KøbenhavnskeSværdfegereTreAarhundreder_1957

K Ø B E N H A V N S K E S VÆ R D F E G E R E

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46 he became a journeyman and made his masterpieces in 18 5 0 . As an assistant in his father’s workshop he built it up to be the first o f its kind in Scandinavia. His collaboration with young artists o f the time brought about excellent results in the swords o f luxury (see Plates 2 1 and 22 ) which gave him an oppor­ tunity to display his own skill as a chiseller. In 1855 he exhibited some swords at the world exhibition in Paris and went there him­ self, stopping at S.olingen to study the craft o f the blade-smiths there. King Frederik V II ( 1848 - 1863 ) was an en­ thusiastic admirer o f odd weapons and had several pieces made by J. S. Herazcek who, after the death o f Jurzick, was appointed sword-cutler to the King in 1 8 6 1 . The 1850 ’s thus saw the last flowering o f the sword-cutler’s craft in Copenhagen. The unhappy war o f 1864 cooled domestic in­ terest in weapons on the whole and the sword began to lose its importance in warfare. J. S. Herazcek died in 1881 and after the death o f his successor in 1898 the last sword-cutler’s firm in Copenhagen ceased to exist.

lishcd themselves as manufacturers o f the fi­ nest swords for officers and courtiers. Matthias Jurzick is known to have attended the designing class o f G. F. Hetsch in 18 18 and the influence o f his teacher is obvious in his master piece (Royal Arms at Rosenborg no. 6 o), the design for which is reproduced on Plate 1 8 . The sword Plate 1 9 , was made by Jurzick after the design o f Theophilus Hansen, who later on distinguished himself as a famous architect in Vienna. To judge from the Acanthus-ornament on the backpiece, Jurzick may also have influenced the design for the naval officer’s sword still used in the Danish navy. In 1840 Jurzick was appointed sword-cutler to the King, an appointment not given to any sword-cutler since the death o fJ. Chr.Weidenhaupt in 179 6 . He was alder­ man o f the braziers’ guild 1843-47 and died in 1859 . Johan Herazcek made a number o f officer’s swords o f fine quality. His son, Johan Seier Herazcek, born in 18 2 5 , was trained by his father and taught in the designing class o f G. F. Hetsch in the years 1843 - 4 7 . In 1845 or