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Fantastic Sword of the Elite Prussian Gardes du Corps
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Fantastic Sword of the Elite Prussian Gardes du Corps (Item GDUCORP 1-11; ANTWEP 4-24; ) |
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| DESCRIPTION: The Gardes du Corps (Regiment der Gardes du Corps) was the personal bodyguard contingent of the King of Prussia and, after 1871, of the German emperor (in German, the Kaiser). The unit was founded in 1740 by Frederick the Great. Its first commander was Friedrich von Blumenthal, who died unexpectedly in 1745; his brother Hans von Blumenthal, who, with the other officers of the regiment had won the Pour le Mérite in its first action at the battle of Hohenfriedberg, assumed command in 1747. Hans von Blumenthal was badly wounded leading the regiment in a successful cavalry charge in the battle of Lobositz and had to retire from the military. Initially, the regiment was used in part as a training unit for officers as part of a program of expansion of the cavalry. Early officers included the rake and memoirist Friedrich von der Trenck, who described the arduous life of sleep deprivation and physical stress endured by officers, as well as the huge cost of belonging to the unit (the cuirasses, for example, were silver plated at a time when the precious metal was exceptionally expensive). Unlike the rest of the Imperial German Army after German unification in 1871, the Gardes du Corps was recruited nationally and was part of the 1st Guards Cavalry Division. The regiment wore a white cuirassier uniform with certain special distinctions in full dress. These included a red tunic for officers in court dress and a white metal eagle poised as if about to rise from the bronze helmet on which it sat. Other unique features of the regiment's full dress worn until 1914 included a red sleeveless Supraweste (survest) with the star of the Order of the Black Eagle on front and back and the retention of black iron cuirasses edged with red which had been presented by the Russian Tsar in 1814. These last replaced the normal white metal breastplates on certain special occasions and of course the most important piece of equipment of the elite guardsman and his most treasured passion was his SWORD. For the most part, this was a heavy cuirassier-style sword like the one Tom Wittmann shows in his book Collecting the Edged Weapons of Imperial Germany. On page 165, then on pages 166 and 167, he shows illustrations of cuirassiers wearing the degen or pallasch. He describes it as one of the most sought-after degens by collectors and the one pictured is in Tom’s personal collection. It is a great sword indeed, but not Gardes du Corps!!! Our sword, however, sadly is lacking a scabbard. Who knows what mystery attends this fact. Unfortunately, the wonderful weapon cannot talk. If it could it would surely weave the saga of battles glorious and deeds victorious! The sword sans scabbard still remains an absolute treasure in the museum and collectors’ world. The piece is quite large measuring 42 inches long from the pommel to the tip of the blade (a massive sword for a very big man). These Gardes du Corp officers were selected for many reasons but size certainly mattered! Most of them were at least six feet tall and looked seven feet tall when wearing the eagle-top helmet. This sword was constructed in such a way as to be effective as a weapon in combat; however, since this was the Kaiser’s elite guard it had to be special in every way. The blade is highly engraved with the name of the regiment in Germanic script. Just before the regimental name you can see the Gardes du Corps motto centered in a star. This reads “Suum Cuique” translated “To Each His Own.”). Following this regimental design the blade has the words “Regiment der Gardes du Corps.” At each end of the legend are deeply engraved floral patterns. On the reverse side is a beautiful depiction of royal guardsmen in a charge with the commanding officer in front with a bugler behind him and a whole regimental following all wearing the eagle helmet. The blade is made in the combat style with triple blood grooves. Even the top edge of the blade as it flows to the end of the engraving is decorated with oak leaves. The maker’s mark is for Clemen and Jung and their logo is on the reverse section of the blade nearest the guard. The grip is covered in ray skin with brass wire running down and wrapped along the length. The obverse side is stamped “Solingen.” The sword’s blade is in excellent-to-mint condition and has the most beautiful unsharpened finishes that we have ever seen on a Solingen blade.
PRICE: SOLD |
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