Curved Saber
- Title of the Document
- Curved Saber
- One Line Summary
- This was the saber San Martín used in all the battles of independence he fought.
- Date Created
- 1811
- Location
- Historic Museum of Buenos Aires
- Type of Document
- Artifact
- Transcription
- San Martín’s iconic curved saber was purchased in London at an antique shop. He bought it right after he departed Spain, before he went to Argentina to begin his revolutionary career. The curved shape marks its Arab origins, which was popular during the time period. The handle is made of wood, and the blade of steel is 818 millimeters long, with a width of 27 millimeters. The blade thickness is 5 millimeters at its max. Supposedly, “San Martín is believed to have been the first to introduce this type of weapon to South America, and according to his own statement, the saber accompanied him throughout the South American War of Independence.”
- Related
- The saber was left to Juan Manuel de Rosas. In 1896, Adolfo Carranza, director of the Historic Museum of Buenos Aires, reached out to the family in London to have the sabre returned to Argentina and displayed in the museum. At the museum, it is displayed along with the sabers of Maunel Belgrano, Lucio N. Mansilla, José M. Zapiola, Gregorio de Las Heras, Manuel Dorrego, Guillermo Brown, and Juan Manuel de Rosas, all key leaders in the independence movement.
-
José de San Martín (1778-1850)
- Provenance
-
Museum label for Saber of Jose de San Martín, 1811,
Historic Museum of Buenos Aires.