#mameluke

[illustratus]

[blue-and-gilt]

French 'Sabre a l'Orientale' cavalry officers' sword

The 'Sabre a l'Orientale' (often called mameluke swords in English) gained popularity with fashionable officers during the French campaign in Egypt and Syria (1798 to 1801).

Initially, these swords would have been acquired in battle either as a trophy, from being given as a token of respect by allies, or from a surrendering foe.

However, as the fashion spread throughout Europe, local sword makers and cutlers began to produce their own interpretations of the style, such as the regulation dress sabres of British Lancers.

This sword style remains in service today as the British 1831 Pattern General Officers sword and US Marine Corps Officer dress sword.

My sword likely dates from 1810 to 1830 and caught my interest because it features an Eastern-produced shamshir blade mounted in a European-made mameluke-style hilt with cow or buffalo horn grip scales. The sword is plain and functional without the ornamentation typically found on swords belonging to senior officers. Going by the style of scabbard drag, this sword originally belonged to a French cavalry officer.

Stats: Overall Length - 950 mm Blade Length - 805 mm Curve - 75 mm Point of Balance - 1730 mm Grip Length - 125 mm Inside Grip Length - 94 mm Weight - 920 grams

[empirearchives]

Roustam’s first impression and description of Napoleon:

[dynogone]

The Osborn Flank Officer’s Sabre

Henry Osborn (C.1785-1808) is one of the most famous sword cutlers in Georgian Britain. He created the famous 1796 Patterns of cavalry swords, in collaboration with Major-General John Gaspard Le Marchant to create what he thought was the best sword. He partnered with John Gunby in 1808, becoming Osborn & Gunby (C.1808-1820). These sabres have an average of a 10cm curve. Used by Officer’s of the Light Cavalry and Infantry as a frock/dress/fighting sword. A 10cm curved blade is one of the most curved styles of sabre in British Regiments, being highly irregular, rare and practically unusable in fighting circumstances. These sabres were based off the famous, well-liked and popular 1796 Pattern Light Cavalry Sabre, but sized-down for infantry/dress. Also highly inspired by Shamshirs, following the 1798-1801 Egyptian Campaign, copying the Mameluke-style, being unfullered and highly curved. These have stirrup-hilts or D-guards and shamshir/fullered half-moon blades. The term ‘flank officer’ refers to the Flank Company's of Light Infantry and Grenadiers, but the term ‘flank officer’s sabre’ normally refers to a light-weight, highly curved officer’s sword of the Georgian-Period. Naval, Infantry, Cavalry, Army and Volunteer Officers etc. could all carry this type of sword via regulation. 

The 11th sword’s (L-R) scabbard is not made by Osborn but by J.S. Lowther, possibly originally had the red dot’s. The green dot fitting florals (twin tulip) only occur on steel mounts, while the red dots (3-pronged rose) only occur on brass mounts. The steel mounts could be earlier, but can’t say for now.

Stamps (bottom left) are found on the ricasso, Osborn being on the spine. The G stamp can occur once or twice on the ricasso. The bold G for Osborn/O&G and the thinner G for just Osborn and Gunby. The Osborn stamp only/tens to occur on un-etched versions, as it’s not needed when the name is etched onto the blade.

[awallofswords]

Happy Fathers Day! This was my weekend’s project; another display board. More of a random theme this time round as I fill it with odds and ends that have caught my attention.

From right to left they are:

British, Georgian era light cavalry officers dress sabre

British 1822 Regulation full dress mameluke sabre for an officer of the 12th Lancers

British 1822 Regulation dress Lancer officers’ mameluke sabre

British, Georgian era officers’ pipe-back sabre

French Revolutionary mounted officers sabre with rotating guard.

[victoriansword]

British Pattern 1831 General Officer’s Sword, c.1880

By Cater, circa 1880, with curving 30 1/2 in. hatchet-tipped blade etched with foliage, the general's device of crossed baton and sword and the monogram of Queen Victoria all within an arabesque panel, the left side also bearing the retailers mark 'CATERS 56 PALL MALL LONDON', chisel carved straight gilt cross-guard with general's device to centre, carved langets, ivory pistol-grip hilt fixed by two florally carved rivets and with lined knot-hole to pommel, complete with its lozenge profile polished brass scabbard with twin loose suspension rings.

[cuirassier]

Officer of the Mamelukes of the Imperial Guard, 1806, France, plate by Tanconville

[kumimonster]

2019 September 01 - alexandria