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Hawaiiana
Lot 57
FINE PRESENTATION SWORD GIFTED TO COLONEL JOHN H. SOPER BY THE REPUBLIC OF HAWAII. M.C. Lilley & Company, Columbus, Ohio, 1895.
25 October 2022, 10:00 EDT
New YorkUS$20,000 - US$30,000
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FINE PRESENTATION SWORD GIFTED TO COLONEL JOHN H. SOPER BY THE REPUBLIC OF HAWAII.
M.C. Lilley & Company, Columbus, Ohio, 1895.
The finely crafted and elaborately decorated hilt composed of a sculpted gilt Classical figure wearing a scaled breastplate with sword and shield depicting Medusa above a guard with sculpted foliate border, olive and oak branches, and applied silver ribbon reading "UA MAU KE EA O KA AINA KA PONO," intertwined silver "HR" monogram, and enamel decorated crossed Hawaiian flags; silver foliate quillon, gilded silver knuckle bow with deeply sculpted foliate and scroll decoration and lion's face mask in the center, silver grip with sculpted foliate, scroll, and scallop shell decoration surmounted by a gold finely detailed spread wing eagle; mounted on a straight single-edge blade with two narrow fullers and false edge at the tip, most of the blade with etched foliate scroll decoration and presentation inscription reading "Presented to Colonel John H. Soper, by the Executive and Advisory Councils of the Republic of Hawaii, July 12, 1894", the ricasso marked "MADE BY / THE / M.C. LILLEY /&Co / COLUMBUS, /OHIO, /U.S.A."; polished steel scabbard with etched foliate scroll and panoply of arms decoration, gold mounts including throat, suspension ring mounts and tip with elaborate openwork foliate and Classical military motifs, the upper mount with intertwined silver "JHS" monogram within a wreath; with gold braid sword knot, chamois skin, and brown leather case with tooled decoration and red and gilt lettering reading "Col. John Soper, / HONOLULU, / HAWAII."
Blade length 757 mm, overall length 973 mm.
For his services during the overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy and the era of the Republic, Col. John H. Soper was awarded this elegant presentation sword by the new authorities of the Hawaiian Republic.
Present with the sword are two letters that accompanied the piece early in its construction when a rough version was sent to General A.L. Bresler in Detroit for review. The Lilley Co. representative writes on January 8, 1895 that "We now send you by American Express prepaid Gen. Loper's [sic] sword in the rough for your inspection, and trust that it will meet with your approval ... The grip will be silver, while the balance of the mountings with some exceptions will be gold. The monograms H.R. and J.H.S. will be finished up and will be handsomely etched and ornamented, and the blade gold plated. Altogether we consider this one of the handsomest swords ever turned out by the M.C. Lilley & Co., and will no doubt prove eminently satisfactory to CoL. Loper."
General Bresler responded two days later, writing: "I must say that the sword will be a very fine specimen, and I am especially well pleased with the blade. It is the best and most handsome blade that I ever saw in a sword manufactured in the U.S. But I do not see why you intend to gold plate the blade, unless you mean to simply plate the ornaments on it. The blade entirely gold plated would appear unsoldierly, for even if the scabbard is of pure gold, the sword must always retain its semblance to 'cold steel.'" He gives other notes as well: "Kindly also remember, that the sword is to be in a best quality heavy leather case, not simply the chamois skin."
The sword was "eminently satisfactory" to Col. Soper: he was photographed with it often in his later years, and when he sat for his portrait in oil (see lot 59), the Hawaiian Republic sword held a place of prominence in the frame.
The finely crafted and elaborately decorated hilt composed of a sculpted gilt Classical figure wearing a scaled breastplate with sword and shield depicting Medusa above a guard with sculpted foliate border, olive and oak branches, and applied silver ribbon reading "UA MAU KE EA O KA AINA KA PONO," intertwined silver "HR" monogram, and enamel decorated crossed Hawaiian flags; silver foliate quillon, gilded silver knuckle bow with deeply sculpted foliate and scroll decoration and lion's face mask in the center, silver grip with sculpted foliate, scroll, and scallop shell decoration surmounted by a gold finely detailed spread wing eagle; mounted on a straight single-edge blade with two narrow fullers and false edge at the tip, most of the blade with etched foliate scroll decoration and presentation inscription reading "Presented to Colonel John H. Soper, by the Executive and Advisory Councils of the Republic of Hawaii, July 12, 1894", the ricasso marked "MADE BY / THE / M.C. LILLEY /&Co / COLUMBUS, /OHIO, /U.S.A."; polished steel scabbard with etched foliate scroll and panoply of arms decoration, gold mounts including throat, suspension ring mounts and tip with elaborate openwork foliate and Classical military motifs, the upper mount with intertwined silver "JHS" monogram within a wreath; with gold braid sword knot, chamois skin, and brown leather case with tooled decoration and red and gilt lettering reading "Col. John Soper, / HONOLULU, / HAWAII."
Blade length 757 mm, overall length 973 mm.
For his services during the overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy and the era of the Republic, Col. John H. Soper was awarded this elegant presentation sword by the new authorities of the Hawaiian Republic.
Present with the sword are two letters that accompanied the piece early in its construction when a rough version was sent to General A.L. Bresler in Detroit for review. The Lilley Co. representative writes on January 8, 1895 that "We now send you by American Express prepaid Gen. Loper's [sic] sword in the rough for your inspection, and trust that it will meet with your approval ... The grip will be silver, while the balance of the mountings with some exceptions will be gold. The monograms H.R. and J.H.S. will be finished up and will be handsomely etched and ornamented, and the blade gold plated. Altogether we consider this one of the handsomest swords ever turned out by the M.C. Lilley & Co., and will no doubt prove eminently satisfactory to CoL. Loper."
General Bresler responded two days later, writing: "I must say that the sword will be a very fine specimen, and I am especially well pleased with the blade. It is the best and most handsome blade that I ever saw in a sword manufactured in the U.S. But I do not see why you intend to gold plate the blade, unless you mean to simply plate the ornaments on it. The blade entirely gold plated would appear unsoldierly, for even if the scabbard is of pure gold, the sword must always retain its semblance to 'cold steel.'" He gives other notes as well: "Kindly also remember, that the sword is to be in a best quality heavy leather case, not simply the chamois skin."
The sword was "eminently satisfactory" to Col. Soper: he was photographed with it often in his later years, and when he sat for his portrait in oil (see lot 59), the Hawaiian Republic sword held a place of prominence in the frame.