Sword Pommel with the Arms of Pierre de Dreux, Duke of Brittany and Earl of Richmond (MET 38.60)
The sword pommel of Pierre de Dreux(1187-1250) was crafted in 1240 for Pierre de Dreux, The Duke of Brittany and the Earl of Wales. The pommel features a dual sided design with detailed crusade period markings and imagery on each face. One side of the pommel features Pierre’s heraldry which consists of The coat of Arms of Dreux as well as that of Brittany, a title he obtained through his marriage to the Duchess of Brittany. The reverse side of the pommel houses a common French crusade motif of the era. This image consists of a large Red Cross symbolizing the wielder's Commitment to the crusader cause. This side also features vines used to symbolize life and vitality in battle. The Pommel is an incredibly rare Crusade period artifact, and one of the only objects that can be definitively linked to a historical figure.
This sword pommel is decorated with the arms of Pierre de Dreux, Duke of Brittany, who was captured during the Seventh Crusade at the Battle of al-Mansurah in Egypt on February 8, 1250. He was later ransomed and released, but died during his return to France.
