{
"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": "European Arms and Armor from the Cleveland Museum of Art (Long-term Loan). 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": "Armor Court Reinstallation. 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": "Catalogue of Arms and Armour. Vol. 4, 17th to 19th century and a few pieces of iron work. [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. A Catalogue of the Collection of Arms & Armor Presented to the Cleveland Museum of Art by Mr. and Mrs. John Long Severance; 1916-1923. 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. Arms and Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art. [Cleveland, Ohio]: The Museum, 1998.",
"page_number": "cat. no. 164, p. 170",
"url": ""
},
{
"citation": "Fliegel, Stephen N. Arms & Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art. [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,
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],
"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"
}
}