Not currently on display at the V&A

Sword Belt

1640-1660 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Man’s sword belt of yellow leather, interlined with paper and lined with cream silk taffeta. The girdle, front strap and hangers are all stitched together; the girdle has a gilt-brass buckle and a hook of the same to fasten. The leather is couched and embroidered in plaited braid stitch with silver-gilt filé in a pattern of scallops, lozenges and intertwined ovals. All parts are edged with a ⅜-inch (8 mm) fringe of silver-gilt filé loops.

There was probably a metal loop at the belt end opposite the hook originally, which has not survived.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Leather, silk, paper, gold, brass, silver; hand-woven, hand-embroidered, hand-sewn
Brief description
Man's leather sword belt, 1640-50, English; silver-gilt embroidery
Physical description
Man’s sword belt of yellow leather, interlined with paper and lined with cream silk taffeta. The girdle, front strap and hangers are all stitched together; the girdle has a gilt-brass buckle and a hook of the same to fasten. The leather is couched and embroidered in plaited braid stitch with silver-gilt filé in a pattern of scallops, lozenges and intertwined ovals. All parts are edged with a ⅜-inch (8 mm) fringe of silver-gilt filé loops.

There was probably a metal loop at the belt end opposite the hook originally, which has not survived.
Dimensions
  • Overall length: 111.5cm (approx)
  • Width: 2.5in
  • Girdle width: 6.5cm (approx)
Collection
Accession number
T.92-1959

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
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