Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post

Victrix · 16th February 2019, 01:45 PM

Jim,

I believe it’s not entirely clear that sabres with pearl string decorations on the knuckle guard are officers’ versions from the Esterhazy Hungarian hussars. The illustration in Wagner was done from Dolloczek (see picture below) and does not claim that the pearl string decoration necessarily is connected specifically with Esterhazy. There are plenty sabres belonging to officers of the Esterhazy hussars without this decoration and there are plenty sabres with the decoration which are not connected with Esterhazy. It can’t be ruled out that this was a fashion which started at the Esterhazy hussars and was copied.

The sabre characteristics you describe do seem French as you suggest. There were many Hungarian emigrés in France who served as hussards. Some were political refugees after the failed War of Independence by Prince Rakoczi 1703-11 and ended up in the service of French king Louis XIV. Ladislas Valentin Esterhazy was born in France and served with the Bercheny hussards before raising his own regiment in 1764. These Hungarian hussards in French service obviously used equipment similar to what they used in their native country. There may have been French hussard sabres with pearl lined guards but I never saw one.

There were also Esterhazy Hungarian infantry regiments like Nikolaus or Joseph Esterhazy at this time. Infantry sabres did not have flat pommels and did have elliptical shaped langets as you described. I attach a photo of an Austro-Hungarian infantry Prima Plana sabre with pearl line knuckle guard decoration which I saw in the Imperial Armoury in Prague (don’t know if any Esterhazy connection).

16th February 2019, 01:45 PM	#6
Victrix Member Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Sweden Posts: 679	Jim, I believe it’s not entirely clear that sabres with pearl string decorations on the knuckle guard are officers’ versions from the Esterhazy Hungarian hussars. The illustration in Wagner was done from Dolloczek (see picture below) and does not claim that the pearl string decoration necessarily is connected specifically with Esterhazy. There are plenty sabres belonging to officers of the Esterhazy hussars without this decoration and there are plenty sabres with the decoration which are not connected with Esterhazy. It can’t be ruled out that this was a fashion which started at the Esterhazy hussars and was copied. The sabre characteristics you describe do seem French as you suggest. There were many Hungarian emigrés in France who served as hussards. Some were political refugees after the failed War of Independence by Prince Rakoczi 1703-11 and ended up in the service of French king Louis XIV. Ladislas Valentin Esterhazy was born in France and served with the Bercheny hussards before raising his own regiment in 1764. These Hungarian hussards in French service obviously used equipment similar to what they used in their native country. There may have been French hussard sabres with pearl lined guards but I never saw one. There were also Esterhazy Hungarian infantry regiments like Nikolaus or Joseph Esterhazy at this time. Infantry sabres did not have flat pommels and did have elliptical shaped langets as you described. I attach a photo of an Austro-Hungarian infantry Prima Plana sabre with pearl line knuckle guard decoration which I saw in the Imperial Armoury in Prague (don’t know if any Esterhazy connection). Attached Images Last edited by Victrix; 16th February 2019 at 01:55 PM.