Officierssabel Marine

anonymous, 1850 - before 1900

  • Artwork typesabre
  • Object numberNG-MC-1422
  • Dimensionswhole: length 75 cm, hilt: length 14.6 cm
  • Physical characteristicsiron, gilt brass, copper, wood, rope and shark skin

anonymous

Sword of Honour

Netherlands, 1850 - before 1900

Inscriptions

  • inscription, on the hilt:ACTIE VAN / DOGGERS / BANK / 5 AUGTS 1781

Provenance

…; presented to Captain Guillaume van Harecarspel Dekker (1743-1783);1J.M. Obreen et al., handwritten inventory list for items 944 to 1431, 1884, no. 1422, manuscript in NHA 476, inv. no. 1089. …; donated by Willem Frederik van Erp Taalman Kip (1824-1905) to the Ministerie van Marine (Department of the Navy), The Hague, 1881;2A. Lemmers (ed.), Maritime Technology from the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam: Multimedia Catalogue of the Dutch Navy Model Collection 1698-1889, coll. cat. Amsterdam (Rijksmuseum) 1995, no. MC-1422. transferred to the museum, 1883

Object number: NG-MC-1422

Entry

Dogger Bank sword of honour, the sheath is missing.

Slightly curved regular sabre blade with false edge but no heel. The sword has an open half basket hilt with a large anchor, a backboard with inscription and lion’s head pommel, and a sharkskin grip bound with copper wire.

Seventeen Dogger Bank swords of honour were awarded by Stadholder William V (1748-1806) to the commanders of the Dutch squadron that engaged the British fleet off Dogger Bank on 5 August 1781. Eight of these swords of honour have been identified today. This sword is probably the one presented to Captain Guillaume van Harecarspel Dekker (1743-1783), who commanded the 36-gun frigate Bellona.3J.M. Obreen et al., handwritten inventory list for items 944 to 1431, 1884, manuscript in HNA 476 RMA, inv. no. 1089, no. 1422. It was presented to the Navy Model Room by Secretary of the Navy Willem Frederik van Erp Taalman Kip (1824-1905) in 1881.

Literature

J.C.J. de Jonge, Geschiedenis van het Nederlandsche zeewezen, 5 vols. and index, Haarlem 1858-62, vol. 4, pp. 516, 534, 551-54; J.M. Obreen et al., handwritten inventory list for items 944 to 1431, 1884, manuscript in HNA 476 RMA, inv. no. 1089, no. 1422; J.C. Mollema, Geschiedenis van Nederland ter zee, 4 vols., Amsterdam 1939-42, vol. 3, eererol p. 18; De Fiere Waterleeuw 1780-1784, exh. cat. Rotterdam (Maritiem Museum ‘Prins Hendrik’) 1969, no. 222; J.P. Puype, Blanke wapens. Nederlandse slag- en steekwapens sinds 1600 … , Lochem/Popperinge 1981, pp. 26, 60; F. Grijzenhout and N.C.F. van Sas, Voor vaderland en vrijheid. Revolutie in Nederland 1780-1787, exh. cat. Utrecht (Centraal Museum) 1987, no. 56

Citation

J. van der Vliet, 2016, 'anonymous, Sword of Honour, Netherlands, 1850 - before 1900', in J. van der Vliet and A. Lemmers (eds.), Navy Models in the Rijksmuseum, online coll. cat. Amsterdam: https://data.rijksmuseum.nl/20054271

(accessed 12 December 2025 14:27:21).

Footnotes

  • 1J.M. Obreen et al., handwritten inventory list for items 944 to 1431, 1884, no. 1422, manuscript in NHA 476, inv. no. 1089.
  • 2A. Lemmers (ed.), Maritime Technology from the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam: Multimedia Catalogue of the Dutch Navy Model Collection 1698-1889, coll. cat. Amsterdam (Rijksmuseum) 1995, no. MC-1422.
  • 3J.M. Obreen et al., handwritten inventory list for items 944 to 1431, 1884, manuscript in HNA 476 RMA, inv. no. 1089, no. 1422.