Baldric
1640-1669 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Sword belts were essential accessories for gentlemen in the 1600s, to hold their sword or rapier in its scabbard. They were worn over the doublet and at this garment changed in style, so did the sword belt. This style, also known as a baldric, came into fashion in the late 1630s. Instead of fastening around the waist as earlier sword belts did, it was worn over the shoulder and across the chest and back, holding a ‘hanger’ for the scabbard and sword at the left hip. This new style of sword belt or baldric was wider, allowing more space for decorative embroidery, often in silver or silver-gilt embroidery.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 4 parts. (Some alternative part names are also shown below)
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| Materials and techniques | Leather, silk, silver, gold, metal; hand-embroidered, hand-sewn |
| Brief description | Man's baldric, in four pieces, 1640-1669, English; Gold and silver embroidery on brown chamois |
| Physical description | Man’s baldric in four pieces, made of brown chamois, interlined with leather and lined with cream watered silk. It is embroidered in scrolling stems, leaves and flowers, with fully and partially wrapped silver-gilt and silver filé, in raised and flat laid work and couching .The edges are outlined with couched silver filé cord. A large square metal buckle and strap guard fasten the front straps. |
| Dimensions |
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| Summary | Sword belts were essential accessories for gentlemen in the 1600s, to hold their sword or rapier in its scabbard. They were worn over the doublet and at this garment changed in style, so did the sword belt. This style, also known as a baldric, came into fashion in the late 1630s. Instead of fastening around the waist as earlier sword belts did, it was worn over the shoulder and across the chest and back, holding a ‘hanger’ for the scabbard and sword at the left hip. This new style of sword belt or baldric was wider, allowing more space for decorative embroidery, often in silver or silver-gilt embroidery. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.408 to C-1970 |
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| Record created | June 24, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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