{"data": {"id": 95907, "accession_number": "1916.1616", "share_license_status": "CC0", "tombstone": "Executioner's Sword, blade dated 1634. Germany. Steel; overall: 98.1 cm (38 5/8 in.); blade: 75.3 cm (29 5/8 in.); quillions: 15.5 cm (6 1/8 in.); grip: 22.5 cm (8 7/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance, 1916.1616", "current_location": null, "title": "Executioner's Sword", "creation_date": "blade dated 1634", "creation_date_earliest": 1634, "creation_date_latest": 1634, "artists_tags": [], "culture": ["Germany"], "technique": "steel", "support_materials": [], "department": "Medieval Art", "collection": "MED - Arms & Armor", "type": "Arms and Armor", "measurements": "Overall: 98.1 cm (38 5/8 in.); Blade: 75.3 cm (29 5/8 in.); Quillions: 15.5 cm (6 1/8 in.); Grip: 22.5 cm (8 7/8 in.)", "dimensions": {"overall": {"length": 0.981, "length_inch": 38, "length_inch_fraction": 0.625}, "blade": {"length": 0.753, "length_inch": 29, "length_inch_fraction": 0.625}, "quillions": {"width": 0.155, "width_inch": 6, "width_inch_fraction": 0.125}, "grip": {"length": 0.225, "length_inch": 8, "length_inch_fraction": 0.875}}, "state_of_the_work": null, "edition_of_the_work": null, "copyright": null, "inscriptions": [{"inscription": "VIAT JUSTICIDET VERBUM CARO FACTUM, 1634", "inscription_translation": null, "inscription_remark": null, "sortorder": null}], "exhibitions": {"current": [{"id": 401015, "title": "European Arms and Armor from the Cleveland Museum of Art (Long-term Loan)", "description": "<i>European Arms and Armor from the Cleveland Museum of Art (Long-term Loan)</i>. Birmingham Museum of Art (organizer) (July 1, 1993-July 1, 1995).", "opening_date": "1993-07-01T04:00:00"}, {"id": 190103, "title": "Armor Court Reinstallation", "description": "<i>Armor Court Reinstallation</i>. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer).", "opening_date": "1998-09-10T00:00:00"}], "legacy": []}, "provenance": [{"description": "Frank Gair Macomber (1849-1941), Boston, MA, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art", "citations": [], "footnotes": null, "date": "-1916", "sortorder": null}, {"description": "The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH", "citations": [], "footnotes": null, "date": "1916-", "sortorder": 2}], "find_spot": null, "related_works": [], "former_accession_numbers": [], "did_you_know": "The blades of executioner's swords were often decorated with moralistic inscriptions.", "early_education_description": null, "artlens_description": null, "description": "An executioner's sword is specifically designed and balanced for decapitation, not combat. It usually features short quillons or cross guards, as the hands did not need added protection, and a blunt end. In wide use during the 1600s, by the 1700s they were largely out of use except for ceremonial purposes.", "external_resources": {"wikidata": ["https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q79478193"], "internet_archive": []}, "citations": [{"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. (207) 226", "url": "https://archive.org/details/CatArmsArmour4/page/n180"}, {"citation": "Gilchrist, Helen Ives. <em>A Catalogue of the Collection of Arms &amp; 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: pp. 115-116, E67", "url": "https://archive.org/details/SeveranceCollection1924/page/n176"}, {"citation": "Fliegel, Stephen N.<em> Arms and Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art.</em> [Cleveland, Ohio]: The Museum, 1998.", "page_number": "cat. no. 164, p. 170", "url": ""}, {"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. 141, p. 189", "url": ""}], "url": "https://clevelandart.org/art/1916.1616", "images": {"annotation": null, "web": {"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1916.1616/1916.1616_web.jpg", "width": "593", "height": "900", "filesize": "117629", "filename": "1916.1616_web.jpg"}, "print": {"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1916.1616/1916.1616_print.jpg", "width": "2239", "height": "3400", "filesize": "735864", "filename": "1916.1616_print.jpg"}, "full": {"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1916.1616/1916.1616_full.tif", "width": "3049", "height": "4629", "filesize": "42364656", "filename": "1916.1616_full.tif"}}, "alternate_images": [{"web": {"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1916.1616/1916.1616_alt0_web.jpg", "width": "640", "height": "893", "filesize": "277971"}, "print": {"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1916.1616/1916.1616_alt0_print.jpg", "width": "1467", "height": "2048", "filesize": "565707"}, "full": {"url": "https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1916.1616/1916.1616_alt0_full.tif", "width": "1467", "height": "2048", "filesize": "9016708"}, "annotation": ""}], "creditline": "Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance", "image_credit": null, "sketchfab_id": null, "sketchfab_url": null, "gallery_donor_text": null, "athena_id": 95907, "creators": [], "legal_status": "accessioned", "accession_date": "1916-04-10T00:00:00", "sortable_date": 1634, "date_added_to_oa": null, "date_text": "blade dated 1634", "collapse_artists": false, "on_loan": false, "recently_acquired": false, "record_type": "object", "conservation_statement": null, "has_conservation_images": false, "cover_accession_number": null, "is_nazi_era_provenance": false, "impression": null, "alternate_titles": [], "is_highlight": false, "updated_at": "2026-05-29 05:09:34.348000"}}