Sword (1400s): Art, History and Details

Sword (1400s) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

The European sword is derived from the ninth-century Viking sword, which consisted of a straight double-edged blade and was suitable for slashing or thrusting. Throughout the medieval period swords became increasingly specialized weapons depending on whether it was intended to be used on horseback or on foot. A knight likely owned several swords according to his needs and preferences. Craftsman sought to achieve the technical superiority that in turn would provide his client with a distinct advantage.

Object facts

• Title: Sword
• Date: 1400s
• Culture: European (unassigned), 15th century
• Type: Arms and Armor
• Technique: steel
• Dimensions: Overall: 103.5 cm (40 3/4 in.); Quillions: 19.1 cm (7 1/2 in.)
• Collection: MED - Arms & Armor
• Department: Medieval Art
• Accession number: 1919.69

A detail from the museum

Although now lost, this sword would have had a scabbard or sheath made of wood covered in leather to protect it from water so it wouldn't rust when not in use.

Collection credit

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance

Further reading listed by the museum

• American Art Association. Ancient Arms and Weapons and Accoutrements. 1919.
• 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.
• Fliegel, Stephen N. Arms and Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art. [Cleveland, Ohio]: The Museum, 1998.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.