AN OTTOMAN GILT BRASS MOUNTED PRESENTATION SABRE

AN OTTOMAN GILT BRASS MOUNTED PRESENTATION SABRE, KILIJ, AND SCABBARD, DATED 1843 one side of the blade damescened with calligraphy and traces of gold at the forte, bud shaped quillons and carved ivory grips, the decoration to the chased brass mounts of the velvet covered scabbard incorporating crescents and rosettes, panels of flowers and strapwork, engraved on a reserve Donné a R W Long Wellesley par son ami Rodolphe d'Ornano le 20 Fever 1843, blade 72.5cm lProvenance: Presented by Le Comte Rodolphe d'Ornano (1817-1865) to William Richard Arthur Pole-Tylney-Long-Wellesley (1813-1863); thence by descent to the present vendor.The son of Philippe Antoine d'Ornano, 1st comte d'Ornano (1784-1863), Le Comte Rodolphe d'Ornano was a diplomat who, through his mother, was a second cousin of Napoleon. The recipient succeeded his father Viscount Wellesley (nephew of the Iron Duke) in 1857, becoming the 5th Earl of Mornington. He died in Paris in July 1863, leaving everything to his cousin Earl Cowley (son of the Iron Duke's younger brother, Henry) who was ambassador in Paris at the time.