A Confederate Army Staff Officers Sword manufactured by Boyle & Gamble of Richmond, Virginia.
Included too is that crimson sash worn by the officer.
The guard of the sword bears the C.S. marking the sword as that of a Field or Staff officer and the star represents the Confederacy. The laurel symbolizes the bravery of the Confederate soldier and the corn is there to represent the agricultural base of the Confederacy.
This is a symbolic weapon, also named “the sword of France”, it was presented by the king to his constable at the end of a ceremony. In receiving his sword directly from the hands of the sovereign, the constable was officially invested with the supreme command of the army. Bertrand du Guesclin (1320-1380) and Anne de Montmorency (1493-1567) are among the most famous people who have been promoted in this manner.
Construction wise, this weapon is based on the medieval swords. The blade though is very light and of poor quality reflecting its exclusively ceremonial character. The orientation of its ornamentation, especially of lilies carved and gilded enriching quillons, pommel and the heel of the blade and the circular cartridge in the center of it, indicates that the sword was designed to be fully revealed during the royal entries or ceremonies.
The leather scabbard, miraculously preserved, is also dotted with lily gilded brass. The presence of the sword until the Revolution in Chantilly, former estate of Montmorency, suggests it might have belonged to one of two family members who benefited from the constabulary in the 16th century, especially to Anne Montmorency. Despite its archaic figure still evoking the 15th century, the weapon would be dated to the first half of the 16th century
Charles Noe Daly was an antiquarian who discovered this bizarre piece at Bordeaux in 1917. It was a steel cuirass mounted with 19 pistols. Here is a further description from Firearms Curiosa,
“…cuirass of steel … when brought into a right angle position may be fired in batteries of four and five by pressing the studs and levers, which release the hammers which are cocked by a hook carried on a chain.“ The armor also came with a pair of stirrups that contained two pistols, which would fire by pulling on a strap in case one is pursued or attacked from behind.”
Wow!
If you view the source, there is the added image of what looks to be a sabretache or similar type leather case which contains two concealed pistols; these are fired when the handle visible on the right is pulled.
The exposition of the Knights’ Hall in the Hermitage owes its origin to Emperor Alexander I and his fascination with the history of European weapons. His collection of artifacts was kept in Tsarskoe Selo (near Saint Petersburg, Russia), and then formed the basis of the Hermitage collection of weapons.
1 The Knight´s Hall 2. Arms and Armor of the 15th-16th centuries 3. Half armor of the 16th century, Italy 4. Jousting Armor, 15th-16th cent., Germany 5. Armor of the 16th century, Germany 6. Sallet Helmet, 16th century, Spain 7. Arm armor (bracer) from the armor of King Philip II, 16th century, Italy 8. Rondache (Round Shield), 16th century, Germany 10. Grazing muzzles, 16th century 11. Ceremonial sword, 16th century, Venice
Ph. by I. Narovlyansky
- - Эрмитаж времен СССР, 1974 г.
Экспозиция Рыцарского зала в Эрмитаже обязана своим происхождением императору Александру I и его увлечению историей европейского вооружения. Его собрание артефактов хранилось в Царском Селе (около Санкт-Петербурга), а затем легло в основу эрмитажной коллекции оружия.
1 Рыцарский зал 2. Доспехи и холодное оружие XV-XVI вв. 3. Полудоспех XVI в., Италия 4. Доспех для состязаний на конях, XV-XVI вв., Германия 5. Доспехи XVI в., Германия 6. Боевой шлем “Салад”, XVI в., Испания 7. Наруч (прикрытие руки) от доспеха короля Филиппа II, XVI в., Италия 8. Щит “рондаш”, XVI в., Германия 10. Конский намордник, XVI в. 11. Церемониальный меч, XVI в., Венеция
Heavy cavalry sword with a basket handle (in English terminology “basket sword”) 1600 – 1625 . The length of 100, see. Weight 1729 England. Metropolitan Museum, New York.
