Switzerland (blade: Germany, Solingen, early 18th c.), late 18th Century / Small-Sword / c. 1790-1800

Switzerland (blade: Germany, Solingen, early 18th c.), late 18th Century
Small-Sword
c. 1790-1800
View Larger Image

View Full Catalog Record Below

This image is one of over 108,000 from the AMICA Library (formerly The Art Museum Image Consortium Library- The AMICO Library™), a growing online collection of high-quality, digital art images from over 20 museums around the world. www.davidrumsey.com/amica offers subscriptions to this collection, the finest art image database available on the internet. EVERY image has full curatorial text and can be studied in depth by zooming into the smallest details from within the Image Workspace.

Preview the AMICA Library™ Public Collection in Luna Browser Now

Cultures and time periods represented range from contemporary art, to ancient Greek, Roman, and Egyptian works.
Types of works include paintings, drawings, watercolors, sculptures, costumes, jewelry, furniture, prints, photographs, textiles, decorative art, books and manuscripts.

Gain access to this incredible resource through either a monthly or a yearly subscription and search the entire collection from your desktop, compare multiple images side by side and zoom into the minute details of the images. Visit www.davidrumsey.com/amica for more information on the collection, click on the link below the revolving thumbnail to the right, or email us at amica@luna-img.com .

Creator Nationality: Switzerland (blade: Germany, Solingen, early 18th c.), late 18th Century
Creator Name-CRT: Switzerland (blade: Germany, Solingen, early 18th c.), late 18th Century
Title: Small-Sword
Title Type: Primary
View: Detail
Creation Start Date: 1790
Creation End Date: 1800
Creation Date: c. 1790-1800
Object Type: Decorative Arts and Utilitarian Objects
Classification Term: Arms and Armor
Materials and Techniques: hilt: gold with blue translucent enamel; blade: etched, blued and gilded steel
Dimensions: Overall: , Blade: , Hilt:
AMICA Contributor: The Cleveland Museum of Art
Owner Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
ID Number: 2002.1
Credit Line: Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund
Rights: http://www.clevelandart.org/museum/disclaim2.html
Provenance: Marshall M. Fredericks Coll.; Peter Finer, Warwickshire
Context: This example shows the small-sword at its latest and most refined stage of development. Though highly reflective of French taste, it was probably fashioned in a Swiss workshop under French influence or by a French craftsman working in Switzerland. Worn publicly as an emblem of social rank, this sword was likely custom-made for an affluent individual to use on formal or court occasions.So-called because of its short blade, the small-sword emerged as the light and quick weapon of choice for aristocratic civilians during the 1700s. Such a sword was traditionally suspended at about mid-thigh from the left side of a belt, the hilt exposed through the opening of the gentleman's coat. Highly visible, the hilt invited lavish decoration through precious materials such as gold and enamels, as seen here. Considered a type of masculine jewelry at that time, small-swords featured a variety of hilt styles that went in and out of fashion. Many were decorated to match personal costume, and jewelers worked on the finest small-swords of the day.
AMICA ID: CMA_.2002.1
AMICA Library Year: 2002
Media Metadata Rights: Copyright, The Cleveland Museum of Art

AMICA PUBLIC RIGHTS: a) Access to the materials is granted for personal and non-commercial use. b) A full educational license for non-commercial use is available from Cartography Associates at www.davidrumsey.com/amica/institution_subscribe.html c) Licensed users may continue their examination of additional materials provided by Cartography Associates, and d) commercial rights are available from the rights holder.