A RARE SABRE (KARABELLA) with slightly curved single-edged blade double-edged towards the point, short ricasso and, on each face, double fullers struck four times with a 'castle' mark and letters, the hilt with silver-gilt cross-guard comprising short tapering quillons with bud-shaped tips and slender tapering langets, and beaked handle with wooden grips (slightly damaged) carved with chevrons in low relief (silver strap detached), in wooden leather-covered scabbard with silver-gilt mounts comprising deep locket and chape with shaped edges, and two bands carrying suspension rings, the silver-gilt parts repoussé and chiselled in low relief and finely nielloed with floral arabesques, the cross-guard and scabbard mounts Turkish, second half of the 16th Century, the remainder late 17th Century

Details

A RARE SABRE (KARABELLA) with slightly curved single-edged blade double-edged towards the point, short ricasso and, on each face, double fullers struck four times with a 'castle' mark and letters, the hilt with silver-gilt cross-guard comprising short tapering quillons with bud-shaped tips and slender tapering langets, and beaked handle with wooden grips (slightly damaged) carved with chevrons in low relief (silver strap detached), in wooden leather-covered scabbard with silver-gilt mounts comprising deep locket and chape with shaped edges, and two bands carrying suspension rings, the silver-gilt parts repoussé and chiselled in low relief and finely nielloed with floral arabesques, the cross-guard and scabbard mounts Turkish, second half of the 16th Century, the remainder late 17th Century
30½in. blade [E.35]

Lot Essay

The letters on the blade appear to represent garbled versions of 'Genoa', a city from which blades of this characteristic type were exported to the East

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