The Giquello auction house told Polish Press Agency that there has been strong interest from Poland, although the identities of potential buyers remain confidential.
A precious royal relic
The saber, crafted between 1770 and 1775, bears a gold-inlaid scabbard, a diamond-studded hilt, and a monogram of the king’s initials under a crown. Forged from Damascus steel, it is inscribed in Arabic with the motto: “Do not draw me without need, do not sheathe me without glory and honor.”
According to the auction catalog, the piece once belonged to King Stanisław August. It later passed to his nephew, Prince Józef Antoni Poniatowski, and eventually landed in the collection of Marie Teresa Tyszkiewicz, who sold off various royal heirlooms in France following her brother’s death.
The saber changed hands multiple times, appearing in Monaco and Italy, before joining the renowned collection of Philippe Missilier—one of the largest historical weapons sets on the market since 1993.
One of three ceremonial sabers
According to sources, it is one of three sabers King Stanisław August owned. A second example, gifted to Napoleon, is now in the Army Museum at Les Invalides in Paris, while the third surfaced in a 1930s auction catalog linked to Poland’s Wodziński family.
The sabers are attributed to the jeweler Joachim Friedrich Jacobson, who also created the Order of the White Eagle sword used for Poniatowski’s coronation.
Giquello’s sale will take place at the Hôtel Drouot on March 6.
(jh)
Source: PAP