Saber with Scabbard
- Dated: 19th century
- Culture: Turkish, Ottoman
- Medium: Steel, gold, gilt brass, diamonds, emeralds, pearls
The most important ceremony in the inauguration of many Islamic rulers was the investiture with a sword, rather than a crown. This extravagantly decorated saber traditionally is says to have been refitted in 1876 for the investiture of the Ottoman sultan Murad V (reigned May 30-August 31,1876). He suffered a nervous breakdown before the ceremony and subsequently was deposed and kept a prisoner until his death in 1904.
The sword was probably assembled by a court jeweler, using a 17th century Iranian blade, an 18th century Indian jade grip and a gem-studded gold and gilt-brass mounts of contemporary workmanship. The emerald near the top of the scabbard opens to reveal a secret compartment containing a gold coin marked with the name Süleyman the Magnificent (1494-1566), the most powerful Ottoman ruler of the 16th century. The underside of the emerald is inscribed with the phrase “According to God’s will.”
Courtersy of Sara K. of Metropolitam Museum of Art
© 2000–2013 The Metropolitan Museum of Art
