Nimcha (Saber) with Scabbard
Unknown Artist
hilt and scabbard, late 17th or early 18th century; blade 16th or 17th century
Medium
Steel, silver, copper, wood, tortoiseshell, horn, mother-of-pearl, leather, textile
Dimensions
L. without scabbard 26 3/8 in. (67 cm); L. of blade 21 in. (53.3 cm); Wt. 1 lb. 6 oz. (632 g); Wt. of scabbard 9 oz. (263 g)
Classification
Swords
Culture
hilt and scabbard, Algerian; blade, European
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of George C. Stone, 1935
Accession Number
36.25.1550a, b
Art Historical Context
Behold the elegant Nimcha saber with its scabbard, a masterful blend of North African craftsmanship and European blade-making from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Arms and Armor collection. to the late 17th or early 18th century for the hilt and scabbard with a 16th- or 17th-century blade, this weapon measures 26⅜ inches overall (blade 21 inches) and weighs just over a pound—light yet lethal for swift combat. Its hilt and sheath dazzle with opulent materials: steel forged for the curved blade, silver and copper accents, tortoiseshell, horn, mother-of-pearl inlays, wood, leather, and textile w...