A rare Mediaeval Sword taken from the Mamluk Arsenal at Alexandria during the last Crusade in the second half of the 14th Century
This sword was given as a gift to the Mamluk rulers of Alexandria by the Christian ruler of Cyprus and Jerusalem, King Peter I as part of a gift sealing a treaty. The sword was then forcibly taken back into Christian hands during the last Crusade's victory over the city of Alexandria. Consequently the sword symbolises the history of the time when Christians and Muslims fought for dominance in the eastern Mediterranean.
King Peter I, the King of Cyprus and Jerusalem, launched the last Crusade in 1362 against the Muslim Mamluk Empire in the region. A fleet set out from Cyprus and proved victorious, taking the city of Alexandria with immense amounts of plunder returned to Cyprus, including this sword. Such was the treasure and weapons taken from the captured city that many of the overloaded ships had to jettison cargo.
David Williams, Head of Bonhams Antique Arms and Armour Department, says: "The fascination of this sword is that it has survived some six centuries having been gifted by a Christian King to a Muslim ruler and kept in the famed Alexandrian armoury and then taken by force by Crusaders and returned to Europe. It is a remarkable survivor of the Crusader period."
Painting this has meant to me something similar to what this moment meant to Kal. I've been in an art block for several weeks now, but this painting has awaken my joy of painting back a little, so I hope you love and appreciate it!
I remember reading this moment with tears in my eyes, almost unable to see the words on the pages. What an incredibly touching moment it was to see Kal swearing his 4th Ideal and saving his father!
I hope you enjoy my art as much as I did painting it!