Hungarian Sabre of Stephen Bathory

Royal Sabre of Stephen Bathory

Sabre of Stephen Bathory is one of the finest pieces of Hungarian-type sabre. It was made about 1560. For many years stored in Dresden. In 1928 was handed over to the Polish Military Museum in Warsaw by antique dealer Simon Szwarc, who bought it on sale.

The blade is an eastern type, slightly curved with clearly showed feather top (double-edged). On flats are two fullers. The blade decorated by rites circles and short ribbons one after another and two dots on the both sides of each.

The hilt is open with a typical Hungarian character. Very long (28 cm) cross-guard and moustache. The cross-guard has floral ornamentation. The pommel slightly moved forward, decorated by husk with fullers motifs. The grip covered with black leather and tangled around by golden thread.

The scabbard is richly decorated, covered by black leather, has beautiful golden fittings in form of throat with place for upper moustache, two rings and decorated drag, strengthened by slat on the edge side.

Bathory sabre measurements

Length: 104 cm
Blade length: 85 cm
Cross-guard length: 28 cm
Weight: 2,7 kg

Stephen Bathory
Stephen Bathory (English), Istvan Bathory (Hungarian), Stefan Batory (Polish).
Bathory was 16th century hungarian noble, prince of Transylvania and king of Poland in 1576-1586.
Bathory fought Turks under Habsburgs, he got captured and Austrian Emperor refused to pay a ransom.
Bathory became queen Anna Jagiellon’s husband, king of Poland. Bathory was responsible for improving Polish army. He formed so-called chosen infantry (formed by peasants), reorganized a cavalry, artillery, military engineering and navy. He also joined the Livonia to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, after the Polish-Russian War (1577-1582).
Bathory led repeately his army into Russia. He besieged city of Pskov and then negotiation with Ivan the Terrible (Russian Tsar) started.

Polish sabres.