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 alone had become the preferred style as a result of the development of refined fencing techniques and lighter, smaller rapiers. Most forms of left-hand parries were abandoned, except in southern Italy and Spain, where parrying daggers remained popular well into the eighteenth century.
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Title:Parrying Dagger
Date:1650
Culture:Italian
Medium:Steel, wood, copper wire
Dimensions:L. 21 3/8 in. (54.3 cm); L. of blade 16 7/8 in. (42.9 cm); W. 12 1/2 in. (31.8 cm); Wt. 1 lb. 8 oz. (680.4 g)
Classification:Daggers
Credit Line:Rogers Fund. 1904
Object Number:04.3.17
Charles Maurice Camille de Talleyrand-Périgord, Duc de Dino, Paris (until 1904; sold to MMA).
Hagerstown, Md. Washington County Museum of Fine Arts. "Loan Exhibition of Medieval and Renaissance Arms and Armor from the Metropolitan Museum of Art," February 27–March 31, 1955, no. 78.
Newark. Newark Museum Association. "Loan Exhibition of Medieval and Renaissance Arms and Armor from the Metropolitan Museum of Art," May 15–September 15, 1955, no. 78.
Flint. Flint Institute of Arts. "The Art of the Armorer," December 7, 1967–April 1, 1968, no. 47.
Seattle, Wash. Seattle Art Museum. "The Art of Chivalry: European Arms and Armor from The Metropolitan Museum of Art," March 11, 1982–June 6, 1982, no. 55.
Denver, Colo. Denver Art Museum. "The Art of Chivalry: European Arms and Armor from The Metropolitan Museum of Art," July 18–October 10, 1982, no. 55.
San Antonio, Tex. Witte Museum of the San Antonio Museum Association. "The Art of Chivalry: European Arms and Armor from The Metropolitan Museum of Art," November 13, 1982–February 5, 1983, no. 55.
Minneapolis, Minn. Minneapolis Institute of Arts. "The Art of Chivalry: European Arms and Armor from The Metropolitan Museum of Art," May 24–July 31, 1983, no. 55.
San Francisco. Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. "The Art of Chivalry: European Arms and Armor from The Metropolitan Museum of Art," November 5, 1983–January 28, 1984, no. 55.
Detroit, Mich. Detroit Institute of Arts. "The Art of Chivalry: European Arms and Armor from The Metropolitan Museum of Art," April 4–June 17, 1984, no. 55.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "The Academy of the Sword: Illustrated Fencing Books 1500–1800," June 9, 1998–November 29, 1999.
Cosson, Charles Alexander. Le Cabinet d'Armes de Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, Duc de Dino. Paris: E. Rouveyre, 1901. p. 79, no. G. 38.
Dean, Bashford. Catalogue of European Court Swords and Hunting Swords: Including the Ellis, De Dino, Riggs, and Reubell Collections. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1929. p. 136, no. 182, pl. LXII.
Grancsay, Stephen V., The Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Washington County Museum of Fine Arts. Loan Exhibition of Medieval and Renaissance Arms and Armor from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Hagerstown, Md.: Washington County Museum of Fine Arts, February 27–March 31, 1955. p. 22, no. 78, ill.
Flint Institute of Arts and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Art of the Armorer. Flint, Mich., December 7, 1967–April 1, 1968. no. 47.
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Helmut Nickel, Stuart W. Pyhrr, Leonid Tarassuk, and American Federation of Arts. The Art of Chivalry: European Arms and Armor from the Metropolitan Museum of Art: An Exhibition. New York: The Federation, 1982. pp. 102–104, no. 55.
La Rocca, Donald J., and The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The Academy of the Sword: Illustrated Fencing Books 1500–1800. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1998. p. 32.
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