A lost sabre of Constantin Brancoveanu

Sword attributed to Constantin Brâncoveanu from the collection of the Swedish History Museum

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Provenance of the sword

According to the records of the Swedish History Museum (Livrustkammaren), this type of sword (kilij-type sword) originally belonged to Constantin Brâncoveanu (referred to as "Konstantin II Brancoveanu", b. 1683 – d. 1714). Subsequently, the historical trajectory of the object was as follows:

• Prince Karl von Nassau-Siegen – owned the sword after 1714 (probably obtained in the context of the Russo-Ottoman wars of the 18th century). This suggests that after Brâncoveanu's execution in Istanbul, the sword was confiscated and entered the European circuit, being acquired or captured by Prince Nassau-Siegen.

• King Charles (Karl) XIII of Sweden – the sword entered the Swedish royal collection, being in the possession of King Karl XIII (1748–1818). It is unclear whether he obtained it directly from Karl von Nassau-Siegen or through intermediaries, but its presence in Swedish inventories indicates the transfer to the Swedish royal family at the beginning of the 19th century.

• King Charles (Karl) XV of Sweden – inherited the sword in the royal collection. Charles XV (1826–1872) was the one who officially bequeathed this sword to the Swedish state after his death. A report from 1873 records the receipt of King Charles XV's weapons collection by the state, including the "oriental sword" attributed to Constantin Brâncoveanu. Thus, the piece entered the heritage of Livrustkammaren (the Royal Armoury Museum, today part of the History Museum).

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This succession of owners is explicitly listed on the museum's website, confirming the provenance of the object. Additionally, Swedish specialist literature mentions the sword in the context of King Charles XV's collection and as war booty ("krigsbyte"), suggesting that it entered Sweden's possession as an indirect result of conflicts in Eastern Europe.

Official description of the sword in the museum's collection: The exhibited sword is described by the museum as a "kilij-type sword" (curved Ottoman sword) probably made in Istanbul in the 17th century. The museum notes a peculiarity: the blade and the mount (handle) are not originally from the same assembly, being assembled later. In other words, the current handle stylistically belongs to another piece, but the blade (with original decorations and inscriptions) is the part that gives authenticity and historical value. The main characteristics according to the official description are:

• Blade: made of damascened steel, curved, sharpened on one edge, with a secondary edge (jelman) of about 270 mm towards the tip. From about 185 mm from the guard to the tip, there is a wide and shallow longitudinal groove (channel) on the blade.

• Handle: is of the Polish karabela type (without a hand guard), made of two ebony plates fastened with three silver rivets with domed heads, decorated with engraved floral motifs. The end (pommel) of the handle is curved forward in the shape of a beak (specific to the karabela style). Note: This handle was not originally part of the blade configuration, probably added later (possibly in Western collections) instead of the original handle.

• Decorations: The blade is richly decorated with gold and silver applications. On the outer face of the blade (the "strong" part, near the handle) the following iconographic elements appear, arranged vertically:

  • A decorative cartouche motif (with an oriental appearance) flanked by two lit candles in candlesticks – the candles are made of silver, the rest of the decor is gold.

  • Above, an oval medallion representing the Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus in her left arm; the decor is all gold, with finely engraved details (the Child holds a five-petaled flower in his hand).

  • Higher up, a six-pointed star and two angels holding an open crown (these elements continue the Christian register of the decor).

• Dimensions and weight: the total length of the weapon is ~1040 mm, of which the blade is ~875 mm; the maximum width of the blade is ~40 mm; weight ~900 g.

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This official description highlights the combination of oriental elements (the type of Ottoman kilij sword, the damascening technique with gold/silver) with explicit Christian elements (the icon of the Virgin Mary, angels, biblical text). The decorative composition is unusual for a standard Ottoman weapon, suggesting that it was made to special order for a Christian prince subject to the Ottoman Porte. All these details correspond to ceremonial objects from the Romanian Lands (Wallachia or Moldova) from the late 17th – early 18th century, when Christian rulers, although vassals of the sultan, personalized their weapons with symbols of their faith.

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Inscriptions and distinctive details

A defining element of the sword is the inscription on the blade. According to the museum's record, in the groove (hollow) of the blade, there is an inscription in Greek, with Cyrillic letters. The 1867 inventory of the collection identified this inscription as a biblical text, Psalm 34, verse 1 (according to the Greek Septuagint, corresponding to Psalm 35:1 in the Romanian or Swedish Bible). The verse is rendered in the museum's description in Swedish: "Herre trät med dem, som med mig träta; strid emot dem som mot mig strida", which translates approximately: "Lord, contend with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me." It is an invocation from the Psalms, suitable for a ruler asking for divine help against enemies. This religious inscription, along with the Christian representations (Madonna with Child, angels, and crown), unequivocally indicates that the sword was intended for an Orthodox Christian ruler (not an Ottoman pasha). This detail supports the attribution to Constantin Brâncoveanu, who, as the ruler of Wallachia, was an Orthodox Christian in a Muslim-dominated environment.

It is worth mentioning that there are other known swords of Brâncoveanu, which have similar inscriptions (prayers or verses) and the same type of decor. For example, historian C. Marinescu noted in 1927 the existence of three almost identical swords attributed to Brâncoveanu, all decorated with candles, the Virgin Mary with the Child, angels, and a crown, having votive texts invoking Christ in support of "the voivode and faithful lord Constantin". One of these weapons had the full inscription: "You, invincible emperor, word of God, almighty master, give the crown of victory over the enemies to the voivode and faithful lord Constantin, as you once gave it to Emperor Constantine the Great" – an explicit formulation that names Constantin (Brâncoveanu) and asks for victory for him. Another similar sword had only the beginning of the inscription (an invocation to Christ, without mentioning the name). In comparison, the piece from Stockholm has inscribed a verse from the Psalms; even if the text differs, the common theme is divine protection for the ruler Constantin, which confirms its integration into this group of weapons belonging to Brâncoveanu.

Also, the difference between the current handle (ebony, Polish type) and what we find on other specimens (some had ivory handles) suggests a possible later modification. However, the blade with inscriptions and decor is the original and defining one. The original scabbard is missing from the sword in Stockholm, as is the case with the specimen recovered from the Louvre (which arrived without a scabbard, probably lost and initially containing inscriptions).

The connection of the sword with the Romanian Lands and Constantin Brâncoveanu: Constantin Brâncoveanu (1654–1714) was the ruler of Wallachia between 1688 and 1714, during which he maintained a fragile balance between the Ottoman Empire, the Habsburg Empire, and Russia. He is known for the prosperity and splendor of his court, as well as for his patronage of culture and art (he founded churches and developed printing in the Romanian language). Brâncoveanu, as an Orthodox Christian ruler under Ottoman suzerainty, used to bear the title of "autocrat" in inscriptions and use Christian symbols on personal objects, affirming his faith. This sword, having Orthodox religious symbols and biblical texts, reflects precisely his status and identity: a parade or ceremonial weapon, probably commissioned by Brâncoveanu for himself or received as a gift, which combines oriental craftsmanship (the blade made in Istanbul workshops) with East-European Christian iconography.

The direct connection of the sword with the Romanian Lands is emphasized by the inscription using the Cyrillic alphabet and ecclesiastical language (probably Church Slavonic, used in the Wallachian Chancellery at that time), as well as by the presence of the name Constantin on other similar specimens. All these clues converge towards Brâncoveanu. The fate of the sword – reaching the West – is explained by the events of 1714: Brâncoveanu was executed in Constantinople (Istanbul) on August 15, 1714, together with his four sons, and his wealth and belongings were confiscated by the Ottomans. It is likely that the sword, along with other valuable objects, was taken then and either gifted later to European nobles or recovered as war booty in the subsequent Russo-Ottoman confrontations. The fact that it was identified in the 19th century in the possession of Prince Nassau-Siegen (who fought on the Russian side against the Ottomans) and then at the Swedish court confirms this international trajectory of a relic from the Romanian Lands.

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Mentions in historical sources

There are multiple historical sources and research that attest to the existence of this sword and its attribution to Constantin Brâncoveanu:

• Swedish museum inventories and reports: The sword appears in the catalogs of the Swedish royal collection. A document from 1873 (compiled by Nils Fredrik Sander) reports the receipt of Charles XV's collection, mentioning "weapons and other objects" left by the king to the state. Also, the catalog of King Charles XV's weapons collection (published in the 1860s) contained an "Oriental" section in which this sword was listed. The presence of the name Brancoveanu in the current Swedish museum records (under the former owners' section) is a result of these documentary traditions.

• Interwar Romanian researchers: Prof. Constantin Marinescu documented, in an article from 1927, the existence of three swords of Brâncoveanu in European collections. He explicitly mentions one at the Royal Armoury in Turin, one then at the Louvre Museum (Paris), and one in the collection of a Prince Lvov (later sold to a Parisian antique dealer). Marinescu describes in detail the decor and inscriptions of these weapons, which coincide with those on the sword from Stockholm – confirming that the piece fits into the series of weapons commissioned by Brâncoveanu.

• Repatriation of the sword from the Louvre: The sword at the Louvre Museum (also identified as Brâncoveanu's) was recovered through diplomatic efforts by the Romanian state in 1940, reaching the National Military Museum in Bucharest. In the official Franco-Romanian correspondence, it is mentioned as "the sword of Constantin Brâncoveanu, which was at the Louvre Museum in Paris", ceded by the French government in exchange for another object of equivalent historical value. This sword (from Bucharest) is very similar to the one in Sweden – it has the same decorative motifs and partial inscription at the beginning. The fact that France and Romania officially recognized it as Brâncoveanu's strengthens the authenticity of all similar specimens.

• Other mentions: Historian Constantin C. Giurescu, in the volume "History of the Romanians" (1942), noted that 16 swords of Constantin Brâncoveanu were known until that date, found in various collections. This number, even if it may include weapons attributed based on style, shows that Brâncoveanu owned or gifted several richly decorated swords. The sword at the Swedish History Museum is undoubtedly one of these, being one of the few that reached a Western museum and has been preserved to this day.

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We can conclude that, based on all available informations, the sword exhibited at the Swedish History Museum indeed belonged to ruler Constantin Brâncoveanu. Both the official description and provenance provided by the museum, as well as independent historical research, converge to the same conclusion: the blade ornamented with Christian symbols and biblical inscriptions was made in the 17th century for Brâncoveanu and was part of his personal treasure. The current handle is added, but this does not diminish the authenticity of the blade. The connection with the Romanian Lands is strongly attested by inscriptions and historical tradition. Therefore, we can confidently state that the sword in the Swedish museum's collection is rightly attributed to Constantin Brâncoveanu, constituting a particularly valuable heritage piece and a tangible witness to Romanian medieval history.

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For more information about Prince Constantin Brancoveanu and his reign you can check the following page

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