Artwork Page for Small Sword

Details / Information for Small Sword

Small Sword

c.1770–80

France, 18th century

Medium
steel; chiseled relief decoration; blade engraved; wire grip
Measurements
Overall: 97 cm (38 3/16 in.); Blade: 79.2 cm (31 3/16 in.); Grip: 13.8 cm (5 7/16 in.); Guard: 7.6 cm (3 in.)
Weight: 360 g (12.7 oz.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance 1916.1484
Public Domain
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Location
210A Armor Court
Print

Description

During the 1700s, the small-sword emerged as a light, quick weapon. Like the rapier it was carried by unarmored civilians, the noblemen of the upper classes. Over time this delicate sword became more an accessory of male attire than a weapon essential to life and death. The sword hilt, which shows even when the blade is sheathed, became the ground for elaborate decoration. These small-swords thus represent the final stage in the evolution of the sword, from the edged weapons of antiquity to the elegantly refined blades of the 1700s and 1800s.
A slender steel sword features a tapering blade engraved with intricate floral scrollwork and figures. The hilt is topped by a spherical pommel with chiseled relief and a small finial, sitting above a grip bound in horizontal wire bands. A thin, curved knuckle guard arcs from the pommel to a small, oval shell plate, both embellished with ornate relief patterns. The polished metal displays a silver luster against a gradient backdrop.

Small Sword

c.1770–80

France, 18th century

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