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Smallsword

ca. 1650–60
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 371
While it was typical in Europe from at least the Middle Ages for a nobleman to wear a sword on a daily basis, not until the sixteenth century was there a pronounced difference between the swords worn with armor during times of war and those worn with civilian dress or in peacetime. During the Renaissance noblemen regularly wore long, lethal, and frequently ornate swords known as rapiers, both for self-defense and as a necessary costume accessory. In the early seventeenth century rapiers became smaller, lighter, and more refined, developing into what are known as smallswords, which continued to be worn by gentlemen until the late eighteenth century.

This early smallsword is a rare and beautiful example of the form, design, and ornamentation that distinguishes the best French swords of the early Louis XIV period. Its intricately damascened gold decoration is derived from contemporary print sources. Of the few comparable smallswords that exist, three are in current or former royal dynastic collections: Windsor Castle, the Musée de l'Armée in Paris, and the Royal Armory in Stockholm, a further indication of their quality and importance. Although highly decorated, swords of this type were still fully functional as weapons.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Smallsword
  • Date: ca. 1650–60
  • Geography: probably Paris
  • Culture: French, probably Paris
  • Medium: Steel, gold, wood, copper alloy
  • Dimensions: L. 40 5/8 in. (103.2 cm); L. of blade 34 1/2 in. (87.5 cm); W. 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm); D. 3 3/16 in. (8.1 cm); Wt. 1 lb. 2.8 oz. (532 g)
  • Classification: Swords
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Gift, 2011
  • Object Number: 2011.63
  • Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor

More Artwork

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Smallsword with Scabbard, Master GG French, Gold, steel, wood, fish skin, French, Paris
Smallsword with Scabbard
Master GG
hallmarked 1773–74
Armor of Infante Luis, Prince of Asturias (1707–1724), Jean Drouart French, Steel, gold, brass, silk, cotton, metallic yarn, paper, French, Paris
Armor of Infante Luis, Prince of Asturias (1707–1724)
Jean Drouart
dated 1712
Congressional Presentation Sword with Scabbard of Colonel Marinus Willett (1740–1830), C. Liger French, Steel, silver, gold, wood, fish skin, textile, French, Paris
Congressional Presentation Sword with Scabbard of Colonel Marinus Willett (1740–1830)
C. Liger
hallmarked for 1785–86
Smallsword, Steel, gold, wood, Probably French, Paris
Smallsword
Probably French, Paris
ca. 1650–60
Smallsword, Silver, gold, wood, steel, French, Paris; blade, German
Smallsword
French, Paris; blade, German
hallmarked for 1694–95

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