244 - Saber and serrated bayonet set. France and the United Kingdom, 19th century.

Saber and serrated bayonet set. France and the United Kingdom, 19th century. Steel, brass, leather, and other materials. They exhibit patina and rust consistent with their age, more pronounced on the bayonet. Measurements: 84 and 61 cm in length. Provenance: Estate of Ramon Martí Alsina and Ricard Martí Aguiló. Artistic and heritage collection originating in the legacy of Catalan painters Ramon Martí Alsina (1826–1894), a seminal figure of 19th-century Catalan Realism, and his son Ricard Martí Aguiló (1857–1935). Passed down and enriched across successive generations, the collection brings together works from the original holdings of both artists alongside acquisitions made by their descendants. Dedicated to preserving and recovering the family legacy, the descendants actively reacquired works by the painters as they entered the market, progressively expanding the collection to encompass paintings, sculptures, archaeological artifacts, and other items of artistic and historical significance. Set of two 19th-century military bladed weapons. The saber features a brass hilt with a stirrup-style guard and a dark grip wrapped in metal cord, characteristics similar to those of French infantry officer models used throughout the century. The second piece can be identified with reasonable certainty as a British Pattern 1875 serrated-edged bayonet. Its straight blade with a serrated back, the checkered-plate grip, and the guard fitted with a ring for the barrel match examples preserved at the Australian War Memorial, an institution that dates this model to around 1875. Australian War Memorial This type of bayonet served both as a weapon and a tool, making it particularly useful for field work.