Hunting Sword with Scabbard, Knife, and Fork
Not on view
This hunting sword is one of only two examples known to feature a painted portrait in the blade. The portrait depicts the donor of the sword, Princess Elizabeth Auguste of Palatinate-Sulzbach (1721–1794), whose name is also prominently featured in the dedication that is engraved on the blade. The dedication suggests that Elizabeth Augusta presented the sword to her fiancé or recent husband, Karl Theodor (1724–1799), Count palatine of Sulzbach, in celebration of their union (1742) and the implicit promise that it would provide their lands with a male heir and future ruler. The blade proclaims the power of love in Latin and French, with words such as "Love triumphs over all," and with depictions of Cupid.
