This is a bit of a stretch, but I am wondering if anyone has pictures/drawings of a scabbard and/or chape that incorporates a cross? I have seen the cross in a circle on the scabbard of Arn, but that is the only example I have been able to find so far. I would also be interested in any examples from period art (between 1100 to 1400) ...

Chad posted a great thread on engraved crosses on pommels that got me thinking about this:

http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=10277

Maybe a photo of the Arn scabbard would help by way of example (from Filmswords.com):

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Just shot a crapload of swords etc all over 3 countries, but surviving scabbards can be kind of rare.

The Charlemagne (as far as I can translate, that's what it should be) sword in the Louvre I believe it was, has a surviving scabbard in excellent shape, but it's covered in fleur-de-lis. May have a cross on it, I don't remmeber, but down the length of the blade it's all fleur-de-lis.

Custom maker John Lundemo's Sword of St. Catherine incorporated crosses on
both blade & scabbard.

Always thought this one of the most brilliant reproduction swords I've ever seen.


Cheers,

Bill

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you find them on blades often incorporated between the words of a quote or mixed in with other symbols. i have one picture of an effigi were there is a cross in the locket, and a few others that i think are crosses but the pic quality is not good enough to be posative.

Of course I'm out of town and away from my books, but I have a copy of Knives and Scabbards I believe published by or for the Museum of London. It has a lot of wonderful pictures of excavations to include some highly ornate scabbards that would give you just what you're looking for. However, I don't get home until the 22nd.

Does anyone have a copy of that book to provide Jody what he's looking for?

Mike

One of the main reasons I posted this was to get ideas for a scabbard I had commissioned from Christian Fletcher. I thought some of you might be interested in the finished product. But please, if you come across other examples, I'd love to see them too.

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Here was something done for a commission that requested a pattee type cross.

Also, here is a good link to refer to for variances in crosses.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cross

http://www.dbkcustomswords.com/images/CustomS...FC1024.jpg

[quote="Jody A"]

Jared Smith wrote:

For an added challenge, what have you, or others, seen by way of the Christian cross,

Uh...they are *all* Christian crosses, this being the "Age of Faith" and Christendom and all of that. ;)

Now if you mean the unadorned cross used as a default cross in many, modern Protestant denominations - they're more rare than equilateral crosses, but not unknown. I just can't think of any on swords. Heck, in the 10th - 13th centuries, even *crucifixes* are often equilateral straight lines, (which makes for an odd looking Corpus Christi!).

Btw, I think Christian did a lovely job with your sword.

Greg

I've been meaning to post this period illustration for a while (from a 13th century chronicle) of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick Barbarossa. It shows the latin cross, three times. Once on his tunic/cape, once on his shield, and once on the reliquary in his hand. He lived from 1122-1190. Now if only he were wearing his scabbard ... ;)

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