The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of February 14, 2025

Executioner's Sword
blade dated 1634
Overall: 98.1 cm (38 5/8 in.); Blade: 75.3 cm (29 5/8 in.); Quillions: 15.5 cm (6 1/8 in.); Grip: 22.5 cm (8 7/8 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance 1916.1616
Location: not on view
Did You Know?
The blades of executioner's swords were often decorated with moralistic inscriptions.Description
An executioner's sword is specifically designed and balanced for decapitation, not combat. It usually features short quillons or cross guards, as the hands did not need added protection, and a blunt end. In wide use during the 1600s, by the 1700s they were largely out of use except for ceremonial purposes.- -1916Frank Gair Macomber (1849-1941), Boston, MA, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art1916-The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- Catalogue of Arms and Armour. Vol. 4, 17th to 19th century and a few pieces of iron work. [Boston, Massachusetts]: [Frank Gair Macomber], [1900-1915]. Mentioned and Reproduced: No. (207) 226 archive.orgGilchrist, 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. 115-116, E67 archive.orgFliegel, Stephen N. Arms and Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art. [Cleveland, Ohio]: The Museum, 1998. cat. no. 164, p. 170Fliegel, Stephen N. Arms & Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art. [Cleveland, Ohio]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2007. cat. no. 141, p. 189
- Armor Court Reinstallation. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer).European Arms and Armor from the Cleveland Museum of Art (Long-term Loan). Birmingham Museum of Art (organizer) (July 1, 1993-July 1, 1995).
- {{cite web|title=Executioner's Sword|url=false|author=|year=blade dated 1634|access-date=14 February 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1916.1616