Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
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
95331
label
Small Sword
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
95331
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
1640–60
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60778553
genreSpecific
Arms and Armor
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 104.5 cm (41 1/8 in.); Blade: 86 cm (33 7/8 in.); Guard: 7.6 cm (3 in.)
cul
Germany, Passau (?), 17th century
accession
1916.1099
Source extras
tec
steel, wood, steel wire, copper, chiseled shell guard; blade: blued, gilded, pierced and engraved
tombstone
Small Sword, 1640–60. Germany, Passau (?), 17th century. Steel, wood, steel wire, copper, chiseled shell guard; blade: blued, gilded, pierced and engraved; overall: 104.5 cm (41 1/8 in.); blade: 86 cm (33 7/8 in.); guard: 7.6 cm (3 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance, 1916.1099
collection
MED - Arms & Armor
didYouKnow
This small sword has a veritable panoply of animal imagery. Men ride horses across the crossguard, the horizontal element closest to the blade, and around the pommel, the globular tip of the handle. Mythical animals feature prominently on the guard, the semi-circular piece that covered the knuckles.
citations
citation
Christie, Manson & Woods, London. <em>Choice collection of works of art, mostly of the XVth, XVIth and XVIIth centuries</em>. Mar 8-12, 1898. Lot 268.
page_number
Mentioned: p. 34, lot 268
citation
<em>Catalogue of Arms and Armour</em>. Vol. 4, <em>17th to 19th century and a few pieces of iron work</em>. [Boston, Massachusetts]: [Frank Gair Macomber], [1900-1915].
page_number
Mentioned and Reproduced: No. (221) 240
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. 121, E78; Reproduced: Plate XXIX, E78
creditline
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:06:39.110000
sourceId
95331
dept
Medieval Art
coll
MED - Arms & Armor
med
steel, wood, steel wire, copper, chiseled shell guard; blade: blued, gilded, pierced and engraved
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
88abc4a172efb405