Schiavona Broadsword
Unknown Artist
early 1700s
Medium
steel, leather, wood, brass
Dimensions
l. 109.9 cm · blade: l. 94 cm
Classification
Arms and Armor
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance
Accession Number
1916.693
About this artwork
The schiavona-type broadsword features a complex barred guard that slopes forward. Its name derives from the Italian word for "Slavonic" and refers to the Slavonian corps who served as bodyguards to the Doge of Venice until the end of the Venetian Republic in 1797. Such swords were popular mainly with Venetians.