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Source 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.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
95335
label
Small Sword
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
95335
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. 1700
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60779108
genreSpecific
Arms and Armor
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 100.3 cm (39 1/2 in.); Blade: 83.7 cm (32 15/16 in.); Guard: 10.5 cm (4 1/8 in.)
cul
Italy (?), early 18th Century
accession
1916.1101
Source extras
tec
steel, wood, copper wire
tombstone
Small Sword, c. 1700. Italy (?), early 18th Century. Steel, wood, copper wire; overall: 100.3 cm (39 1/2 in.); blade: 83.7 cm (32 15/16 in.); guard: 10.5 cm (4 1/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance, 1916.1101
supportMaterials
description
engraved scrolls on blade
collection
MED - Arms & Armor
citations
citation
Gilchrist, Helen Ives. <em>A Catalogue of the Collection of Arms & Armor Presented to the Cleveland Museum of Art by Mr. and Mrs. John Long Severance; 1916-1923</em>. Cleveland: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1924.
page_number
Mentioned: p. 129, E96
creditline
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance
galleryDonorText
Jack, Joseph, and Morton Mandel Armor Court
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:06:41.148000
sourceId
95335
dept
Medieval Art
coll
MED - Arms & Armor
med
steel, wood, copper wire
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
4826889f88c47717