AMERICAN AND EUEOPEAN SWORDS 127 



verse with a laurel wreath. The guard is a narrow triangular strip 

 of brass ending near the pommel in a rattlesnake's head, and near 

 the lower quillon in a serpent's tail. The quillons are composed of a 

 flat brass strip terminating above the blade in an oak-leaf spray. 

 A large gilt shield is attached to the obverse bearing in relief an 

 elaborate design showing a female figure, lightly draped and half 

 reclining, with a garland of roses in the left hand. On the reverse 

 side of the blade is a small shield bearing the head of a Greek soldier. 

 This sword was lent to the National Museum in 1903. by Mrs. F. 

 Grand d'Hauteville. 



SWORD OWNED BY COL. AENEAS MACKAY 



Another interesting sword ^^ of this type was owned during the War 

 of 1812 by Col. Aeneas Mackay, United States Army. Its blade 

 is very similar to that of the one just described. The grip is made 

 of brass and is 4-sided ; the top and bottom are plain, and the sides 

 are decorated at the ends with floral designs, each with an oval 

 depression in the center from which the original mounts are missing. 

 The pommel is a brass medieval helmet surmounted by a plume. 

 The quillons are plain brass strips terminating both above and 

 below the blade in a cone of laurel leaves. The large brass shield 

 attached to the obverse of the blade is heart-shaped with both lobes 

 terminating in a lion's head, and the central portion is decorated 

 with scroll designs in high relief. This sword was presented to the 

 National Museum in 1906 by Mrs. Cornelia McKnight Bogy. 



EARLY NINETEENTH CENTURY OFFICERS' SABERS 

 SABER OWNED BY COUNT DE ROCHAMBEAU 



The National Museum collection includes an exceptionally inter- 

 esting series of the ornate sabers of the type carried by French Army 

 officers during the early part of the nineteenth century. One of 

 these"* was owned by Jean Baptiste Donatien de Vimeur, better 

 known as the Count de Kochambeau. The blade is long and heavy 

 with a deep curve and a rounded back. The grip is 4-sided and 

 is made of dark wood, and the top and bottom are decorated with 

 parallel diagonal grooves. The pommel is made of brass in the 

 shape of an upn, encircled by an oak spray, and terminates in a plain 

 stem covering the end of the grip. The guard is a plain rectangular 

 brass strip, which terminates above the blade in a quillon ending in 

 a monster's head. The scabbard is made of steel with four brass 

 mounts, two of Avhich are decorated with floral and scroll designs. 



32 Length, 98 cm. Blade, 89.8 cm. long, 2.3 cm. wide. PI. 36, fig. 8. ' 



^* Length, 99 cm. Blade, 84 cm. long, 3 cm. wide. PL 37, fig. 3. 



