Imperial German Garde Officer Presentation Lion Head Damascus Blade Sword

The sword has an overall length in the scabbard of approximately 39 inches, with a blade length of approximately 32 inches. The Damascus steel blade has a fine matte appearance and it is without nicks, chips, distracting spots, or rust. One side of the blade bears the raised gilt dedication “Seydlitz s/l. Kutzschenbach”. The “s/l.” abbreviation stands for “Seinen Leben,” or “…to my dear friend…”. This reflects the fact that this very impressive sword was given as a gift by an officer named Seydlitz to a Garde officer and close friend named Kutzshenbach. The opposite side of the blade bears the relief gilt designation of “Anklam, Juni 1911” This establishes that the sword was presented by Seydlitz to Kutzschenbach in Anklam in 1911. Anklam is a city in eastern Germany and in 1911 it was the site of a Prussian military academy. Theodore Teetzmann, a Prussian General, had in fact served as the commandant of the academy from 1908 to 1913.  The reverse langet bears an engraved coat of arms, undoubtedly the crest of the Kutzshenbach family. The back strap bears the engraved monogram of “SK”. The obverse langet displays the star of the Prussian Imperial Garde regiments. The lion head pommel is superbly detailed, with hand finishing of the pommel quite evident. The gilt finish on the pommel, back strap, and guard is toned with age but it remains intact. The grip is covered in shark skin which shows some minor wear, with the shark skin triple wrapped in silver wire. The sword fits quite tightly into the scabbard, with the scabbard showing some wear to the surfaces, with some chips and spider cracks in the paint, and a few very minor indentations towards the bottom. Wrapped around the sword grip is the original silver brocade portepee, which reflects a fine, uniform toning of the material. Overall the sword is in extremely fine condition and makes an exceptionally impressive appearance both in and out of the scabbard.