Armor Porn

German Rapier (c. 1630–1650)

The Cleveland Museum of Art

Type: Rapier

Overall length: 100.3 cm

Blade length: 86.5 cm

Grip: 12.3 cm

Weight: 840 g

Origin: Germany

Material: steel (blued, gilded, perforated blade)

Szczerbiec – The Coronation Sword of Polish Kings (2nd quarter of the 13th century, c. 1225–1250)

Wawel Royal Castle

Originally the property of a Prince Bolesław, the sword probably functioned as a gladius iustitiae (Sword of Justice) before becoming the coronation sword of Polish kings in 1320.

Type: Coronation sword (Szczerbiec), ceremonial sword

Overall length: 98.4 cm

Blade length: 82 cm

Blade width: 4.8–5 cm

Weight: 1.26 kg

Origin: possibly Rhineland (present-day Germany)

Material: steel, gold, silver, niello, enamel

Technique: forging, gilding, niello work, enameling, engraving

Decoration: The hilt is covered with gold plates bearing Latin inscriptions, Christian symbols, and ornamental motifs

Sabre, early 17th century

from Hungarian National Museum

Type: Sabre

Origin: Ottoman Empire, early 17th century

Material: steel, gilded silver, gold, rubies, turquoise, velvet

Technique: forging, gilding, silverwork, gold inlay, gemstone setting, velvet covering

Blade features: Curved double-edged blade with a wide groove in the centre, surrounded by gold-plated sedge leaves and silver-plated lattice motifs.

Inscriptions: One side of the blade bears the gold inscription "O Ali!"

17th century Hungarian-style jeweled saber

from The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Type: karabela-style saber with scabbard and carrying belt

Overall length: 95.2 cm (37 1/2 in)

Blade length: 80 cm (31 1/2 in)

Origin: Poland, early 17th century

Blade maker / Goldsmith: stamped with what may be the mark of Georg Hoffmann (Breslau/Wrocław, 1596–1609)

Material: steel, gold, silver, leather, wood, textile, semiprecious stones

Persian saber decorated with silver, 19th century

Type: persian saber with silver decoration

Overall length: 87.5 cm

Origin: Iran (Persia)

Blade maker: Kalib Ali of Isfahan (blade); “Tahmasp, servant of the Almighty Lord” (inscription on blade)

Material: steel (blade), silver, iron, wood, textile, cord

Technique: forging, damascening (watered steel pattern), engraving, silver mounting, textile covering

Decoration: silver vine motifs on hilt and scabbard

Ceremonial saber with scabbard, 1805–1809 (mounts), second half of the 18th century (blade)

The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg (entered in 1919). Originating from the Leuchtenberg collection.

Type: Ceremonial saber with scabbard

Overall length: 102.0 cm

Blade length: 83.5 cm

Scabbard length: 90.0 cm

Origin: France, Paris (mounts); Egypt (blade)

Blade maker: Nicolas-Noël Boutet (scabbard), Al-Hajj Sonkur (blade)

Material: steel, bronze, silver, agate, leather, wood, gold bullion cord

Etched German hunting saber (1560s–1570s)

The State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg

Type: Hunting saber

Overall length: 93 cm

Origin: Germany

Material: steel

Half-Armour from Germany dated between 1540-1550 on display at the Army Museum in Paris, France

This set of half armour was supposedly worn by a Landsknecht, one fo the famous German mercenaries that fought in numerous wars from the late 15th and into the 16th centuries. These mercenaries had no set armour or style as it often came from either pieces taken from the battlefield or privately purchased.

These sets of armour were often worn by the Doppelsöldner or Double-Pay Men, volunteers who risked fighting in the front ranks for double pay. They were often equiped with ranged weapons such as crossbows or arquebuses and were positioned outside of defensive formations.. However there are also records of them equiped with the German two handed sword, the Zweihander. Here they would try and break through enemy formations.

Gold decorated kris from northeast Java, Indonesia, late 18th century.

Sword of Justice, 1660, Art Institute of Chicago: Arms, Armor, Medieval, and Renaissance

George F. Harding Collection Size: Overall L. 105 cm (41 5/16 in.) Blade L. 82.5 cm (32 ½ in.) Wt. 4 lb. 3 oz. Medium: Wood, sharkskin, and brass

A combination Axe-Wheellock Pistol,

OaL: 22.4 in/57 cm

Weight: 4.2 lbs/1900 g

A lavishly etched and gilt Cinquedea,

Blade Length: 24.9 in/63.2 cm

Weight: 2.5 lbs/1130 g

Spear Heads from Funen, Denmark dated to the 3rd Century CE on display at the National Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen, Denmark

These Roman style spear heads feature decorations of inlaid patterns of silver or brass which can cause the weapon to become less effective. However, it suggests they were used as idicators of rank or status and perhaps belonged to officers in the Roman army. It is thought that some officers carried spears while on administrative duties signifying their importance. Danish aristocrats often fought in the Roman army as auxiliaries and brought their weapons back to be left as votive offerings in Denmark.

A beautifully etched and gilt Burgonet made for Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, attributed to Kolman Helmschmid,

Weight: 5 lbs/2285 g

A lovely, unique Armet,

Weight: 8.3 lbs/3.8 kg