Smallsword and Scabbard
c. 1785
Medium
Steel, two gold alloys, gilding, brass, parchment, and wood
Dimensions
101 × 10.2 cm (39 3/4 × 4 in.)
Classification
edged weapon-sword
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
222941
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
In the late 18th century brilliant-cut steel beads became highly fashionable. The style, which may have originated in England, quickly spread to the French and Russian courts. These beads were set into walking sticks, buckles, buttons, and hilts like this fine example made by Thomas Prosser, an eminent cutler in Bloomsbury, London. The decorations added a bedazzling effect as flickering candlelight reflected off the hilt in dimly lit rooms. Caricatures from the period lampoon this flashy style ...