The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 5, 2021

Hand-and-a-Half Sword

c. 1500

South Germany, early 16th Century

Steel, wood, leather; quillions and spirally fluted pommel of blackened steel

Support: Quillions and spirally fluted pommel of blackened steel

Overall: 117.5 cm (46 1/4 in.); Blade: 90.2 cm (35 1/2 in.); Quillions: 26.4 cm (10 3/8 in.); Grip: 21 cm (8 1/4 in.)

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance 1921.1253

Location

210A Armor Court

Fun Fact

This sword came to be called a hand-and-a-half, because it could either be used with both hands or just one.

Provenance
American Art Association (sale, November 1921); cat.# 244.
Citations
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. 92, E20 archive.org
Exhibition history

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

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

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1921.1253