Maritiem Digitaal
collectie zoeksyteem van de maritieme musea
geen titel
| titel | geen titel
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| inventarisnummer | WPN1093
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| collectie | Edged Weapons
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| museum | National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
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| datum | 1798
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| omschrijving | Presentation sword- which is supposedly a replica of the sword presented to Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805) by the Sultan of Turkey after the Battle of the Nile in 1798. The hilt of the sword consists of a gilt crocodile- which forms the pommel and the grip. An oval shield is at the centre of the grip on the obverse and is decorated with an engraving depicting ships of the line in action. The oval shield shows signs of damage and it could be that the present shield replaces one similar to that found in the same position on WPN1094. The gilt knuckle-bow comes complete with a ring to accommodate a sword knot.
An oval shield on the knuckle-bow is engraved with the arms and the crest of Alexander Davison (1750-1829) and is edged with oak leaves. The oval shield bears the arms and the crest of Alexander Davison of Newcastle on Tyne- of Davison of Lanton and Swarland- Northumberland- and of Davison of Pierrepoint- near Farnham in Surrey. They are 'Or- a fesse wavy between six cinquefoils gules'. The arms bear the difference of a crescent in the middle chief (for a second son of the first house) and are surmounted by an Earl's coronet on which stands a dove with an olive branch in its beak. Alexander Davison owned Swarland Park in Northumberland. The arms are shaded to represent their tinctures. Dr. F. Bedo Hobbs- writing on behalf of Canon Sidney Scott of Farnham- refers to a Crawford Davison living at Tilford House- near Pierrpoint. It is likely that Alexander Davison left the sword to Crawford Davison who- in turn- may have passed it to his brother William from whom other relics were obtained.
The single shell is nearly flat with a beaded edge. The hilt of the sword bears the inscription 'Victory of the Nile- 1st of August 1798'. The flat-backed blade has been damascened in blue and gold for 279mm only from the hilt- the remainder of the blade is plain. The blade is very curved- with one broad shallow groove. The obverse of the blade is decorated in the centre with a naval trophy. The reverse of the blade is decorated with the head of an Eastern 'Turkish' potentate. The blade was probably made in Germany and imported by J.J. Runkel. The decoration on the blade is purely European in style and is similar to many British blades of the time. The portrait of the Eastern 'Turkish' potentate is particularly European in execution. The gilt scabbard is decorated with embossed oval shields- five on the obverse and three on the reverse- with two rings at the back edge for belt slings at the first and third shields on the obverse. The fluted chape has a shoe. The scabbard is too long for the blade and as the hilt has no langets it must be assumed that the scabbard is a replacement. It is quite possibly a cavalry scabbard and may be French in origin.
The inscription on the hilt of the sword makes the case for this sword to be accepted as the sword given to Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson by the Sultan of Turkey after the Battle of the Nile in 1798. This is unlikely to be correct- although the sword does seem to be connected with the Battle of the Nile. It is thought that this sword is one of the swords made for some of Nelson's Captains after the Battle of the Nile. These swords were replicas of the sword thought to have been given to Nelson by the Sultan of Turkey. It should be remembered- however- that there is no conclusive proof that Nelson ever received a sword from the Sultan. It may be assumed that Alexander Davison or one of his successors tried to pass the sword off as the sword- which genuinely belonged to Nelson.
The correct sword for this scabbard was sold at Sotheby's 21/10/02. It had been in the possession of the descendants of Alexander Davison. There is a portrait of Davison painted by Arthur Devis in 1808 showing him wearing this sword and the above scabbard. The sword is a French First Empire sword with a curved single edged faux damascus blade and a gilt brass stirrup hilt. The oval langets are cast with a Medusa mask.
Presumably the sword was separated from its scabbard some time before the death of Sir William Davison in 1873 and Alexander Davison's Nile sword substituted which then came to the Museum. There is still no documentary proof that the Sultan presented a sword to Lord Nelson and it seems probable that this French sword was a captured weapon in Nelson's possession that he bequeathed to Davison. However research is still ongoing. The sword was sold to an anonymous buyer. The scabbbard remains with the Museum.
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| afmetingen | Blade: 768 x 35 mm
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