Hunting Saw
ca. 1600 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This is a saw used for cutting up animals killed during a hunt. The saw was probably originally part of a set carried in a trousse, a multi-socketed sheath worn on a belt. The set might contain a variety of tools. Hunting saws cut bone. Wide-bladed knives with pointed ends removed flesh. Delicate knives cut small pieces of meat which were served on a flat knife called a presentoir.
Saws were among the many creations of cutlers, who also made table cutlery, pocket and pen knives, scriveners’ knives, hunting tools, scissors, razors, nutcrackers, swords and even surgical instruments. During the 16th century, knives and saws had a variety of uses. Surgical sets also contained saws in this form, used for amputations.
Large game hunts were rule-bound and ritualised. The elaborate decoration on hunting weapons gives an indication of how important they were to elite society. Large estates maintained stocks of game to feed their households. Stag and wild boar were revered for their strength. Hunting them was both a means to an end and a symbolic ceremony. Accompanied by music and feasting, hunts were social occasions celebrated in purpose-built lodges. The rituals of the hunt reinforced the hierarchy. Attendants carried out specialised tasks from the maintenance of dogs to the carving of meat. Attendants dissected the kill with precision and served small pieces of raw meat to distinguished guests.
Saws were among the many creations of cutlers, who also made table cutlery, pocket and pen knives, scriveners’ knives, hunting tools, scissors, razors, nutcrackers, swords and even surgical instruments. During the 16th century, knives and saws had a variety of uses. Surgical sets also contained saws in this form, used for amputations.
Large game hunts were rule-bound and ritualised. The elaborate decoration on hunting weapons gives an indication of how important they were to elite society. Large estates maintained stocks of game to feed their households. Stag and wild boar were revered for their strength. Hunting them was both a means to an end and a symbolic ceremony. Accompanied by music and feasting, hunts were social occasions celebrated in purpose-built lodges. The rituals of the hunt reinforced the hierarchy. Attendants carried out specialised tasks from the maintenance of dogs to the carving of meat. Attendants dissected the kill with precision and served small pieces of raw meat to distinguished guests.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Steel, mother-of-pearl |
| Brief description | Hunting saw, chiselled steel mounted with mother-of-pearl, the pommel in the form of an eagle's head, Italy, ca. 1600 |
| Physical description | Steel hunting saw with chiselled steel mounts, the hilt mounted with mother-of-pearl, pommel in the form of an eagle's head. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | This is a saw used for cutting up animals killed during a hunt. Saws were among the many creations of cutlers who also made table cutlery, pocket and pen knives, scriveners’ knives, hunting tools, scissors, razors, nutcrackers, swords and even surgical instruments. The Museum bought the saw in 1856 for £1. 8s. Its provenance before this is unknown. |
| Historical context | During the 16th century, knives and saws had a variety of uses. Hunting sets, for example, might contain a carving knife, a flesh knife and a saw such as this for cutting bone. Surgical sets also contained saws in this form, used for amputations. Large game hunts were rule-bound and ritualised. The elaborate decoration on hunting weapons gives an indication of how important they were to elite society. Large estates maintained stocks of game to feed their households. Stag and wild boar were revered for their strength. Hunting them was both a means to an end and a symbolic ceremony. Accompanied by music and feasting, hunts were social occasions celebrated in purpose-built lodges. The rituals of the hunt reinforced the hierarchy. Attendants carried out specialised tasks from the maintenance of dogs to the carving of meat. Attendants dissected the kill with precision and served small pieces of raw meat to distinguished guests. A hunting trousse, a multi-socketed sheath worn on a belt, contained a variety of tools. Hunting saws cut bone. Wide-bladed knives with pointed ends removed flesh. Delicate knives cut small pieces of meat which were served on a flat knife called a presentoir. Hunting weapons lived on when their warlike counterparts had been superseded. |
| Subject depicted | |
| Summary | This is a saw used for cutting up animals killed during a hunt. The saw was probably originally part of a set carried in a trousse, a multi-socketed sheath worn on a belt. The set might contain a variety of tools. Hunting saws cut bone. Wide-bladed knives with pointed ends removed flesh. Delicate knives cut small pieces of meat which were served on a flat knife called a presentoir. Saws were among the many creations of cutlers, who also made table cutlery, pocket and pen knives, scriveners’ knives, hunting tools, scissors, razors, nutcrackers, swords and even surgical instruments. During the 16th century, knives and saws had a variety of uses. Surgical sets also contained saws in this form, used for amputations. Large game hunts were rule-bound and ritualised. The elaborate decoration on hunting weapons gives an indication of how important they were to elite society. Large estates maintained stocks of game to feed their households. Stag and wild boar were revered for their strength. Hunting them was both a means to an end and a symbolic ceremony. Accompanied by music and feasting, hunts were social occasions celebrated in purpose-built lodges. The rituals of the hunt reinforced the hierarchy. Attendants carried out specialised tasks from the maintenance of dogs to the carving of meat. Attendants dissected the kill with precision and served small pieces of raw meat to distinguished guests. |
| Bibliographic reference | Blackmore, Howard L., Hunting Weapons, Barrie and Jenkins Ltd, London 1971 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 2402-1856 |
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| Record created | July 4, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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