Presentation Sword Honoring Commandant Jean-Baptiste Marchand (1863–1934) for His Conduct at Fashoda 1889

This presentation sword, crafted in 1889 by Jean-Joseph-Marie-Anatole Marquet de Vasselot, honors Commandant Jean-Baptiste Marchand (1863–1934) for his actions at Fashoda. The sword's elaborate hilt features a standing female figure, likely representing the Egyptian goddess Isis, adorned in gold and enamel. Above her head is a crescent moon and a sun disc, symbolic of the sky goddess Nut. Below the figure, an outstretched winged sun disc, the "winged sun," adds to the decorative opulence. This artwork, currently housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, is a striking example of the 19th-century revival of Ancient Egyptian motifs in decorative art.