POLISH LITHUANIAN CAVALRY SABER WITH SCABBARD

拍品描述

A Polish-Lithuanian cavalry saber with scabbard, Late 18th ? early 19th century, most probably of Lithuanian lancer in Napoleonic army. Unique witness of turbulent fights by both nations for recently lost freedom just before the last partition of the state and just after it. The handle is Polish-Lithuanian, from the late 18thcentury (1790 circa). European blade of the same period as the handle, or slightly later, single edged, slightly curved, with golden Lithuanian Pogon inlaid on averse. As the blade bears no inscriptions or stamps of the producer, it can be of local manufacture. Scabbard characteristic to Napoleonic officers of lancers, most probably adopted to earlier national saber to fit regulatory requirements of the Napoleonic army. Upper mount of the scabbard is missing. W. Kwasniewicz, writing about Polish and Lithuanian troops from this period, writes that regulations were treated flexibly, and Polish officers carried French sabers with details of national tradition of 18th c. Some nobles came to fight even with 18th century sabers, and even scabbard used not always to be changed to regulatory one. (p. 89-90) Size: 1000mm x 120mm; Weight: 1.4kg ?Provenance: Private UK collection; From an old European collection formed in the 1990s.

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