The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 24, 2024

Cup-Hilted Rapier

Cup-Hilted Rapier

c.1610–30
steel, pierced, chased and chiseled; wire ferrules on leather-covered wood grip
Overall: 123.2 cm (48 1/2 in.); Blade: 100.9 cm (39 3/4 in.); Quillions: 25.2 cm (9 15/16 in.); Grip: 11.8 cm (4 5/8 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance 1916.706
Location: 210A Armor Court

Did You Know?

Over time the blade of a rapier became longer, based on a belief that a longer blade made it easier to hit one's adversary and, at the same time stay beyond the reach of his weapon.

Description

The rapier was a sword worn with civilian dress and used in duels. The term rapier derives from a 16th-century French word rapière, which in turn derived from the Spanish espada ropera, or “dress sword.” The rapier was a light weapon with a straight double-edged and pointed blade that, with the development of the art of fencing in the 1500s and 1600s, gradually became narrower and lighter, and thus suitable for thrusts only. With the new technique of swordplay emphasizing the point of the blade, sword guards became more complex to protect the duelist’s unarmored hand. These elaborate guards were frequently decorated by various techniques—chiseling, bluing, russeting, and damascening.
  • Ralph Bernal (1784-1854), London, England
    1855
    (Sale: Christie, Manson & Woods, London. Works of art, from the Byzantine period to that of Louis Seize. Mar 5-Apr 30, 1855.)
    George Francis William Henry Denison, Earl of Londesborough (1892-1920)
    Edwin J. Brett (1828-1895), London, England
    ?-1916
    Frank Gair Macomber (1849-1941), Boston, MA, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1916-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Christie, Manson & Woods, London. Works of art, from the Byzantine period to that of Louis Seize. Mar 5-Apr 30, 1855. Mentioned: p. 213, lot 2453 archive.org
    Catalogue of Arms and Armour. Vol. 2, 16th century. [Boston, Massachusetts]: [Frank Gair Macomber], [1900-1915]. Mentioned and Reproduced: No. (90) 92 archive.org
    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. 117-118, E72; Reproduced: Plate XXXI, E72 archive.org
    Fliegel, Stephen N. Arms and Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art. [Cleveland, Ohio]: The Museum, 1998. pp. 113, 169; cat. no. 137
    Fliegel, Stephen N. Arms & Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art. [Cleveland, Ohio]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2007. cat. no. 180, p. 191
  • Armor Court Reinstallation. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer).
  • {{cite web|title=Cup-Hilted Rapier|url=false|author=|year=c.1610–30|access-date=24 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1916.706