From the early sixteenth century onward, the practice of wearing a sword or rapier with civilian dress made duels between unarmored opponents more common. Lacking the armor or shield worn in battle, combatants had to block or parry an attack by other means. Methods of defense included the use of a dagger or a buckler (small shield) held in the left hand and an increased reliance on parries made with the rapier itself.
During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, distinct schools of fencing developed rapidly in Italy, France, Germany, and Spain. Instruction in the art and science of fencing became an indispensable part of a nobleman’s education. Consequently, accomplished fencing masters were hired to teach at the principal courts and universities of Europe.
From about 1525 to about 1625, the rapier was worn regularly in tandem with a parrying dagger. They were sometimes made and decorated as a set. By the mid-seventeenth century, however, parrying with the rapier blade alo
This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.
Open Access
As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.
API
Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.
This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.
Left view of hilt
Side view of hilt
Side view of hilt
Right view of hilt
Artwork Details
Use your arrow keys to navigate the tabs below, and your tab key to choose an item
Title:Parrying Dagger
Date:ca. 1650–75
Geography:possibly Naples
Culture:Italian, possibly Naples
Medium:Steel, iron
Dimensions:L. 23 1/4 in. (59.1 cm);L. of quillon 11 1/4 in. (28.6 cm); W. of ricasso 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm); L. of blade 18 11/16 in. (47.4 cm); W. of blade 13/16 in. (2.1 cm); D. of blade 1/4 in. (0.6 cm); Wt. 1 lb. 6 oz. (624 g)
Classification:Daggers
Credit Line:Gift of Alan Rutherfurd Stuyvesant, 1951
Object Number:51.170.2
Marking: Stamped at the base of the blade adjacent to the ricasso, on both sides: B.
Ex colls.: Baron C.A. de Cosson, Florence; Rutherford Stuyvesant, Allamuchy, New Jersey
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Loan Exhibition of Arms and Armor," February 6–April 16, 1911, no. 132 (lent by Mrs. Rutherfurd Stuyvesant).
Los Angeles. Los Angeles County Museum of Art. "Loan Exhibition of Mediaeval and Renaissance Arms and Armor from the Metropolitan Museum of Art," January 15–March 18, 1953, no. 92.
San Francisco. California Palace of the Legion of Honor, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. "Loan Exhibition of Mediaeval and Renaissance Arms and Armor from the Metropolitan Museum of Art," April 18–June 7, 1953, no. 92.
Pittsburgh. Department of Fine Arts, Carnegie Institute. "Loan Exhibition of Mediaeval and Renaissance Arms and Armor from the Metropolitan Museum of Art," October 1953–April 1954, no. 92.
Christie, Manson & Woods. Armour and Arms, or, Catalogue of the Famous Collection of Armour and Arms Formed by That Well-Known Connoisseur, The Baron de Cosson, F.S.A., Which Has Been On Loan to the South Kensington Museum for the Last Two Years. London: Christie, Manson & Woods, May 2–3, 1893. p. 30, no. 196.
Dean, Bashford, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Catalogue of a Loan Exhibition of Arms and Armor: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, February the Sixth to April the Sixteenth. New York: Gilliss Press, 1911. p. 56, no. 132 (lent by Mrs. Rutherfurd Stuyvesant).
Dean, Bashford. The Collection of Arms and Armor of Rutherford Stuyvesant, 1843–1909. New York: privately printed, 1914. p. 90, no. 111, pl. XXXIV, fig. 111.
Laking, Guy Francis, Charles Alexander Cosson, and Francis Henry Cripps-Day. A Record of European Armour and Arms Through Seven Centuries. Vol. V. London: G. Bell and Sons, 1922. p. 70, fig. 1484, ill.
Grancsay, Stephen V. Loan Exhibition of Mediaeval and Renaissance Arms and Armor from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1953. p. 25, no. 92, ill.
Grancsay, Stephen V. "The New Galleries of European Arms and Armor." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin (May 1956), p. 231, ill.
Seitz, Heribert. Blankwaffen: Geschichte und Typenentwicklung im Europäischen Kulturbereich: ein Waffenhistorisches Handbuch. Vol. 2. Brunswick: Klinkhardt & Biermann, 1968. p. 139, fig. 153.
Nickel, Helmut. Ullstein-Waffenbuch: eine kulturhistorische Waffenkunde mit Markenverzeichnis. Berlin: Ullstein, 1974. p. 169, ill.
The Met's Libraries and Research Centers provide unparalleled resources for research and welcome an international community of students and scholars.
The Met Collection API is where all makers, creators, researchers, and dreamers can connect to the most up-to-date data and public domain images for The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.
