France. Antique Senior Naval Officer Sword. Mod. 1837. Circa 1880

Antique French sword for a high ranking naval officer, corresponding to Model 1837 and datable to circa 1880, within the period of the Third Republic. It is an example of classical typology within the French naval officer corps, with a refined appearance, highly representative of the edged weapons used by high ranking officers in France during the final decades of the nineteenth century.

The hilt is made of gilt brass and shows careful decorative work on several of its parts. The knuckle guard displays chiselled vegetal decoration, with an elegant and well balanced design. The pommel, with its broadened profile and flat upper end, retains ornamentation of clearly French taste, in harmony with the rest of the hilt. The folding counterguard, visible on this example, is also a characteristic and functional detail, typical of this type of officer’s sword.

The grip is made of light coloured horn, arranged in pronounced flutes and accompanied by metal wire binding, a visually very attractive configuration fully consistent with the quality of the piece. The shell guard bears a decorative motif of strong naval character, with a naval anchor against a background of flags, flanked by oak and laurel foliage, a composition that clearly defines the identity of the piece and gives it a very marked visual personality. It is military and maritime iconography of great aesthetic strength, intended for high ranking naval officers.

The blade is straight, of triangular section, long, slender and conceived for thrusting. It bears the signature Carri at the ricasso, a detail of interest in the study of the piece. Its state of preservation is very good, with a good overall profile, a tip in good condition and a clean and attractive visual presence. The scabbard is of black leather with gilt brass mounts. It shows normal wear from use and age, as well as a visible defect or bend in the area near the chape, although it remains complete and accompanies the weapon correctly. It also retains its belt hanger, with buckle decorated with Naval symbols, a particularly attractive detail because it completes the sword as a uniform set and adds both historical and visual interest.

The overall condition is very good within its age. The hilt retains its structure and decoration well, the grip maintains an excellent presence, the blade shows very good preservation and the scabbard, despite logical wear and the bend noted near the chape, still performs its function. The belt hanger is also an important added value, as it survives together with the sword and reinforces its identity as a naval uniform piece.

In short, this is a French sword for a high ranking naval officer, Model 1837, of great elegance, with very clear naval iconography, a signed blade, good overall preservation and a particularly attractive ensemble because it also retains its scabbard and belt hanger. It is a very interesting piece for collectors of French militaria, naval edged weapons and historical uniform objects with strong aesthetic personality.

Pieces such as this are of special interest today because they bring together several values in a single object. They are authentic edged weapons, uniform objects of great formal beauty and very clear historical testimonies of a specific military hierarchy. This French sword for a high ranking naval officer, Model 1837, circa 1880, represents with great clarity the refinement, symbolic authority and visual tradition of French naval officers in the final decades of the nineteenth century.

Measurements: Total length of the sword: 91.5 cm, 36 in. Blade length: 76 cm, 30 in.

History of Model 1837

The sword for a high ranking naval officer, Model 1837, forms part of the great tradition of uniform weapons used by the French naval officer corps during much of the nineteenth century and even at later dates. It is a model that perfectly reflects the military mentality of its time, when the sword continued to be at once a weapon, a sign of rank and an essential element of the officer’s public image.

Within the French Navy, the sword had particular importance. It was not merely a piece of equipment, but a visible attribute of authority, discipline and belonging to one of the most prestigious corps of the State. In the case of high ranking officers, this symbolic dimension was even more evident. The sword accompanied the uniform in acts of service, ceremonies, representations and official contexts, projecting an image of professional dignity and clearly recognisable hierarchy.

Model 1837 belongs to a moment when France was consolidating a refined military aesthetic. Gilt mounts, grips made of showy materials and the presence of naval emblems such as the anchor answered a clear desire to distinguish naval officers visually. That elegance did not, however, cancel the functional character of the weapon. The straight blade of triangular section was conceived for thrusting and responded to a logic of effectiveness, lightness and precision very characteristic of nineteenth century officer swords.

Although the model originated at an early date, examples such as this continued to be used or produced within a prolonged regulation tradition. For that reason, it is entirely coherent to place this piece around circa 1880, already in the period of the Third Republic. In those years, France remained a major maritime power, with a navy active both in national defence and in the country’s external projection. Colonial expansion, naval policy and the prestige of the uniform all contributed to keeping alive a whole material culture linked to naval officership.

I think I left nothing in the description but if I forgot something, I'll be glad to answer any questions.

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The Shop

"Hello.

My name is José Pascual, and I am an antique dealer located in Zaragoza, Spain, which is a medium size city between Madrid and Barcelona. If you have any question, send me an email and I will gladly answer you. Enjoy my articles and I hope we keep in touch.

For any questions about this or any other item you can contact me through eBay. I will be glad to answer them.

Thanks for trusting me and enjoy !

Best wishes from Spain."

José Pascual Aznar

 

 

SHIPPING

We Always Combine Shipping for 2 or more items !!!!

Before paying please let us combine your postage cost. Simply shop away and then request the total from us. We will then send you one postage cost for all your itmes

Although the shipping expenses published with this item are exact for most of the countries and cities, they may change depending on the final city and country. To know the exact shipping quote, just write me sending your Country name, City name and Postal code, and I'll send it to you.

Combine 2 or more pieces for much cheaper shipping expenses.

IMPORTANT - SEE ALL THE PICTURES

This is an antique or vintage item, not a new item, and it's not perfect as a new one. It may have minor scratches or hits not mentioned in this description but than can be seen in the many photos published with it. Scroll down the description to see all the photos. Photos are part of the description, because a picture is worth a thousand words. Please, study the pictures as part of the description and if you have any doubt ask me.

Also be aware that when I say that an antique item is in perfect working conditions, doesn't mean that it works as new. A machine with 100 years is not prepared to be working everyday during hours, except my antique clocks. Many things can happen inside an antique mechanism and today's perfectly working spring, could be the future's failure as far away as in 10 years… or as near as the next month. It's impossible to know exactly when. But before our pieces are ready to be sold, we check the machinery and working condition of all of them. If necessary, we restore and/or repair and finally clean and/or adjust, all our antique machines, and if it's there's a defect or malfunctions, it's clearly indicated in the description, video or pictures, but these machines are still antiques.

For example, an antique car, a Ford T from 1910, may be in perfect working conditions, but this doesn't mean that it works as new or that you can use this antique car as an everyday car to go to your job. I want to leave this clear as part of the description. Antiques, even in perfect working conditions, can't be guaranteed as a new or second hand item. Not only the antique itself has 100 years old or more, but also each spring, screw, wheel and gear of its mechanism has also 100 years or more. Of course, if something happens we can help to solve the problem, even repairing it, we know experts in many areas, but understand that even a perfectly working antique is still an antique.

Please keep this in mind before buying and if you have any question, let me know.

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Investing in antiques is always a nice way to profitable your money. Many collectors have became millionairs. If you are starting a collection, follow these important tips:

- If you want to invest in antiques, always choose original pieces and avoid reproductions. A reproduction loses half of its value in the same minute that you are purchasing it, while an original antique gains value each passing day. This is an original antique and its value will continue growing tomorrow.

- Read and learn about for area of interest: swords, clocks, phonographs, antique photos, old silver, technical antiques, typewriters... Invest in books as much as in your collection and learn as much as you can. If you keep your collecction catalogued, you will increase its value.

- Keep yourself informed about the market prices in your area of interest. There are many sources but mainly, visit as many fairs as you can, research in the Internet and read the final auctions prices in the traditional auction houses.

- Finally... Collect antiques, not junk. It is always better a small collection with excellent pieces than a huge collection of junk, rusty irons and broken machines. Select your pieces. There is not a goal to reach, so take the pleasure in in the process of your treasure hunting. A collection should be something to enjoy, and there is many interesting pieces out there and very few time to enjoy them, so be selective with your choices.

If you follow these simple steps you will be in the correct direction to develop an excellent collection, whatever is your area of interest and, for me the most important of all, enjoying the process

 

 

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WHO WE ARE & ABOUT ME
 


Jose Pascual

Hello.

My name is Jose and I am the owner and responsible of this shop. I am an antique dealer located in Saragossa, in Spain.

Saragossa is a Spanish medium size city of 700.000 people, located just in the middle of the way between Madrid and Barcelona, 300 kms from each one, and also equidistant 300 kms. to other cities as Bilbao and Valencia. It’s an antique city founded by the Romans, by the Emperor Caesar Augustus more than 2000 years ago, capital of the powerful antique Kingdom of Aragon, 900 years ago and during the Medieval times, and first defeat of Napoleon’s troops in Europe during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th Century, among other History...

Here I was born, here I live, and here I have my small antiques shop.

 

We are professional antique dealers

I started in this world as a collector. My parents introduced me into the world of antiques and the auction houses since I was a child here in Spain but also in other cities as Milan, London and Paris. My father introduced me into the world of antique collectibles and I started my own antique search at flea markets for my own small antiques collections since I was very young. I've been a professional antique dealer since the year 2003, when I decided to join my passion with my way of living. If while I am writing this is the year 2024, these are, 21 years, nowadays, selling antiques. And more than 30 years as a collector, and I still have a lot to learn and only a little to teach.

We are a registered legal antique business, here in Spain. We pay our taxes, too many taxes I am afraid, and we have a physical address. I have a small shop open to the public in Saragossa and we are open from 9:00 to 19:00 hours, Madrid time. You are welcome to visit me whenever you wish. I have an open shop at eBay for many years, I think at least 16 years, under the nickname 'Iberantiques', active and with more than 1350 positives feedbacks, today all 100% positive. And finally, as I mentioned before, I have my own web shop, for 16 years now, in Spanish language although it can be translated to almost any language using the Google Translator button, in the upper part of the web page. The translation is not perfect but it is 90% good, totally understandable and you can always ask me.

Mainly, I started specialized in Antique machines as gramophones, music boxes, clocks, watches… but today, I also work with other first class collector items as cameras, militaria, antique scientific instruments… To be exact, nowadays, I work with any first class antique that I could find at a correct price and that we could transport world-wide.

We provide secure shipping world-wide.

As a legal business, I have a commercial agreement with FedEx , with client account number with big shipping discounts, and we can send our items safely worldwide with a reasonable price, sometimes, even cheaper than Air Mail. We have a wide experience in packing and sending safely World Wide, from China and Singapore, to Dallas, San Francisco, New York or London, Canada, and of course almost all European Countries, many American ones including Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador and Colombia, and not forgetting Australia, South Africa, Israel and some in the Middle East as Catar and Emirates. We have sent successfully, from fragile items as Chinese Porcelain, to heavy items as Slot Coin Machines, not together into the same box, of course!. :-) .

We can send almost everything with security, no matter how big or heavy it is, if the client wants to pay the price, because some heavy or big items or delicate items into big boxes are specially expensive to send, not perhaps within Europe, but sometimes to America or Asia and some require custom made packing, as custom made wooden boxes or special foam for transport protection. The priority in Shipping is always Security and Protection for the piece. We’ve been sending International shipping since the very beginning in the year 2003. Our more than 1400 eBay clients and today's still 100% positive votes, talk about their positive experience.

We work with Selected pieces

All my items are first class collector’s items, in excellent conditions , conservation state or/and working conditions. If talking about antique machines, most of them are in perfect working conditions, perfect conservation state or perfectly restored. The few that are not, because it was not possible to repair it, it's clearly indicated. I like to work with the best pieces that I can find. I prefer to work only with selected pieces.

'Selected' doesn’t mean 'unaffordable'. My pieces have very correct prices, depending on the rarity and the conservation state of the piece itself. Every piece has a price rank, from junk state to museum state, that I consider is the highest one. ‘Selected’ means that I prefer to work with Museum State pieces, or near, and First Class collector’s items, or near rather than other kind of low quality pieces .

We guarantee the description and datation of all our pieces

I always give guarantee my descriptions, not only in general antiques, but even in the working condition of an antique machine. Of course, to be completely sincere, it’s mainly impossible to give a full guarantee in the working condition of an antique working machine with over or more than 100 years. Many things can happen inside an antique mechanism and today’s perfectly working spring, could be the future’s failure as far away as in ten years… or as near as the next month. It's impossible to know exactly when. But before our pieces are ready to be sold, we check the machinery and working condition of all of them. If necessary, we restore and/or repair and finally clean and/or adjust, all our antique machines, and if it’s there's a defect or malfunctions, it’s clearly indicated in the description, video or pictures.

We try to have all our pieces in perfect working conditions, but if a disaster occurs and the item gets out of order or damaged, for any reason, we can help to solve the problem or to help to repair it or to restore it. We work with first class professionals that can restore from antique medieval paintings to 13th Century silver, other metals as iron, copper and bronze, to any kind of wood. Also, we can repair antique machines as gramophones, antique clocks, typewriters and antique mechanical calculators.

We give a private Certificate of Authenticity of the item if required, that we send with the piece or by Mail.

Our Priority is your satisfaction

And the most important of all, we always take great care of the customer service. Client’s experience with antiques should be always pleasant and happy, or, if this is not completely possible, at least satisfactory and full of joy. Our work only ends, not when we sell the piece, but when our client has the piece in his hands, safely and in good conditions.

I speak English fluently, some French, and, of course, Spanish.

Thanks for reading this, I hope to deal with you soon, and we stay in touch. .

Jose Pascual