36 BULLETIiSr 16 3, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



blade decorated with floral and trophy designs. The grip is made of 

 ivory decorated with nine vertical grooves surmounted by a plain 

 brass strip terminating in an eagle-head pommel. The knuckle guard 

 is a plain brass strip, which is continued to form plain quillons of 

 the same type, to the obverse of which is aflBxed a small plain brass 

 shield. 



A saber ^- belonging to Group 2 in the Alfred F. Hopkins collec- 

 tion is similar in general design to the above, but the blade is 

 decorated with the United States shield bearing 15 stars. The grip, 

 which is made of ivory, is decorated with three broad, vertical, 

 parallel grooves, which divide this portion of the specimen into three 

 sets of diamond-shaped and diagonally grooved designs. The grip 

 is surmounted by a brass strip terminating in an oval pommel, which 

 is decorated in low relief with a representation of the American 

 eagle hovering over the United States shield. The knuckle guard 

 is a brass strip, the upper side of which is decorated with acorns 

 and the lower with oak leaves. The quillons consist of a plain 

 brass strip terminating above the blade in an acorn. A small shield 

 decorated with the United States coat of arms, surrounded by 

 a line of beadwork, is attached to each side of the blade. 



Another example in the Hopkins collection has a curved blade 

 decorated with the United States shield bearing 15 stars. The grip 

 of this saber *^ is made of ivory and is decorated with vertical and 

 diagonal lines, and the whole is surmounted by a brass strip termin- 

 ating in an eagle-head pommel. The knuckle guard is a heavy brass 

 strip modeled after a fluted column encircled by beadwork and oak 

 sprays. The quillon is a plain brass strip, to the obverse of which is 

 attached a small shield decorated with an oval coat of arms between 

 the inscription " Parta Tueri." The scabbard is made of brass with 

 two rings. 



Very typical of the sabers of Group 3 is a specimen ** in the Alfred 

 F. Hopkins collection having a long heavy curved blade, with a wide, 

 shallow groove on each side. The obverse is decorated in gold on 

 a dark-blue background with the coat of arms of the United States, 

 the shield bearing 15 stars, flanked by floral sprays, a trophy, and 

 the inscription " Warranted." The reverse is decorated in a similar 

 manner with trophy and floral sprays. The grip, which is made of 

 ivory, is decorated with 10 parallel, vertical grooves and is sur- 

 mounted by a bronze strip terminating at the pommel in an eagle's 

 head with the plumage in heavy relief. The knuckle guard consists 

 of a bronze strip, the sides of which are decorated with beadwork, 



*' Length, 92 cm. Blade, 79 cm. long, 3 cm. wide. PI. 10, fig. 2. 



"Length, 90.5 cm. Blade, 76.3 long, 3 cm. wide. PI. 10. fig. 3. A saber of a similar 

 type is shown on pi. 10, fig. 1. 



" Length, 96.7 cm. Blade, 82.7 cm. long, 3.8 cm. wide. PI. 10, flg. 5. 



