The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of August 31, 2024
![Small Sword](https://piction.clevelandart.org/cma/ump.di?e=076936926F0136DD297A1636494B6FA3F186075C492346FBA9ABCC8D357F2F62&s=24247294&se=1005458440&v=1&f=%5Cd4350%5Cu228043506%5C1916.1484_o2.jpg)
Small Sword
c.1770–80
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.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance 1916.1484
Location: 210A Armor Court
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.- Frank Gair Macomber; Boston; cat. #495.
- 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: pp. 132-133, E104; Reproduced: Plate XXXIII, E104 archive.org
- Armor Court Reinstallation. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer).The Cleveland Museum of Art (09/10/1998); "Armor Court Reinstallation"
- {{cite web|title=Small Sword|url=false|author=|year=c.1770–80|access-date=31 August 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1916.1484