Sabel met schede voor tamboer-majoor c. 1820 - 1850

This is a sword with a scabbard for a drum major, crafted anonymously. It's a silent witness to the performative aspects of military culture. The drum major’s sword transcends its function as a weapon, becoming a symbol of authority, pageantry, and discipline. The lion-head hilt speaks to an ideal of strength and courage. It evokes the social and political context in which the military was a key structure for maintaining power and order. The drum major, with this sword, led the band and set the tempo, embodying control. But what about the anonymous maker of this object? Their labor and skill are essential to the sword's existence, yet they remain unnamed. This absence invites us to consider the many unacknowledged hands that contribute to the narratives of power and spectacle. How many stories remain untold in the shadow of such symbols?