Designs for Renaissance swords are exceptionally rare, although notable examples by such renowned artists as Hans Holbein the Younger for the court of Henry VIII and Giulio Romano for the duke of Mantua are preserved. Previously unrecorded, our newly acquired drawing is a significant addition to this small corpus. The style and iconography point to Nuremberg and possibly to one of that city's most celebrated artists, Peter Flötner (ca. 1486–1546). The design is novel and has strong Italianate features, hallmarks of Flötner's oeuvre. The pommel was conceived in the round with four female heads beneath an imperial crown, while a two-headed imperial eagle is incorporated into the classical trophy of arms that embellishes the grip. The asymmetrical guard has a shield-bearing demi-lion at one end and a Janus head at the other.

The trophies recall one of Flötner's woodcuts for a dagger grip, whereas the crowned pommel is virtually identical to one in the design for a sword of Emperor Charles V that is dated 1544 and ascribed to the Nuremberg goldsmith Wenzel Jamnitzer (1508–1585). Our drawing is by a different hand and is probably slightly earlier in date, but the imperial imagery suggests that it, too, was created for Charles V.