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A Visit to the Armor Galleries

A Visit to the Armor Galleries
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Bashford Dean and the Creation of the Arms and Armor Department, 1904–1929

Bashford Dean and the Creation of the Arms and Armor Department, 1904–1929
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Curators, Collectors, and Dealers: The Growth of the Arms and Armor Collection, 1929 to the Present

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Sword

Date:
ca. 1400
Culture:
Western European
Medium:
Steel, silver, copper alloy, leather
Dimensions:
Weight, 3 lb. 11 oz. (1673 g) Length, 40 1/4 in. (102.24 cm)
Classification:
Swords
Credit Line:
The Collection of Giovanni P. Morosini, presented by his daughter Giulia, 1932
Accession Number:
32.75.225

This artwork is not on display

  • Description

    The silver-embellished pommel and the crossguard made of copper alloy (rather than steel) wrapped with silver wire suggest that this sword was intended for presentation or for ceremonial use rather than as a fighting weapon. The Latin quotation inscribed on the pommel reads in translation, "here, too, virture has its due reward" (Virgil, Aeneid, book 1, line 461). The inscription (now illegible) on the blade is an early example of the use of etching for the decoration of a weapon. Approximately a century later, acid etching became a popular way to embellish arms and armor and an important technique in printmaking.

  • Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

    Inscription: Inscribed on the pommel in latin, in gothic lettering: "sunt hic etiam sua praemia lavdi" Translation: "Here, too, virtue (valor) has its due reward" (Virgil, Aeneid, book 1, line 461) Inscribed on the blade in latin, in large slightly raised gothic lettering, now illegible: "DOMIN...TEMPOR[A?]SANCTA MA[RIA?]"

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    In the Museum
    Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History
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