Sabre d'officier général modèle An XII

1804-1810

Gilded brass, wood, steel

Regulation pattern sabre for a general of division or general of brigade. The pattern of the general officer’s sabre under the Empire was subject to the regulations of 1st Vendémiaire, An XII (24 September 1803). In general, its mountings of bronze-gilt were made of a single knuckle-bow forming a cross-piece and rejoined to the pommel by a palm-leaf moulding, framed and pierced right through. The quillion ended in a lion’s head. A rectangular shoulder bore a trophy and, below, two half langets in shield form bore a Medusa’s head. The hilt was often of ebony cut into scales. The pommel with a square socket and oval cap bore on its base two or three stars according to rank. The sunken cap-piece was stamped with lion’s head. The scabbard was of browned steel with three bronze-gilt fittings: a hape decorated with a cock holding Zeus thunder bolt above two reversed helmets, a band on the lower part stamped with the Nemean lion, a second band decorated with two laurel crowns; and finally the long toe (boutrolle) was capped with a band of oak leaves ending squarely and augmented by an engraving forming spikes.