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Alain.R.Truong
2 janvier 2012

Très rare et curieux sabre dans le goût de la cour électorale de Saxe, Nuremberg ou Augsbourg vers 1620-30.

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Très rare et curieux sabre dans le goût de la cour électorale de Saxe, la garde en cuivre doré serti de coraux rouges, Nuremberg ou Augsbourg vers 1620-30. Photo Pierre Bergé & associés

A very rare exotic sabre in the taste of the Saxon Electoral Court, the hilt of gilt-copper inlaid with red coral, Nuremberg or Augsburg, circa 1620-30.

Mounted with a 17th century watered blade forged in the Eastern fashion, the blade curved, double-edged towards the point, cut with a decorative series of short narrow grooves along the back of the fuller and running medially over the central portion of its length on both sides, with gilt-copper hilt cast in high relief, inset with a profusion of small elongated pieces of red coral in raised settings in imitation of a lion's pelt, with a pair of long recurved quillons with lions' paw terminals, their claws formed of coral, a pelt-like down-turned guard between the quillons, lion's head pommel cast in the round and inset with coral eyes and tongue, and in fine restored condition throughout.

L.: 90.5 cm - L. blade: 75.2 cm. Résultat : 24 000 €

The mounting of a blade in the Eastern taste was presumably intended to add a heightened sense of mystique and exoticism to the arresting imagery created by the sculpture and colour of the hilt. The contrast of red coral and gilding was employed in the decorative treatment of a variety of luxury silver and base-metal wares produced in Southern Germany and Bohemia during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. Notable among these were items made for the Saxon Electors and the nobility of the Dresden Court.

The Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden holds a series of luxurious short sabres, a pallasch and a degen all with sculpted zoomorphic hilts made within the first half of the 17th century for the Electors Christian I and II, and Johann Georg I and II. These fantasy weapons share with the present sabre the lavish and barely restrained use of semi-precious materials in their construction.

See HAENEL, Erich, Kostbare Waffen aus der Dresdner Rüstkammer, Leipzig, 1923, illustrated tafel 53b, tafel 61a-d,tafel 62b and tafel 63e. A further and notably comparable example is the sabre and scabbard forming a part of the "Turkish" garniture made in Milan in about 1585 for Charles- Emmanuel I, Duke of Savoy, and presented to King Philippe III of Spain in 1603, now in the Real Armeria, Madrid (inv. A291-A294). In common with the present sabre and together with some of those in Dresden, this sword is mounted with an Eastern blade.

See GODOY, José-A. and LEYDI, Silvio, Parures Triomphales, Le maniérisme dans l'art de l'armure italienne, exhibition catalogue, Genève, Musée Rath, 2003, p. 360, pl. 87.

Pierre Bergé & associés. Mardi 13 décembre à 15h00. Grand Sablon 40 Grote Zavel, Bruxelles. « Le musée fantastique » de Karsten Klingbeil armes et armures anciennes. EMail : contact@pba-auctions.com - Tél. : Paris +33 (0)1 49 49 90 00 - Bruxelles + 32 (0)2 504 80 30

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