The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of October 3, 2023

Sword

c. 1400

European, early 15th century

Steel, leather, wire

Overall: 85.3 cm (33 9/16 in.); Blade: 71.7 cm (28 1/4 in.); Quillions: 16.7 cm (6 9/16 in.); Grip: 12.7 cm (5 in.)

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance 1921.1252

Location

210A Armor Court

Fun Fact

A sword required a different composition of steel than armor; as a result swordsmithing centers of Europe differ from those that specialized in armor.

Description

The principal weapon of the European knight was his sword, a simple weapon with a broad, two-edged blade, a straight crossguard, and a round pommel or counterweight. The pommel gave the knight full mastery of a perfectly balanced weapon. The basic shape of the sword did not change significantly between 1200 and 1500.

Provenance
1921
(Sale: American Art Association, New York, NY, (November 18-19, 1921), lot 240.)
Citations
American Art Association. An Important Collection of Ancient Arms and Armor. 1921. Cat. no. 240
Gilchrist, Helen Ives. A Catalogue of the Collection of Arms & Armor Presented to the Cleveland Museum of Art by Mr. and Mrs. John Long Severance; 1916-1923. Cleveland: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1924. Mentioned: p. 86, E4; Reproduced: Plate XIX, E4 archive.org
Fliegel, Stephen N. Arms and Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art. [Cleveland, Ohio]: The Museum, 1998. cat. no.195, p. 172
Fliegel, Stephen N. Arms & Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art. [Cleveland, Ohio]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2007. cat. no. 127, p. 188
Exhibition history

Armor Court Reinstallation. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1921.1252