Original Austrian 18th Century Magnate Saber Magnatensäbel with Incredible Ornamented Hilt & Scabbard - Díszszablya
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Original Item. One-of-a-Kind. This is an extravagant and high-quality Austrian Magnate saber (German: Magnatensäbel | Hungarian: Díszszablya) dating to the 18th century, with a long curved blade and an outstanding gilded hilt with lovely painting and ornamentation. These swords were popular among the wealthy "Magnates" as a status symbol during the 17th-19th century in Austria, Hungary, and the later "Dual Monarchy" of the Austro-Hungarian empire. They seem to have originated more in Hungary than Austria, and they are often referred to as an Ungarische Magnatensäbel (Hungarian Magnate Saber)
The pommel on this lovely example terminates in a man’s head, with the grip bearing a sun on both sides with painted rays of red, white, blue, and green. The crossguard, which is now loose, terminates at each end with a monster’s head, and the rain chape on both sides bears the face of a woman with an eagle over her. The gilding is well-retained with areas of heavy loss.
The blade measures roughly 29 ½” and is extremely curved, almost in the scimitar style. The blade shows past oxidation having been cleaned away but is still mostly bright. The overall length is 35 ¾”. The blade is still tight to the hilt, but the crossguard, which is a separate piece, is loose and wobbles a great deal.
The 30 ¾” scabbard is very weak and now in pieces due to its age, but the gilded fittings are still intact and in good shape. The throat is now entirely disconnected from the scabbard. The scabbard itself is velvet-type cloth-covered wood which is now very weak, as is shown by how the throat broke off. We have looked at other period examples, and the velvet covering over wood seems to be fairly standard for these swords. The mounts are very extravagant and really add to the prestige of the sword. The scabbard no longer fits over the entirety of the sword due to shrinkage.
This is an extraordinary sword, the first Magnatensäbel we have offered, ready for further research and display.
Approximate Dimensions:
Blade Length: 29 1/2"
Overall length: 35 3/4“
Crossguard length: 6”
Scabbard Length: 30 ¾”
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