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Small Sword
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
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.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineSmall Sword, c. 1720–60. England, 18th century. Steel; piercing; perforation; overall: 97 cm (38 3/16 in.); blade: 80.5 cm (31 11/16 in.); grip: 12.6 cm (4 15/16 in.); guard: 7.7 cm (3 1/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance, 1916.1489
