id:			147959
accession number:	1974.57
share license status:	CC0
url:			https://clevelandart.org/art/1974.57
updated:		2019-11-18 11:27:10.980000

Small Sword, c. 1780. France, Paris (?), 18th century. Forged steel blade; partially gilt and russet steel hilt; steel wire, leather bands, wood core; overall: 103.5 cm (40 3/4 in.); blade: 86.1 cm (33 7/8 in.); guard: 8.3 cm (3 1/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift from the Bascom Little Estate 1974.57

title:				Small Sword
title in original language:	
series:				
series in original language:	
creation date:			c. 1780
creation date earliest:		1775
creation date latest:		1785
current location:		210A Armor Court
creditline:			Gift from the Bascom Little Estate
copyright:			

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culture:	France, Paris (?), 18th century
technique:	forged steel blade; partially gilt and russet steel hilt; steel wire, leather bands, wood core
department:	Medieval Art
collection:	MED - Arms & Armor
type:		Arms and Armor
find spot:	
catalogue raisonne: 

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CREATORS

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measurements: Overall: 103.5 cm (40 3/4 in.); Blade: 86.1 cm (33 7/8 in.); Guard: 8.3 cm (3 1/4 in.)
state of the work:	
edition of the work: 	

support materials:


inscriptions:

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CURRENT EXHIBITIONS

	title:		Armor Court Reinstallation
	opening date:   1998-09-10T00:00:00
	<i>Armor Court Reinstallation</i>. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer).

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LEGACY EXHIBITIONS

* The Cleveland Museum of Art (09/10/1998); "Armor Court Reinstallation"

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PROVENANCE

	Bascom Little Estate
	date: 
	footnotes: 	
	citations: 	


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fun fact: 


digital description: 


wall 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.
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RELATED WORKS

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CITATIONS

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IMAGES

web:	https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1974.57/1974.57_web.jpg
print:	https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1974.57/1974.57_print.jpg
full:	https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1974.57/1974.57_full.tif