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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.
Page data
- 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"
],
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"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"
}
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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 & 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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