Smallsword

ca. 1700 and later

Not on view

The smallsword was the typical civilian sidearm worn in Europe from about 1650 to 1800. It was both a deadly weapon and a stylish costume accessory for the fashionable gentleman. The materials of smallsword hilts vary considerably, according to the wealth and taste of their owner. In England, silver was the preferred medium, and the custom of hallmarking silver with date-letters provides the opportunity to document changing forms and ornament. English smallswords served as models for Colonial American silversmiths.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: Smallsword
Date: ca. 1700 and later
Geography: Toledo
Culture: British; blade, Spanish, Toledo
Medium: Steel, silver, brass
Dimensions: L. 42 1/8 in. (107 cm); L. of blade 35 7/8 in. (91.1 cm); W. 4 in. (10.2 cm); Wt. 1 lb. 1 oz. (481.9 g)
Classification: Swords
Credit Line: Gift of William H. Riggs, 1913
Object Number: 14.25.1213
Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor

More Artwork

In the same medium

From the same time and place

Cup-Hilted Rapier, Steel, copper wire, velvet, Spanish, Toledo — Cup-Hilted Rapier
Spanish, Toledo
17th century; grip and restorations, 19th century

Smallsword, Steel, silver, wood, iron, brass, probably French — Smallsword
probably French
ca. 1700–20

Rapier with Scabbard, Steel, leather, copper wire, Spanish, Toledo — Rapier with Scabbard
Spanish, Toledo
18th century

Smallsword, Steel, brass, wood, Sri Lankan (Ceylon, for the European market) — Smallsword
Sri Lankan (Ceylon, for the European market)
ca. 1700–1725

Rapier, Steel, blade, Spanish, Toledo; hilt, European, possibly Spanish — Rapier
blade, Spanish, Toledo; hilt, European, possibly Spanish
blade, ca. 1635; hilt, late 17th century or later

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