Live Auction 7630Russian Works of Art
An officer cuirassier pallasch, 1826 pattern
Lot 42

An officer cuirassier pallasch, 1826 pattern

BY SCHAFF AND SONS, ST. PETERSBURG, WITH THE IMPERIAL WARRANT

Closed24 November 2008

Price Realised

GBP 49,250

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An officer cuirassier pallasch, 1826 pattern
by Schaff and Sons, St. Petersburg, with the Imperial warrant
Gilt brass four-bar hilt, developing at the bottom into the shell and fastening at the top to the cap-piece, the blade partly with open-work design with engraved coat of arms of Prince Orlov family and the inscription and date Fabrica de Toledo 1858, the scabbard engraved with the initials 'AO' surmounted by a princely crown
45½ in. (116.5 cm.) long
The pallasch is identical the the French Cuirassier sword of the 'Systeme An XI'

Specialist note

Based on the engraved coat of arms and the date on the blade, the blade may have been ordered and purchased by Prince Aleksei Feodorovich Orlov (1786-1861) who enjoyed a distinguished military career and was a favourite of Alexander I. He was made a Count in 1825 and a Prince in 1856.
He took part of all the campaigns against Napoleon from 1805 to the capture of Paris.
Between 1819 and 1828, he was the commander of the Horse Guard Regiment and later became head of general staff headquarters and of the Emperor's secret service.
He appears to be the only Prince Orlov in one of the cuirassier regiments of the Guard at the time when the blade was ordered in Toledo in 1858.
The blade was probably remounted later, after the death of Prince A. F. Orlov, on a new sword by Schaff and Sons in St. Petersburg (after 1867, based on the Imperial warrant given to Schaff and Sons).