Pandur Hanger, 18th Century

A Central European 'Pandur' hanger. These were made to resemble the style of Eastern European 'Pandur / Pandour' free corps. In Wallachia, being a Pandur was a fixed, legally recognized social status, whether or not one was a member of a specific military unit. By the middle of the 18th century, law enforcement in the counties of Croatia included county pandurs or hussars who patrolled roads and pursued criminals. These swords were made in Central and Western Europe due to the fashionable status of eastern pandurs and hussars in the 18th century. They were intended to be used as hunting or self defence weapons, and bear "oriental" motifs, such as a turk's head, a depiction of a pandur, and fantasy Arabic-style writings. This is an especially good example with a very wide and clean blade, as well as a very scarcely encountered scabbard. The scabbard's chape features a very interesting clipped point.