Bronze molds such as these were used to form the metal parts of a sword hilt and scabbard, usually made of the soft metals gold, silver, or copper. The three molds shown here are for the guard and the upper and lower scabbard mounts. The parts were formed in halves, then joined along the edges. The cross-shaped guard of the Nishapur sword exhibited nearby shows these joining seams.
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Title:Matrices for Sword Mounts
Date:10th–11th century
Culture:Iraqi or Iranian
Medium:Copper alloy
Dimensions:Sword guard (1980.210.1): H. 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm); W. 2 13/16 in. (7.1 cm); Wt. 6 oz. (162 g); locket (1980.210.2): H. 2 15/16 in. (7.44 cm); W. 2 5/8 in. (6.65 cm); Wt. 4 oz. (119 g); chape (1980.210.3): H. 2 5/16 in. (5.8 cm); W. 2 1/8 in. (5.4 cm); Wt. 7 oz. (206 g)
Classification:Swords-Accessories
Credit Line:Purchase, Rogers Fund and Anonymous Gift, 1980
Accession Number:1980.210.1–.3
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Arms and Armor from the Islamic World," February 10, 2016–December 3, 2017, no. 55.
Nickel, Helmut, and David Alexander. "Arms and Armor: Matrices for Sword Mounts." In Notable Acquisitions (Metropolitan Museum of Art). New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1979/1980. p. 27.
Sotheby's, New York. Important Egyptian, Classical, and Western Asiatic Antiquities. New York: Sotheby's, New York, 1980. Lot 132.
Alexander, David, and Howard Ricketts. "Arms and Armour." In Treasures of Islam. London: Sotheby's, London, 1985. p. 300, no. 306.
Schwarzer, J., and E.C. Deal. "A Sword Hilt from the Serçe Liman Shipwreck." Masca Journal (December 1986), pp. 50–59.
Nicolle, David. Arms and Armour of the Crusading Era, 1050–1350. Vol. 2. White Plains, NY: Kraus International Publications, 1988. p. 949, no. 1560 A-C.
Nicolle, David. Arms and Armour of the Crusading Era, 1050–1350. Vol. 1. White Plains, NY: Kraus International Publications, 1988. pp. 556-557, no. 1560 A-C.
Nickel, Helmut. "A Crusader's Sword: Concerning the Effigy of Jean d'Alluye." Metropolitan Museum Journal 26 p. 126, fig. 9, ill.
Mohamed, Bashir. L'Art des Chevaliers en Pays d'Islam: Collection de la Furusiyya Art Foundation. Milan: Skira, 2007. p. 108, no. 73, ill.
Mohamed, Bashir. The Arts of the Muslim Knight: The Furusiyya Art Foundation Collection. Milan: Skira, 2008. p. 108, no. 73, ill.
Alexander, David, Stuart W. Pyhrr, and Will Kwiatkowski. Islamic Arms and Armor in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2015. pp. 148–48, no. 55, ill.
Baptiste, Nicolas P., and Damien Bouet. Armes & Armures. Tome 1, VIe–XIIe Siècles. Saint-Martin-des-Entrées: Editions Heimdal, 2022. p. 167, ill.
Grip and guard, second half of the 17th century; blade, late 18th–19th century
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