Rapier
Unknown Artist
ca. 1580
Medium
Steel, gold, iron, wood
Dimensions
L. 46 in. (116.8 cm); L. of blade 39 3/4 in. (101 cm); W. 10 3/4 in. (27.3 cm); D. 5 in. (12.7 cm); Wt. 2 lb. 11 oz. (1219 g)
Classification
Swords
Culture
Italian
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William H. Riggs, 1913
Accession Number
14.25.1133
Art Historical Context
This exquisite rapier, crafted in Italy around 1580, exemplifies the Renaissance fusion of lethal functionality and opulent artistry in arms and armor. Measuring nearly 46 inches in length with a 39¾-inch steel blade, it weighs just over 2 pounds, balancing agility for swift thrusts essential to the dueling culture of the era. The hilt incorporates gold, iron, and wood, hinting at luxurious gilding and ergonomic design that elevated such weapons from mere tools of combat to status symbols for nobility and gentlemen. Rapiers like this emerged in the late 16th century as civilian sidearms, dist...