"A Turkish sword or saber"
Among Ximenez's swords, a single Turkish saber, "the blade decorated with gold plates, and a belt with silver, gilded buckles" comprised the only truly foreign object. The term "Turkish," when applied to a sword in the early modern period, typically implied that the blade had a sweeping curve and a curved cruciform handle. The notary's description of the sword as "decorated with gold plates" remains somewhat elusive, but this may refer to gilded decoration, like that present on a blade in the Türckische Cammer of Dresden, dated 1617-18. Large areas of gilding, paired with incised decorative sections, may have been perceived as gold plates. The Dresden saber makes a particularly fruitful comparison to Ximenez's sword because of its status as spolia; the work was presented as a gift from the Grand Dukes of Tuscany to the Electors of Saxony, who fashioned themselves as good Catholic rulers, protecting Europe from the Turks.
Literature
Schuckelt, Holger. Türckische Cammer: Orientalische Pracht in der Rüstkammer Dresden. Berlin: Deutscher Kunstverlag, 2010. 76-77.
Saber, 1617-1618, Türckische Cammer, Staatliche Kunstsammlungen, Dresden. Image: © Staatliche Kunstsammlungen.
