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During the 1700s, the small-sword emerged as a light, quick weapon. Like the rapier it was carried by unarmored civilians, the noblemen of the upper classes. Over time this delicate sword became more an accessory of male attire than a weapon essential to life and death. The sword hilt, which shows even when the blade is sheathed, became the ground for elaborate decoration. These small-swords thus represent the final stage in the evolution of the sword, from the edged weapons of antiquity to the elegantly refined blades of the 1700s and 1800s.

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Page
1
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0
Type
photo
Media ID
7c4b1a34b36fec51
Size
unknown

Document data

ID
147959
Core
obj
Type
object
DTO data
{
    "id": "147959",
    "contentType": "object",
    "title": "Small Sword",
    "description": "During the 1700s, the small-sword emerged as a light, quick weapon. Like the rapier it was carried by unarmored civilians, the noblemen of the upper classes. Over time this delicate sword became more an accessory of male attire than a weapon essential to life and death. The sword hilt, which shows even when the blade is sheathed, became the ground for elaborate decoration. These small-swords thus represent the final stage in the evolution of the sword, from the edged weapons of antiquity to the elegantly refined blades of the 1700s and 1800s.",
    "date": "c. 1780",
    "citation": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1974.57",
    "rights": "CC0",
    "rightsUri": "CC0",
    "language": "en",
    "wikidata": [
        "Q60740055"
    ],
    "genreSpecific": [
        "Arms and Armor"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1974.57/1974.57_web.jpg",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1974.57/1974.57_web.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1974.57/1974.57_web.jpg",
    "imageCount": 1,
    "source": "import",
    "dimensionsRaw": "Overall: 103.5 cm (40 3/4 in.); Blade: 86.1 cm (33 7/8 in.); Guard: 8.3 cm (3 1/4 in.)",
    "cul": [
        "France, Paris (?), 18th century"
    ],
    "accession": "1974.57"
}

Context sent to Scholar

Document identity
{
    "localId": "147959",
    "label": "Small Sword",
    "core": "obj",
    "dtoType": "object"
}
Document source metadata
{
    "id": "147959",
    "contentType": "object",
    "title": "Small Sword",
    "description": "During the 1700s, the small-sword emerged as a light, quick weapon. Like the rapier it was carried by unarmored civilians, the noblemen of the upper classes. Over time this delicate sword became more an accessory of male attire than a weapon essential to life and death. The sword hilt, which shows even when the blade is sheathed, became the ground for elaborate decoration. These small-swords thus represent the final stage in the evolution of the sword, from the edged weapons of antiquity to the elegantly refined blades of the 1700s and 1800s.",
    "date": "c. 1780",
    "citation": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1974.57",
    "rights": "CC0",
    "rightsUri": "CC0",
    "language": "en",
    "wikidata": [
        "Q60740055"
    ],
    "genreSpecific": [
        "Arms and Armor"
    ],
    "iiifBase": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1974.57/1974.57_web.jpg",
    "thumbnailUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1974.57/1974.57_web.jpg",
    "largeImageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1974.57/1974.57_web.jpg",
    "imageCount": 1,
    "source": "import",
    "dimensionsRaw": "Overall: 103.5 cm (40 3/4 in.); Blade: 86.1 cm (33 7/8 in.); Guard: 8.3 cm (3 1/4 in.)",
    "cul": [
        "France, Paris (?), 18th century"
    ],
    "accession": "1974.57"
}
Document source extras
{
    "tec": "forged steel blade; partially gilt and russet steel hilt; steel wire, leather bands, wood core",
    "tombstone": "Small Sword, c. 1780. France, Paris (?), 18th century. Forged steel blade; partially gilt and russet steel hilt; steel wire, leather bands, wood core; overall: 103.5 cm (40 3/4 in.); blade: 86.1 cm (33 7/8 in.); guard: 8.3 cm (3 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift from the Bascom Little Estate, 1974.57",
    "collection": "MED - Arms & Armor",
    "formerAccessionNumbers": [
        "1022.16"
    ],
    "didYouKnow": "The fashion among gentleman for wearing small-swords with everyday attire began to wane by the end of the 1700s with the exception of the military dress sword.",
    "citations": [
        {
            "citation": "Lee, Sherman E. \"The Year in Review for 1974.\" <em>The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art</em> 62, no. 3 (1975).",
            "page_number": "p. 98, cat. no. 42",
            "url": "https://www.jstor.org/stable/25152580"
        },
        {
            "citation": "Fliegel, Stephen N.<em> Arms and Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art. [</em>Cleveland, Ohio]: The Museum, 1998.",
            "page_number": "pp. 121, 172; cat. no. 199"
        },
        {
            "citation": "Fliegel, Stephen N. <em>Arms &amp; Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art.</em> [Cleveland, Ohio]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2007.",
            "page_number": "cat. no. 200, p. 192."
        }
    ],
    "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1974.57",
    "creditline": "Gift from the Bascom Little Estate",
    "updatedAt": "2026-05-29 07:36:05.476000",
    "imageUrl": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1974.57/1974.57_print.jpg",
    "sourceId": 147959,
    "dept": "Medieval Art",
    "coll": "MED - Arms & Armor",
    "med": "forged steel blade; partially gilt and russet steel hilt; steel wire, leather bands, wood core",
    "thumbnail_url": null,
    "image_url": null
}
Page context
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