The hilt and scabbard of this sword are of silver. The upper part of the hilt bears on the pommel the Bavarian and Palatinate arms in blue enamel, also a golden lion on a black enamelled ground. On the lower part of the grip, which is incrusted with rubies, are figures of men and women set in small niches. In the centre of the quillons are the arms of Bavaria and of the Order of St. George. The decorations applied to the quillons, like those on the scabbard, are made of embossed and chiselled silver. The motifs consist of a spray of convolvulus, and of a design of grapes and foliage, playing among the tendrils of which are interspersed monkeys and birds. The ferrule of the scabbard is shaped like a dragon's head, the eyes of which are set with rubies.
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Fig. 714b.
Ceremonial sword (in its scabbard) of Duke Christoph of Bavaria
Preserved in the Royal Palace, Munich
The Schatzkammer of Munich has another sword of the XVth Century which is said to have belonged to the Bishop of Würzburg. The pommel is of red jasper, the grip and sheath being covered with velvet over which is silverwork of admirable design. The quillons, which are of silver-gilt, end in dogs' heads. We regret that we have been unable to obtain a photograph of this fine weapon.
Like this ceremonial weapon, but less elaborate, is the sword preserved in the castle at Stuttgart (Fig. 715). It was presented in 1495 to Eberhard of Würtemberg on the occasion of his being created a duke by the Emperor Maximilian I. The gift of the sword was accompanied by the following advice: "Use it only for Justice, for the protection of the widows and the orphans, for the punishment of wrong." The hilt and scabbard are plated with silver-gilt, the latter enriched with a German Gothic tracery design introducing a shield with the arms of Teck, a proof that Eberhard of Würtemberg received the sword with the gift of the Dukedom, as before that date different arms were assigned to him. The Teck arms also appear in the wheel pommel. The proportions of the hilt are those of the bastard sword; the blade, which is the original, though now much worn, bears the running wolf mark.
