Designs for a Sword of Honor to be presented by the City of London to Admiral Sir Frederick Beauchamp Paget Seymour, 1st Baron Alcester (1821–1895)
Swords of honor are lavishly decorated weapons with ornate hilts and fittings made of gold and silver, usually set with jewels and enamels, which were commissioned by the Corporation of the City of London from leading jewelers, goldsmiths, and cutlers for presentation by the City to distinguished military heroes as rewards for extraordinary valor or service. A total of sixty-three swords of honor were presented between 1797 and 1982, with the practice peaking during the Napoleonic wars (33 swords) and the Victorian era (10 swords).
These two drawings are the only known surviving examples of original designs for a City of London sword of honor made before the twentieth century. They were submitted by one of the ten documented entrants for the commission to create a sword of honor for presentation to Admiral Sir Frederick Beauchamp Paget Seymour (1821–1895) in 1882. Admiral Seymour had a long, distinguished, and extremely active naval career. The actions for which he was awarded a sword involved his position as commander of British forces in the Mediterranean from 1880 to 1883, specifically operations in Egypt, Turkey, Alexandria, and Dulcigno, which are named on the suspension bands of the scabbard in the sword designs. The sword's decoration seamlessly incorporates a balanced and well-conceived array of high and low relief sculpture in all of its components, with an iconographic program that presents a quintessential combination of individual and civic virtues. In addition to their rarity and historic significance, these drawings, executed with great skill and sensitivity, are excellent examples of British decorative art and design at the height of the Victorian era.
These two drawings are the only known surviving examples of original designs for a City of London sword of honor made before the twentieth century. They were submitted by one of the ten documented entrants for the commission to create a sword of honor for presentation to Admiral Sir Frederick Beauchamp Paget Seymour (1821–1895) in 1882. Admiral Seymour had a long, distinguished, and extremely active naval career. The actions for which he was awarded a sword involved his position as commander of British forces in the Mediterranean from 1880 to 1883, specifically operations in Egypt, Turkey, Alexandria, and Dulcigno, which are named on the suspension bands of the scabbard in the sword designs. The sword's decoration seamlessly incorporates a balanced and well-conceived array of high and low relief sculpture in all of its components, with an iconographic program that presents a quintessential combination of individual and civic virtues. In addition to their rarity and historic significance, these drawings, executed with great skill and sensitivity, are excellent examples of British decorative art and design at the height of the Victorian era.
Artwork Details
- Title: Designs for a Sword of Honor to be presented by the City of London to Admiral Sir Frederick Beauchamp Paget Seymour, 1st Baron Alcester (1821–1895)
- Date: 1882
- Geography: London
- Culture: British, London
- Medium: Pen and ink, brush and wash on paper
- Dimensions: both, as matted: 41 3/4 × 11 1/2 in. (106 × 29.2 cm)
- Classification: Drawings
- Credit Line: Funds from various donors, 2016
- Object Number: 2016.699a, b
- Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor
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