Weapons of Nubian Palace Guard

[KraVseR]

Hello! We know about Nubian Palace Guard only from drawings by Ludwig Deutsch. In his works we can see ethnographic weapons. Please, help me identify they. And, maybe, someone know the history/organisation of this guard?

[Battara]

What great paintings and examples of Ottoman wear in belts and weaponry, although the shield and helmet looks Persian Qajar period.

When were these done?

[CharlesS]

Deutsch's "Palace Guard" works are fun, fanciful, and highly exotic, which is exactly what he was going for. That said, these belts loaded with weapons of every type is almost certainly impractical embellishment as he was known to include the use of armor and weapons from his own travels and collection in his paintings. That helps explain the wide variety of origins of the pieces.

This was not an uncommon habit of several of the "orientalists" artists of the 19th and early 20th century.

Just imagine trying to move about with all that strapped to you!

There is a good variety of books available on the great "Orientalists" of the era and their works. My personal favorite is Jean Leon Gerome.

[KraVseR]

When were these done?
This is 1890-1900 years.

[estcrh]

Those images may not be all that far from reality.

[estcrh]

Talk about an over abundance of weapons!!

A painting of a native soldier from north-western India, possibly a Sikh, carrying 3 firearms, an axe, sword, possibly 2 daggers and a shield.

[KraVseR]

Thank you. As I understand it, their arms were like the Mameluke. Sword is definitely Yatagan. But what about the history / organization of these guards? :shrug: