An American Silver-Mounted Eagle Pommel Naval Officer's Sabre with Persian Shamshir Blade, Jacob Kucher, Philadelphia, circa1805-1810

highly sculpted silver crested eagle-head pommel engraved overall with feathers surmounting a curved horn grip with wide panel of checkering, two narrow panels of serrations and one panel, along back, left vacant; heavy cast silver cross-guard with robust rounded langets engraved along borders, quillons rotate slightly as they approach the finials of finely detailed eagle claws clutching stippled balls; knuckle guard of five individual finely-formed silver chains suspended from swivels connected to the ball held by the eagle’s claw at one end, and the eagle’s beak on the other; greenish leather-covered Moroccan leather binding with a brilliant contrast; the silver mountings all elaborately engraved with floral borders, draperies and vacant vignettes; the upper-most mount (4 5/8 in. deep) mounted with fixed suspension ring on a molded base; the center mount also with fixed suspension ring on molded base, the chape (8 3/8 in.) with decorative drag.

Acquired by Dr. John K. Lattimer from Ken Drake, 15 January 1973
Dr. Lattimer notes that “Pa resident to English dealer in U.S.”
Lattimer, No. 364

Hartzler, p. 244, No. 410, and dust-jacket

curved horn grip with age crack
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
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The sword’s silver chain guard may in fact have originally accompanied the blade prior to its subsequent re-hilting by Jacob Kucher. See for example figures 2.9 and 2.10 (p. 13) of The Arms and Armour of Arabia in the 18^th 19^th and 20^th Centuries by Robert Elgood – an excellent reference on many such swords and blades, and additionally, presentations of the same to various British officers during early 19^thcentury and later.

It should be noted that the scabbard of this sword, even considering its American manufacture and decorative motifs, remain quite stylistically similar to the scabbards that these blades were mounted in originally. Interestingly, the cross-guard and scabbard throat of the present sword, with its large, rounded langets – mimic the Hadhrami (southern Yemen) style – clearly shows that Kucher’s unusual scabbard is an interpretation directly modeled after the original.

Persian blades were widely respected throughout the Near East (today’s Middle East), and were imported into the Arabian Peninsula and beyond in great numbers being then made into complete swords in the local fashion.

Much like the influence on fashion and design in France stemming from Napoleon’s expedition to Egypt in 1799, American interest in this region (if however considerably less influential in the general design) stemming from the tragedies and triumphs of naval and land expeditions to North Africa during the Barbary Wars produced a short-lived interest by officers in the fine swords they encountered. Indeed, it is recorded that many officers who participated in these engagements were presented such swords. There is little doubt that the blade of this unique sword by Kucher of Philadelphia came from a sword given to or captured by an American naval officer.

One excellent history of some of the dramatic events of American involvement in North Africa that made the careers and legends of Stephen Decatur and Edward Preble can be found in Pirate Coast by Richard Zacks.

Jacob Kucher (working 1806 – 1833); for information on Jacob Kucher see: Belden, Louise Conway, “Liberty and the American Eagle on Spoons by Jacob Kucher,” Winterthur Portfolio III.  It appears that there are three swords by Jacob Kucher presently recorded and all three are in the Lattimer collection. This sword is unique among that small group.