1620) MUSEUM QUALITY ETCHED SILVER SAXON RAPIER  CIRCA 1600:  Undoubtedly for a high-ranking officer. An identical example is found in the inventory pictured below in the Armory of the Electors of Saxony, Dresden Historical Museum, Dresden Castle, Dresden, Germany.

Discussion: The word opulence is defined as great wealth or luxuriousness. For opulence in the late Renaissance, look no further than the Armory of the Electors of Saxony in Dresden, Germany. With great wealth since the 12th century from mining silver, salt, and other metals such as bismuth, cobalt, copper, iron, gold, nickel, tin, and metal workings, they spared no expense in tournaments, social functions, and above all with the elite aristocratic members of the Trabantenleibgarde. The Trabantenleibgarde was a light cavalry who served as the personal guards of the prince electors. They were dressed in black doublets and yellow trunk hose and equipped with the period’s finest opulent arms and armor. An unpublished document dated 1606 and housed at the Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden indicates the quantities of silver and other precious metals used in the construction and decoration of arms and armor. The more important or higher ranked the individual, the more precious metal was used. Most of the time, it was silver. A sword decorated in gold, such as the example under discussion, is truly rare.

Prince Elector Augustus (1526-1586) had an inventory taken in 1567 listing over 1,500 weapons. The armory was moved in 1591 into the newly constructed Stable Building, a Renaissance building (‚ÄúStallgeb√§ude‚Äù, today‚ Johanneum), where it remained until 1722. The armory acquired royal status when Frederick Augustus I was crowned King of Poland in 1697.

So how did these treasures make their way to the open market?

An auction of major importance was the Sotheby‚ Dresden sale of 1970. At the time, the East German government wanted to buy a much revered East German impressionist painting. They were extremely embarrassed for the world to know that, like all socialist countries, their economy was in shambles, so they forced each national museum to privately sell something of value with the understanding the source was not to be revealed. Dresden sold a multitude of Arms and Armor to a Swiss dealer. At the auction, the source was immediately recognized. The East Germans made fools of themselves when just one sword alone sold for more than they were required to raise. It‚ possible this rapier may have been sold at this auction; however, pictures and descriptions are somewhat limited. Another important auction of Dresden arms and armor that could have introduced this sword to the collectors market was the Rudolph Lepke Berlin, October 8, 1919 sale.

Description: constructed with a wide blade of stiff diamond shape quickly tapering to a sharp tip, strong medial ridge, short thin fuller with chevron tip, fuller with pierced lines at each side and a talismanic Christian symbol at the fuller base, strong deep makers mark, hilt and sheath etched decorated en suite with panels of foliage and flowers on silver, the downward turned quillons spatulating at the ends with chevron tips with a button at the finials, rain-guard with lip at quillon block fitting at sheath mouth also lipped in silver and decorated en-suite, a large side ring with medial ridge, a serpentine guard on the reverse, thumb rest and finger ring, slightly swelled grip wrapped in silver wire secured by silver cusped ferrules and an octagonal faceted, ‚Äúscent stopper‚Äù pommel, capped with silver that is lightly engraved with flourishes of vines in each of the facets. Length: 46.5 inches.

Provenance:

-A distinguished old European collection.

-Armory of the Electors of Saxony, Dresden Historical Museum, Dresden Castle, Dresden, Germany.

Conclusion: Anything Dresden is highly sought out by collectors. An etched rapier in mint condition is an extreme rarity and a tremendous addition to any collection or museum. Available now for acquisition to the connoisseur collector of impeccable taste at a very reasonable price for such an extreme rarity and display of grandeur. ACT-NOW, it will sell!!!*

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