Decade 1790-1799
See also : Ancient French furniture Louis XV and XVI Revolution and Empire Jewels Jewels II Coin Coins 1793-99 Dollars and eagles Silver coins Qianlong Imperial seal Historical arms Blade and armour Islam India
1790 Qianlong Zi Qiang Bu Xi
2013 SOLD for RMB 67M by China Guardian
On October 8, 2008 Sotheby's sold imperial seals from the personal collection of Emile Guimet who also had been the founder of a major Asian art museum in Paris. The star lot of the sale was a Qianlong white jade seal of large size, 12.5 x 12.5 cm, that sold for HK $ 63M.
The surprise came at lot 2007 from a smaller Qianlong jade seal that sold for HK $ 37MK.
This little wonder, 7.5 x 7.5 x 5.5 cm, continued its career on the art market. On June 4, 2010, it was sold for RMB 56M by Poly. It was later sold for RMB 67M on May 12, 2013 by China Guardian, lot 3108.
The theme with two entwined dragons symbolizing the power and cleverness of the emperor is classic but the sharpness of the jade carving is exceptional, with a special care to the facial expression and the whiskers of the dragons. The polishing of flat surfaces is perfect.
Commissioned by the emperor for the festivities of his 80th birthday in the 54th year of his reign, 1790 in our calendar, it is a Zi Qiang Bu Xi, promoting self-reliance and perseverance of the emperor in the creation of progress and by that way taking care not to fall into the indolence of old age before leaving the power.
The surprise came at lot 2007 from a smaller Qianlong jade seal that sold for HK $ 37MK.
This little wonder, 7.5 x 7.5 x 5.5 cm, continued its career on the art market. On June 4, 2010, it was sold for RMB 56M by Poly. It was later sold for RMB 67M on May 12, 2013 by China Guardian, lot 3108.
The theme with two entwined dragons symbolizing the power and cleverness of the emperor is classic but the sharpness of the jade carving is exceptional, with a special care to the facial expression and the whiskers of the dragons. The polishing of flat surfaces is perfect.
Commissioned by the emperor for the festivities of his 80th birthday in the 54th year of his reign, 1790 in our calendar, it is a Zi Qiang Bu Xi, promoting self-reliance and perseverance of the emperor in the creation of progress and by that way taking care not to fall into the indolence of old age before leaving the power.
1791 The Pearls of Queen Marie-Antoinette
2018 SOLD for CHF 36.4M including premium by Sotheby's
narrated in 2020
For her marriage to the future King Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette received an impressive quantity of diamonds, rubies and pearls from her mother, the Empress Marie Therese, and from her husband's grandfather, King Louis XV. She loved jewelry and kept improving her collection.
During early phase of the Revolution, Marie-Antoinette who is still the Queen plans to flee to Austria. In January 1791, helped by her chambermaid, she prepares a cassette with her favorite jewelry. The jewels reach Vienna but the king and queen are arrested in Varennes in June 1791.
In 1795 Madame Royale, the only survivor of the children of the royal couple, is freed from the revolutionary prisons and goes into exile in Vienna. The emperor Franz II returns the jewels to her while keeping the rubies in compensation for a pension granted to the princess. In Madame Royale's legacy in 1851, one third of the jewelry is attributed to her niece Louise, Duchess of Parma.
Around 1930 Marie-Anne of Austria, wife of the acting Duke of Parma, describes in an inventory four jewels in pearls and diamonds of which she attests that they come from Marie-Antoinette. These pieces, which had never been published or exhibited, were included in the auction of the royal jewelry from the Bourbon-Parma collection by Sotheby's on November 14, 2018.
Lot 97, a three-row pearl necklace with a diamond clasp, was sold for CHF 2.3M including premium over a lower estimate of CHF 200K. The next two lots, a necklace and a pair of earrings, were sold for CHF 450K each including premium.
Lot 100 was a 15.90 x 18.35 x 25.85mm drop shaped pearl assembled in a pendant with a large diamond clasp and a bow of small diamonds. This interesting souvenir of a queen who had desired to live in the utmost luxury was sold for CHF 36.4M including premium over an estimate of CHF 1M to 2M.
During early phase of the Revolution, Marie-Antoinette who is still the Queen plans to flee to Austria. In January 1791, helped by her chambermaid, she prepares a cassette with her favorite jewelry. The jewels reach Vienna but the king and queen are arrested in Varennes in June 1791.
In 1795 Madame Royale, the only survivor of the children of the royal couple, is freed from the revolutionary prisons and goes into exile in Vienna. The emperor Franz II returns the jewels to her while keeping the rubies in compensation for a pension granted to the princess. In Madame Royale's legacy in 1851, one third of the jewelry is attributed to her niece Louise, Duchess of Parma.
Around 1930 Marie-Anne of Austria, wife of the acting Duke of Parma, describes in an inventory four jewels in pearls and diamonds of which she attests that they come from Marie-Antoinette. These pieces, which had never been published or exhibited, were included in the auction of the royal jewelry from the Bourbon-Parma collection by Sotheby's on November 14, 2018.
Lot 97, a three-row pearl necklace with a diamond clasp, was sold for CHF 2.3M including premium over a lower estimate of CHF 200K. The next two lots, a necklace and a pair of earrings, were sold for CHF 450K each including premium.
Lot 100 was a 15.90 x 18.35 x 25.85mm drop shaped pearl assembled in a pendant with a large diamond clasp and a bow of small diamonds. This interesting souvenir of a queen who had desired to live in the utmost luxury was sold for CHF 36.4M including premium over an estimate of CHF 1M to 2M.
Marie Antoinette’s pendant sets auction record for a natural pearl at @Sothebys in Geneva:https://t.co/1glDvfpi3w pic.twitter.com/5z2iNTmd8a
— AntiquesTradeGazette (@ATG_Editorial) November 15, 2018
1794 Dollar
2013 SOLD for $ 10M by Stack's Bowers
Within two years after the Coinage Act of April 2, 1792, the preparation of the silver dollar has not yet started. Hurry up. A pair of dies is created on a design by Robert Scot and a first trial is made in copper. One prototype has survived. It was sold for $ 92K by Goldberg on February 16, 2001.
A further pair of dies is created to insert the fifteen stars in the circumference around the head of Liberty. A copper trial piece is kept at the Smithsonian.
Regarding silver, a unique coin has the characteristics of a specimen as defined by PCGS : superior minting quality and shiny appearance. It has been compared with the Smithsonian prototype : the state of the dies is exactly the same, with no added wear, and the sharpness of the line is perfect.
This coin is certainly the first federal silver dollar. It was struck in October 1794 at the Philadelphia Mint before the very last limited rework of the dies and the launch of the first production batch.
Graded SP66 by PCGS, it was sold for $ 7.85M in private sale in May 2010 and then for $ 10M at auction by Stack's Bowers on January 24, 2013, lot 13094. It passed on October 8, 2020 at Legend Rare Coin Auctions, lot 11.
1,758 units were supplied to the cashier on October 15, 1794. Technically, this lot was premature. The available press was not suitable for the required diameter, larger than the previous silver dime. The alignment of the dies did not resist, weakening the strike and limiting the output.
In the opposite the preparation of the specimen had been extremely careful. The silver planchet had been fitted with a plug and the weight of the specimen is almost perfect, only 0.24 grains (15 mg) above the 416 grains prescribed by the Coinage Act. Its splendid reflectivity has no equivalent among the 135 surviving units. It may be the sample presented to President Washington by Secretary of State Edmund Randolph. It surfaced in 1942 in the deceased estate of Colonel Green with an earlier provenance from the Virgil Brand collection.
A further pair of dies is created to insert the fifteen stars in the circumference around the head of Liberty. A copper trial piece is kept at the Smithsonian.
Regarding silver, a unique coin has the characteristics of a specimen as defined by PCGS : superior minting quality and shiny appearance. It has been compared with the Smithsonian prototype : the state of the dies is exactly the same, with no added wear, and the sharpness of the line is perfect.
This coin is certainly the first federal silver dollar. It was struck in October 1794 at the Philadelphia Mint before the very last limited rework of the dies and the launch of the first production batch.
Graded SP66 by PCGS, it was sold for $ 7.85M in private sale in May 2010 and then for $ 10M at auction by Stack's Bowers on January 24, 2013, lot 13094. It passed on October 8, 2020 at Legend Rare Coin Auctions, lot 11.
1,758 units were supplied to the cashier on October 15, 1794. Technically, this lot was premature. The available press was not suitable for the required diameter, larger than the previous silver dime. The alignment of the dies did not resist, weakening the strike and limiting the output.
In the opposite the preparation of the specimen had been extremely careful. The silver planchet had been fitted with a plug and the weight of the specimen is almost perfect, only 0.24 grains (15 mg) above the 416 grains prescribed by the Coinage Act. Its splendid reflectivity has no equivalent among the 135 surviving units. It may be the sample presented to President Washington by Secretary of State Edmund Randolph. It surfaced in 1942 in the deceased estate of Colonel Green with an earlier provenance from the Virgil Brand collection.
The world’s most valuable US coin, that last sold for $10,000,000, is set to appear in an auction again later this year. @LegendAuctions has announced the sale of the Bruce Morelan Collection, an assemblage of #coins valued in total at over $20,000,000. https://t.co/418pbp9URE
— PCGS (@PCGScoin) June 17, 2020
1794 The Chronicles of Feng Ning
2015 SOLD for HK$ 52M including premium
The use of very extended hand scrolls to illustrate military campaigns and civil life is very ancient in China. The Qing continue this tradition.
From the 35th to the 55th year of his reign, an illustrator for the Qianlong emperor is Zhang Yang (or Yang Zhang ?). The name of Feng Ning that appears immediately after him probably refers to his successor.
During the 59th year of that reign, 1794 in our calendar, Feng Ning executes a copy in ink and color from a Zhang Yang scroll that imitated a Song painting on the theme of everyday life in Jinling, the village which is the cradle of the powerful city of Nanjing, the "southern capital".
Feng Ning's scroll is 1.05 m long for 35 cm high, with no text in the image. The middle of the scene shows the bustle in the main street while the left and right parts are more rural. This work which remains complete will be sold by Poly Auction in Hong Kong on October 5, lot 996. It is illustrated in the press releasededicated to all the sessions of that sale.
Some scrolls were used as masters for albums of engravings, marking the clear intention of the Qianlong emperor to promote the dissemination of culture. For this reason, the name of Feng Ning is not unknown on the art market although his personal details are unknown.
On June 11, 2013, Artcurial sold three albums by Feng Ning and colleagues with 16, 8 and 4 engravings on three different military campaigns of Qianlong, with explanatory text in the pictures. These lots were sold for € 150K, 91K and 43K including premium.
From the 35th to the 55th year of his reign, an illustrator for the Qianlong emperor is Zhang Yang (or Yang Zhang ?). The name of Feng Ning that appears immediately after him probably refers to his successor.
During the 59th year of that reign, 1794 in our calendar, Feng Ning executes a copy in ink and color from a Zhang Yang scroll that imitated a Song painting on the theme of everyday life in Jinling, the village which is the cradle of the powerful city of Nanjing, the "southern capital".
Feng Ning's scroll is 1.05 m long for 35 cm high, with no text in the image. The middle of the scene shows the bustle in the main street while the left and right parts are more rural. This work which remains complete will be sold by Poly Auction in Hong Kong on October 5, lot 996. It is illustrated in the press releasededicated to all the sessions of that sale.
Some scrolls were used as masters for albums of engravings, marking the clear intention of the Qianlong emperor to promote the dissemination of culture. For this reason, the name of Feng Ning is not unknown on the art market although his personal details are unknown.
On June 11, 2013, Artcurial sold three albums by Feng Ning and colleagues with 16, 8 and 4 engravings on three different military campaigns of Qianlong, with explanatory text in the pictures. These lots were sold for € 150K, 91K and 43K including premium.
1795 President Washington by Gilbert Stuart
2018 SOLD for $ 11.6M including premium by Christie's
narrated in 2015 before the auction of another portrait by Levine (see below)
George Washington, victorious general, was raised as an exemple for the patriots and had many portraitists. The War of Independence had an opposite effect on two of the best American painters of that time. The enthusiast Charles Willson Peale realized full-length portraits of Washington in all the energy of his victories.
Reluctant, or for fear of losing his traditional customers, Gilbert Stuart prefers to exile in England wher he takes advantage of his knowledge of America. He paints in 1786 a portrait of the Mohawk chief Joseph Brant, an ally of the British, then visiting England. This oil on canvas was sold for £ 4.1M including premium by Sotheby's on July 9, 2014.
Washington becomes in 1789 the first President of the United States. Stuart crosses the Atlantic again and settles in Philadelphia in 1795 to practice his specialty, the half-length portrait of prominent personalities. His first type portrait of Washington, from a 1795 sitting, is made in 14 known canvases.
The example from the Rockefeller collection was sold by Christie's on May 9, 2018 for $ 11.6M including premium from a lower estimate of $ 800K, lot 440.
The portrait of Washington realized by Stuart in 1796 will later be considered as the prototype of the official portraits of US presidents. Interestingly, after painting the face the artist did not finish the master work. He used it as a model to make more than a hundred copies that he sold for $ 100 each. One of them passed at J Levine on February 26, 2015.
Reluctant, or for fear of losing his traditional customers, Gilbert Stuart prefers to exile in England wher he takes advantage of his knowledge of America. He paints in 1786 a portrait of the Mohawk chief Joseph Brant, an ally of the British, then visiting England. This oil on canvas was sold for £ 4.1M including premium by Sotheby's on July 9, 2014.
Washington becomes in 1789 the first President of the United States. Stuart crosses the Atlantic again and settles in Philadelphia in 1795 to practice his specialty, the half-length portrait of prominent personalities. His first type portrait of Washington, from a 1795 sitting, is made in 14 known canvases.
The example from the Rockefeller collection was sold by Christie's on May 9, 2018 for $ 11.6M including premium from a lower estimate of $ 800K, lot 440.
The portrait of Washington realized by Stuart in 1796 will later be considered as the prototype of the official portraits of US presidents. Interestingly, after painting the face the artist did not finish the master work. He used it as a model to make more than a hundred copies that he sold for $ 100 each. One of them passed at J Levine on February 26, 2015.
#AuctionUpdate Gilbert Stuart’s ‘George Washington (Vaughan type)’ auctions for $11,562,500, a new #WorldAuctionRecord for the artist!https://t.co/BthdnDBunj pic.twitter.com/D75TqNcqoA
— Christie's (@ChristiesInc) May 10, 2018
1795 A Triumph for Louis XVI ... in 1882 !
2011 SOLD 6.9 M$ including premium
Keep quiet, my archives do not go back to 1882! The results below had been published in an old newspaper article (The Illustrated London News, No.2254-Vol. LXXXI, Saturday, July 15, 1882) available as an external link in English country house contents auctions in the Wikipedia.
The 12th Duke of Hamilton was not an art lover, and he had a urgent need for money. The sale of his collection in 2213 lots at Christie's in London was an event that experts still quote.
The portrait of Philip IV by Velazquez, acquired by the British government for 6000 guineas, was however not the highest result of the sale.
Indeed, a Louis XVI commode and secretaire had been sold separately, and to two different clients, for a price quoted as "enormous, never before given for a piece of furniture" in the article, of 9450 pounds each. Mounted in gilt bronze by Gouthière, these two ebony furniture lacquered in black and gold are bearing the monogram of Marie-Antoinette.
The sale of the Safra collection by Sotheby's lasted four days, from October 18 to 21, 2011. A pair of furniture was sold for $ 6.9M from a lower estimate of $ 5M, lot 749. This commode and its secrétaire en suite had been included in the Hamilton sale. Like the two royal furniture discussed above, they are from Louis XVI time, mounted in bronze and lacquered. They are attributed to Adam Weisweiler.
POST SALE COMMENT
French furniture has become difficult to sell, except, of course, those of the highest quality. This set of two pieces was sold $ 6.9 million including premium.
The estimated date given in the catalog is circa 1795, after the death of Louis XVI. It is possible that this set was intended to Tsar Paul I, but it has not been been delivered to him.
The 12th Duke of Hamilton was not an art lover, and he had a urgent need for money. The sale of his collection in 2213 lots at Christie's in London was an event that experts still quote.
The portrait of Philip IV by Velazquez, acquired by the British government for 6000 guineas, was however not the highest result of the sale.
Indeed, a Louis XVI commode and secretaire had been sold separately, and to two different clients, for a price quoted as "enormous, never before given for a piece of furniture" in the article, of 9450 pounds each. Mounted in gilt bronze by Gouthière, these two ebony furniture lacquered in black and gold are bearing the monogram of Marie-Antoinette.
The sale of the Safra collection by Sotheby's lasted four days, from October 18 to 21, 2011. A pair of furniture was sold for $ 6.9M from a lower estimate of $ 5M, lot 749. This commode and its secrétaire en suite had been included in the Hamilton sale. Like the two royal furniture discussed above, they are from Louis XVI time, mounted in bronze and lacquered. They are attributed to Adam Weisweiler.
POST SALE COMMENT
French furniture has become difficult to sell, except, of course, those of the highest quality. This set of two pieces was sold $ 6.9 million including premium.
The estimated date given in the catalog is circa 1795, after the death of Louis XVI. It is possible that this set was intended to Tsar Paul I, but it has not been been delivered to him.
Karl Lagerfeld sagte einmal: "Im 18. Jahrhundert, wenn Sie da Geld hatten, konnten Sie noch was Schönes kaufen. Heute, wenn Sie viel Geld haben, können Sie vor allem etwas Grauenhaftes kaufen". Wie gut, dass man Antiquitäten aus dem 18. Jahrhundert auch heute noch kaufen kann.
— Barnebys.de (@Barnebysde) August 1, 2021
1796 Tai Shang Huang Di
Intro
The Qianlong emperor lived for 87 years, spanning most of the eighteenth century CE. He protected arts and culture with a refinement that made him in the following of his father Yongzheng the most effective art patron of all time.
He thought of his retirement which he had promised to take if his reign was to exceed 60 years. His grandfather Kangxi had reigned 61 years and this period should not be exceeded for a reason of respect. The emperor must be a model of virtue and can not change a wish or express a remorse.
The Qianlong era thus ends by the emperor's will on the 3rd day of the 9th month in the 60th year of his reign, February 8, 1796 CE. In a ceremony that brings together all his relatives, the old man awards to himself the rare and glorious title of Tai Shang Huang Di (Emperor Emeritus). He designates to succeed him his 15th son who opens the Bingchen year and the Jiaqing era.
He thus becomes the equal of the very first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, and his virtue will remain greater than that of the reigning emperor because the sky does not have two suns. Examples of an abdication like Qianlong's without a palace revolution are of course exceptional in Chinese history.
Qianlong retires from political life but retains an intense literary and artistic activity. Three weeks after his abdication, he issues an edict commissioning a first seal with his new designation. The prototype, 22.5 cm square, is in the collection of the Palace Museum. For this new variety, he composes a poem to be engraved on the sides of the seal.
He thought of his retirement which he had promised to take if his reign was to exceed 60 years. His grandfather Kangxi had reigned 61 years and this period should not be exceeded for a reason of respect. The emperor must be a model of virtue and can not change a wish or express a remorse.
The Qianlong era thus ends by the emperor's will on the 3rd day of the 9th month in the 60th year of his reign, February 8, 1796 CE. In a ceremony that brings together all his relatives, the old man awards to himself the rare and glorious title of Tai Shang Huang Di (Emperor Emeritus). He designates to succeed him his 15th son who opens the Bingchen year and the Jiaqing era.
He thus becomes the equal of the very first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, and his virtue will remain greater than that of the reigning emperor because the sky does not have two suns. Examples of an abdication like Qianlong's without a palace revolution are of course exceptional in Chinese history.
Qianlong retires from political life but retains an intense literary and artistic activity. Three weeks after his abdication, he issues an edict commissioning a first seal with his new designation. The prototype, 22.5 cm square, is in the collection of the Palace Museum. For this new variety, he composes a poem to be engraved on the sides of the seal.
1
2011 SOLD for RMB 160M by Poly
About twenty Tai Shang Huang Di seals are made. Almost all of them are square or rectangular, symbols of the earth.
The only shape exception is a cylinder 4.6 cm in diameter and 5 cm high, dated Bingchen. It is in translucent white jade with russet at the top of the piece engraved at this place with a pictogram between two qilings. Qianlong named such a perfect stone a Han white jade.
The poem is carved in archaic calligraphy and it can be assumed that this jade was reused from a Han seal. Such historical reminiscence is unique among Tai Shang Huang Di seals. The circle is the symbol of the sky.
It has been sold twice by Sotheby's, for HK $ 46M on October 9, 2007, lot 1301, and for HK $ 96M on April 8, 2010, lot 1815 here linked on the Invaluable bidding platform. It was later sold for RMB 160M by Poly, on December 6, 2011, lot 4982.
The only shape exception is a cylinder 4.6 cm in diameter and 5 cm high, dated Bingchen. It is in translucent white jade with russet at the top of the piece engraved at this place with a pictogram between two qilings. Qianlong named such a perfect stone a Han white jade.
The poem is carved in archaic calligraphy and it can be assumed that this jade was reused from a Han seal. Such historical reminiscence is unique among Tai Shang Huang Di seals. The circle is the symbol of the sky.
It has been sold twice by Sotheby's, for HK $ 46M on October 9, 2007, lot 1301, and for HK $ 96M on April 8, 2010, lot 1815 here linked on the Invaluable bidding platform. It was later sold for RMB 160M by Poly, on December 6, 2011, lot 4982.
2
Shi Bao
2016 SOLD for HK$ 91M by Sotheby's
During his reign, Qianlong was a great lover of seals that he used to put his imperial mark on the documents and works of art that he had consulted. He had now changed his own denomination and ordered the execution of the Taishang Huangdi shi Bao seals meaning the seals of the treasure of the Emperor Supreme.
A very large seal 22.5 cm square is made for the purpose to serve as a model and will never be used. It is kept in the Palace Museum in Beijing. Copies are made in various smaller sizes using the finest jades.
The largest of the seals actually used by Taishang Huang is 13 cm square. It was carved in a boulder of green jade from Khotan on the motif of two addorsed dragons. This prestigious piece was sold for HK $ 91M by Sotheby's on October 5, 2016, lot 3304. It is offered with its original zitan stand but its box was lost. Please watch here below the video shared by the auction house.
A very large seal 22.5 cm square is made for the purpose to serve as a model and will never be used. It is kept in the Palace Museum in Beijing. Copies are made in various smaller sizes using the finest jades.
The largest of the seals actually used by Taishang Huang is 13 cm square. It was carved in a boulder of green jade from Khotan on the motif of two addorsed dragons. This prestigious piece was sold for HK $ 91M by Sotheby's on October 5, 2016, lot 3304. It is offered with its original zitan stand but its box was lost. Please watch here below the video shared by the auction house.
The Imperial 'Taishang Huangdi Zhi Bao' Seal - the largest ever used by the Qianlong Emperor - fetches HK$91.5m/US$11.8m in #HK pic.twitter.com/9VPJ3SdO12
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) October 5, 2016
3
2011 SOLD for HK$ 64.5M by Sotheby's
A Taishang Huangdi with a 8.2 cm square base surmounted with two entwined dragons was sold for HK $ 64.5M by Sotheby's on April 8, 2011.
It embeds on its sides a poem in which the emeritus Emperor Qianlong explains his abdication. Some minor wear was announced in the catalog.
It embeds on its sides a poem in which the emeritus Emperor Qianlong explains his abdication. Some minor wear was announced in the catalog.
masterpiece
1797-1800 Maja Desnuda by Goya
Prado
The image is shared by Wikimedia.
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1799 The Bedchamber Sword of Tipu Sultan
2023 SOLD for £ 14M by Bonhams
Tipu Sultan said that he preferred to live one day as a tiger than a lifetime as a sheep. Nicknamed the Tiger of Mysore, the Sultan was one of the leading protagonists in the fight against the British in India during the wars of colonization. He ruled in an utmost luxury, including a monumental octagonal gold throne. He was a great warrior for the Muslim faith.
The Sultan died in battle in 1799 CE during the siege of his capital Seringapatam. Entering his locked bedchamber, the British observed that the Sultan had lived in constant alert. He used to sleep in a hammock suspended from the ceiling with a pair of pistols and a sword within reach by his side.
That single edged Mughal steel sword with a double edged point follows a model of 16th century German blades. The straight blade 38 mm wide is mounted with a hilt and kept in a velvet covered silver gilt wooden scabbard. The overall length in scabbard is 108 cm.
The gold inlaid calligraphy of the hilt records five of the qualities of God and two invocations calling on God by name. Each of the qualities and one of the invocations are repeated several times. An inscription translates as 'The Sword of the Ruler'.
The sword was presented on the spot by the army to Major General Baird who had led the successful assault on Seringapatam. From the Baird archives, it was sold for £ 150K before fees by Dix Noonan Webb on September 19, 2003, lot 3. It was sold for £ 14M by Bonhams on May 23, 2023, lot 175P.
The Sultan died in battle in 1799 CE during the siege of his capital Seringapatam. Entering his locked bedchamber, the British observed that the Sultan had lived in constant alert. He used to sleep in a hammock suspended from the ceiling with a pair of pistols and a sword within reach by his side.
That single edged Mughal steel sword with a double edged point follows a model of 16th century German blades. The straight blade 38 mm wide is mounted with a hilt and kept in a velvet covered silver gilt wooden scabbard. The overall length in scabbard is 108 cm.
The gold inlaid calligraphy of the hilt records five of the qualities of God and two invocations calling on God by name. Each of the qualities and one of the invocations are repeated several times. An inscription translates as 'The Sword of the Ruler'.
The sword was presented on the spot by the army to Major General Baird who had led the successful assault on Seringapatam. From the Baird archives, it was sold for £ 150K before fees by Dix Noonan Webb on September 19, 2003, lot 3. It was sold for £ 14M by Bonhams on May 23, 2023, lot 175P.
