The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of April 19, 2024

Hand-and-a-Half Sword

Hand-and-a-Half Sword

c.1540–80
steel; wood, leather, sharkskin grip
Overall: 116.8 cm (46 in.); Blade: 94.8 cm (37 5/16 in.); Quillions: 31 cm (12 3/16 in.); Grip: 21 cm (8 1/4 in.)
Gift from the Bascom Little Estate 1974.58
Location: 210A Armor Court

Did You Know?

If you are looking for this in the armor court, look up; this sword is part of one of the panoply or decorative arrangements on the wall.

Description

A hand-and-a-half sword is a large sword with a double-edged blade and a long grip that, when necessary, could accommodate both hands to wield it. The grip of this sword is made of sharkskin and has been fitted around a wooden core. On the blade are two yet to be identified marks.
  • -1965
    Bascom Little (1910-1965), Cleveland, OH
    1965-1974
    Bascom Little Estate, gifted to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1974-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Lee, Sherman E. “The Year in Review for 1974.” The Bulletin of the Cleveland Museum of Art 62, no. 3 (1975). p. 98, cat. no. 43 www.jstor.org
    Fliegel, Stephen N. Arms and Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art. [Cleveland, Ohio]: The Museum, 1998. cat. no. 200, p. 172
    Fliegel, Stephen N. Arms & Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art. [Cleveland, Ohio]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2007. cat. no. 133, p. 188
  • Armor Court Reinstallation. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer).
    European Arms and Armor from the Cleveland Museum of Art (Long-term Loan). Birmingham Museum of Art (organizer) (July 1, 1993-July 1, 1995).
    Year in Review: 1974. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 11-April 6, 1975).
  • {{cite web|title=Hand-and-a-Half Sword|url=false|author=|year=c.1540–80|access-date=19 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1974.58