The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of January 22, 2025

Hand-and-a-Half Sword

Hand-and-a-Half Sword

c. 1500
steel, wood, leather; 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

Did You Know?

This sword came to be called a hand-and-a-half, because it could either be used with both hands or just one.
  • American Art Association (sale, November 1921); cat.# 244.
  • 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
  • Armor Court Reinstallation. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer).
    The Cleveland Museum of Art (09/10/1998); "Armor Court Reinstallation"
  • {{cite web|title=Hand-and-a-Half Sword|url=false|author=|year=c. 1500|access-date=22 January 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

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