The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of February 8, 2023

Small Sword

c. 1770

Germany, 18th century

Steel, gilt-brass, porcelain grip

Overall: 90.5 cm (35 5/8 in.); Blade: 76.9 cm (30 1/4 in.); Grip: 11.3 cm (4 7/16 in.); Hilt: 8.3 cm (3 1/4 in.)

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance 1916.1501

Location

210A Armor Court

Fun Fact

Small-swords with porcelain grips became fashionable in the mid- to late 1700s and added a colorful splash to male attire.

Description

The small-sword was a light, quick weapon that emerged during the 18th century. It was carried by unarmored civilians, the noblemen of the upper classes. The porcelain hilt, elaborately decorated, would have been visible even when the sword was sheathed–making this object more an accessory of male attire than a utilitarian weapon.

Provenance
?-1916
Frank Gair Macomber (1849-1941), Boston, MA, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art
1916
The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
Citations
Catalogue of Arms and Armour. [Boston, Massachusetts]: [Frank Gair Macomber], 1900. cat. no. 490 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. 136, E113 archive.org
Fliegel, Stephen N. Arms and Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art. [Cleveland, Ohio]: The Museum, 1998. pp. 120, 170; cat. no. 158
Fliegel, Stephen N. Arms & Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art. [Cleveland, Ohio]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2007. cat. no. 198, p. 192
Exhibition history

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

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1916.1501