As i browse on these swords and their implicit Nasrid saga, i feel i have to revisit the Alhambra, that breathless complex of palaces ...
The main and more complete iconographic sources depicting arms and complements of the Nasrid period are the codicess of las Cantigas of Alphonso X el Sabio (end XIII century), the murals in the Partal house in th Alhambrs (1340), the three domes painted by a Castillian artist/s in Gothic style in the Sala de los Reyes of Palace del Riyāḍ al-Sa‘īd (know as Palacio de los Leones) circa 1380 and the paintings of the battle of Higuerela, made by Juan II of Castille in 1431-1432, later copied in colour in the XVI century in the Monastery of San Lorenzo de Escorial.
The most emphasized weapon type of weapon genuinely Nasrid, conventionally known as Jinetas, a term of uncertain significance, is for the first time documented in the painting of the little Partal house. Of decorarive kuxury, with the presence of Nasrid motto or dinastic shield, indicate the probable production in Palatial workshops, such as confirmed by references to gifts that the Sultans of Granada used to offer Christian Monarchs. According to the chronicle of Alfonso XI (XIV century), this Monarch received from Muhamd IV when sealing peace with Castille, in 1333, a sword with a scabbard all covered with gold plates and several emeralds, rubis, saphires and pearls. In the testament of King Dom Pedro I, in 1362, is written: i send to the said Don Juan … four Gineta swords of gold, one that i made with gems and pearls.Their graphic representation appears in the joints of the Santa Catalina cluster of Burgos Cathedral; in the painting in the central alcoba de la Sala de los Reyes in la Alhambra; in the stonework choir of Toledo Cathedral; in the painting of Adoracion de los Reyes in the Royal chapel of Granada, where King Baltazar, dressing as a Muslim, carries a Gineta.
However between the second half XIII and beginning XIV centuries of the Nasrid Granadine Sultanate, two generic styles of weaponry coexisted; that adopted by copying Christian models, and that provenant of Hispano Muslim Oriental and Magrebi tradition. The adoption of weapons of Christian fashion is documented in las Cantigas de Santa Maria, where part of Muslim Cavalry shows a heavy charater, like close helms, cabacets, manoples, shields and the like.
Back to Jinetas, among the examples of interest preserved, are the one in the Paris National Library, provenant from Granada; the one of Saint Marcelo de Leon (now in the Arhaelogic Museim of Madrid); the one of Infant-Cardinal Dom Fernando de Austria (Real Armeria); the one supposed to be of Aliatar (Madrid Army Museum); the one of the Marquis of Campótejar, etc. The richest one of the this series appears to be ithe cerimony court sword captured from Boabdil in the battle of Lucena in 1483 (Army Museum) which, judging by its decoration, could be dated frpm the period of Muhamad V.
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