Smallsword
Unknown Artist
ca. 1600
Medium
Steel, gold
Dimensions
L. 45 1/8 in. (114.6 cm); L. of blade 39 7/8 in. (101.3 cm); W. 6 in. (15.2 cm); D. 2 1/8 in. (5.4 cm); Wt. 2 lb. 3 oz. (992.2 g)
Classification
Swords
Culture
Italian, Venice
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William H. Riggs, 1913
Accession Number
14.25.1114
Art Historical Context
Step into the world of Renaissance Venice with this stunning smallsword, crafted around 1600. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Arms and Armor Department, this elegant weapon measures an impressive 45 18 inches in length, with a blade spanning nearly 40 inches. Made of finely worked steel and adorned with gold, it exemplifies Venetian mastery of metalworking during a golden age of trade, artistry, and innovation. Smallswords like this one marked a shift from heavier medieval blades toward lighter, more refined thrusting weapons, ideal for personal defense and dueling among the nobili...