The James P. Boyce Library holds a variety of aged blades, all of which were gifted to the institution by private collectors, missionaries, and churchmen. Featured in the display are: Chief’s Knife from the Upper Congo (c.1900), African axe (c.1936), African sheathed knife (c.1936), African spear-head fighting knife (c.1900), Turkish jeweled sword (c.1800s), Damascus sword with sheath (c.1850), and a Chinese sword of coins.
Southern Seminary remains grateful to the various donors of these artifacts, many of whom led lives worthy of remembrance. The Honorable John Lawrence Smith, who donated two of the Turkish blades, was a noted chemist and mineralogist who was selected by the United States’ Secretary of State to offer scientific advising to Turkey between 1846-1850. After his marriage, Smith chaired the medical department at the University of Louisville and served as a deacon at Walnut Street Baptist Church. C. J. Lowe, who gifted the Chinese sword of coins, was a notable early Southern Baptist missionary to South China who published writings on his experiences.