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Design for a Smallsword Hilt

ca. 1780
Not on view
This rare drawing gives us a glimpse of how an elegant sword hilt was custom designed for an individual client. On the left, the proposed hilt is seen in profile; on the right, its shell guard is shown from above. The notation on the lower right says: "The border and its design appear a little weak to me, but pay no heed to my opinion if it is not to your taste." The grammatically incorrect nature of the French indicates that the writer was someone with little formal education, perhaps the craftsman who was making the hilt or the merchant selling it.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Design for a Smallsword Hilt
  • Date: ca. 1780
  • Culture: French
  • Medium: Pen, ink, colored wash, chalk, paper
  • Dimensions: 9 x 7 in. (23 x 17.8 cm)
  • Classification: Works on Paper-Drawings
  • Credit Line: Gift of John Blair, in memory of his father, Claude Blair, 2011
  • Object Number: 2011.102
  • Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor

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