Islamic

This early 16^th-century Islamic saber is from Istanbul. Dated at the end of the crusade period, this blade has very apparent distinguishing features from the other swords in this exhibit. First, its curved blade resembles the scimitar sword that is a popular image within the Islamic crusades. Furthermore, the blade is inscribed with Qur'anic verses, while the surrounding areas are inlaid with gold. The inscriptions refer to victory in the Holy War and to the magical powers of the biblical King Solomon. Similar to the inscribed Western European sword, it seems likely that this unique blade was made for the Ottoman sultan Süleyman I. The guard is chiseled with gold-damascened flowers and was formerly inlaid with rubies. The grip, covered with fishskin dyed green, is a later replacement.

Interestingly, despite its different background, this Islamic sword represents similar themes of devotion to one's faith as the Western European ceremonial sword. With this similarity, we see the continuity across cultures in the significance of religion as a symbol of power and prestige in the Middle Ages.

Citation: Department of Arms and Armor. “Islamic Arms and Armor.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/isaa/hd_isaa.htm (October 2004)