I feel sure countless Mameluke swords made it back to Europe as trophies between 1799 to 1801. Perhaps some are in Paris, perhaps some in other museums.
Dos anyone know of any, and of any studies into their manufacture, inscriptions and design? It is the sort of thing La Sabretache would do very well.
Jonathan,
Have you seen this volume that came out from Helion in 2017?
https://www.amazon.com/French-Army-Orient-1798-1801-Revolution/dp/1911512714?ref=pf_ov_at_pdctrvw_dp
It is by Yves Martin and is excellent-highly recommended. While not about Mameluke swords specifically, it might be useful.
“A self-promoting narcissist”. I wonder who that reminds us of?
'Nemesis'? How so?
Sir Sidney was a self-promoting narcissist whose imagination was much larger than his overall accomplishments. He was not popular with either his superiors or peers. Seems that he was a right pain in the posterior in the Royal Navy.
The person who did more than anyone else to defeat Napoleon at Acre was an émigré French engineer, La Picard de Phelippeaux, who had been a fellow student of Napoleon. Unfortunately Phelippeaux died of sunstroke at Acre and was unable to get the major credit that he was due and that was wrongly attributed to Smith.
Phelippeaux had joined the British service and was brought to Acre by the Royal Navy.
Also the nemesis of Boney did carry such a sabre à l'Orientale
Thanks @Hans - Karl Weiß I’d never thought about the possibility of the Mameluke sabre coming directly into British use that way. The officers of the 7th Hussars adopted the Mameluke as a regimental pattern from 1805 to the 1840’s. Uxbridge was their colonel, and wearing that uniform at Waterloo. In fact, I think I remember seeing his Waterloo sword on display when I last visited Plas Newydd. Of course, having got so used to seeing Mamelukes in the hands of general officers, I assumed it was because of his rank, but apparently not. The 7th are illustrated carrying it by Bryan Fosten in Osprey’s Wellington’s Light Cavalry, and sword collectors have identified dress and plainer undress or campaign examples. Major Hodge is thought to be carrying one of these, it presumably falling into the French hands. I wonder if they managed to keep hold if it in the rout, and it became a family heirloom? Perhaps some French Armes Blanche collector believes he has something he doesn’t. In fact, given the popularity of this style amongst British officers, and the very small numbers of Mamelukes by 1815, I wonder if there were more Mameluke style swords in allied hands rather than French at Waterloo?
That isn't the point. The French spent some time in Egypt and adopted and/or brought home the swords that they 'found' in Egypt. That isn't the same as making them regulation after the wars. Some French officers also kept on carrying them through the wars.
And, fortunately for them, they also brought home some Mamelukes who made an excellent combat record during the wars. A company of them were taken into the Guard in 1802. The unit was composed of men from Georgia and Circassia, the Crimea, Arabia, Syria, Armenia, Egypt, Abyssinia, Darfur, Albania, the Balkan provinces of Turkey, Hungary, Malta Tunisia, and Algeria. Two of the officers were from Bethlehem.
Napoleon gave them an eagle after Austerlitz and their depot was at Marseilles. Eight of them went to Elba with Napoleon.
It’s also worth noting that the Mameluke swords became quite a fashion. Here is Wellington’s sword from Waterloo, and if you disregard the knuckle guard, the hilt has more than a little of the Mameluke about it. https://ageofrevolution.org/200-object/duke-of-wellingtons-waterloo-sword/
Jonathan,
for a question in our discussion board I scanned the plates and texts of the Mameluke's swords and other weapons (except firearms) from my Aries collection.
Attached you find all plates and information.
Greetings from Berlin
Markus
To answer your question:
Le Sabre "À l'Orientale" D'Un Empire À L'Autre, par Jean Francois Teulière, Tradition Nr. 95, Decembre 1994, p. 6 - 11
In case you cannot get it - let me know.
You can find Mameluke swords in the Musee de l'Armee. My son and I were there three years ago and they are definitely still there.
If you have access to Les Armees Francaises a l'Epoque Revolutionnaire 1789-1804 by Georges Le Diberder produced by the Museum (Collections Historiques du Musee de l'Armee 1989) It has photographs of original Mamelume sword hilts on pages 28-29 (three hilts per page-entitled Trophees d'Egypte); 30 (Desaix's); 34 (Napoleon's); 39 (Kleber's); 41 (Murad Bey's); and a complete one, 105.
US Marine Corps officers carry a Mameluke sword, based on the one awarded to Lt Presley O'Bannon for his part in the Derna expedition in 1805. Mine is over our fireplace.