Introduction: This exceptional military broad-blade rapier is from the Trabantenleibgarde. The Trabantenleibgarde  was a light cavalry that served as the personal guards of the Prince Electors of Saxony, one of the wealthiest groups of Renaissance Nobility.

Description: Constructed with a wide blade of stiff diamond shape quickly tapering to a sharp tip, strong medial ridge, rectangular recasso with a fuller in the center with double pierced lines at each side, quillon block chevron shaped decorated en suite with the blade, double side rings the upper larger than its counterpart, two finger rings, downward facing diamond shaped quillons expanding to a button tip, replaced silver wire grip, mushroom-shaped pommel with octagonal fluting and piercings on each side of the flute. Approximate length: 44.5 inches.

Discussion: The Armory of the Electors of Saxony in Dresden, Germany spared no expense in the production of their Arms and Armor. As a result, collectors have placed great importance on anything Saxon. 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 An unpublished document dated 1606 and housed at the Staatlichen Kunstsammlungen Dresden indicates the quantities of silver and other precious metals used to construct and decorate 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.