Estoc

early 1500s

Germany, early 16th Century

Steel, wood and leather

Overall: 156.6 cm (61 5/8 in.); Blade: 125.3 cm (49 5/16 in.); Quillions: 26.2 cm (10 5/16 in.); Grip: 30 cm (11 13/16 in.)

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance 1916.686

Location

210A Armor Court

Description

The French word estoc means "thrust" and therefore was adopted as the name for this long thrusting sword. It has a fairly long grip and simple cross-shaped hilt. The rigid blade, designed for thrusting at armored opponents, is three-sided for strength. The estoc was sometimes carried from the saddle. From the early 1300s, it was used by cavalrymen as an auxiliary side arm when a horseman had dismounted.

Provenance

Sauran; Zschille; Frank Gair Macomber; Boston; cat. #31.

Citations

Catalogue of Arms and Armour. Vol. 1, 14th & 15th centuries. [Boston, Massachusetts]: [Frank Gair Macomber], [1900-1915]. Mentioned and Reproduced: No. 34 [31] archive.org

Gilchrist, Helen Ives. A Catalogue of the Collection of Arms & Armor Presented to the Cleveland Museum of Art by Mr. and Mrs. John Long Severance; 1916-1923. Cleveland: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1924. Mentioned: p. 86, E5; Reproduced: Plate XX, E5 archive.org

Exhibition history

The Cleveland Museum of Art (09/10/1998); "Armor Court Reinstallation"

Bavarian Nationalmuseum, Munich (5/10/2007 - 9/16/2007) and the J. Paul Getty Musuem, Los Angeles (10/30/2007 - 1/20/2008): "Sacred Gifts and Worldly Treasures: Medieval Masterworks from the Cleveland Museum of Art"

Armor Court Reinstallation. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer).

Sacred Gifts and Worldly Treasures: Medieval Masterworks from the Cleveland Museum of Art. National Museum of Bavaria, Munich, Germany (May 10-September 16, 2007); J. Paul Getty Museum (October 30, 2007-January 20, 2008).

Cite this page

{{cite web|title=Estoc|url=https://clevelandart.org/art/1916.686|year=early 1500s|access-date=16 June 2019|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

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Estoc

Estoc

Germany, early 16th Century

Location

Description

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