vasonyke, a noble Magyar family, conspicuous in Hungarian history from the latter part of the 13th century onwards.

There have been links between the countries of Austria, Hungary and Turkey since the time of Sulayman the Magnificent. In the nineteenth century this family continued the tradition. From 1879 to 1880 Count Ferenc Zichy (1811-1900) was Austrian ambassador at Constantinople and Count Zichy (1811-1894), who had great interest in art and industry, founded the Oriental Museum in Vienna.
This family is known to have been very interested in art and politics, with some members founders and leaders of political parties,and some well-recognized artists such as Count Mihaly Zichy (1827-1906), who was a court painter at St Petersbourg in 1847. One of his most important paintings and drawings is in the National Gallery at Budapest, other are in the Ermitage Museum in St. Petersburg and the Tertiakoff Gallery in Moscow.