The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of December 21, 2025
Single-Edged Knife (Scramasax)
c. 500–700
Overall: 54.3 x 6.4 cm (21 3/8 x 2 1/2 in.)
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 1926.429
Location: Not on view
Description
The scramasax, a single-edged knife, was a general purpose implement. It could serve equally well as a tool or as a weapon and usually did not exceed 12 inches in length. As with most objects of the Migration period, iron weapons survive as excavated grave goods and tend to be heavily corroded. The grips, now missing, were probably fashioned from wood or bone and silver inlay decorated the pommels (the knob on the hilt, or handle). The ornamental gold foil bands, perhaps from the original scabbards (the cases in which the blades of swords or daggers are kept) have survived relatively intact.- The Cleveland Museum of Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art Handbook. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1958. Mentioned and Reproduced: cat. no. 88 archive.orgGertsman, Elina and Barbara H. Rosenwein. The Middle Ages in 50 Objects. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2018. Mentioned: p. 164-167; Reproduced: p. 165
- Baltimore, Balitimore Museum of Art: "Early CHristian and Byzantine Art" April 24--June 24, 1947.
- {{cite web|title=Single-Edged Knife (Scramasax)|url=false|author=|year=c. 500–700|access-date=21 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1926.429