Hand and a Half Sword
ca. 1510 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This sword, gripped in both hands, was a potent weapon against armour before the development of firearms.
To fully appreciate the sword's meaning to the sixteenth-century gentleman, it is important to understand its double role as both offensive weapon and costume accessory. The art of combat was an essential part of a nobleman's education. Sigund Ringeck, a 15th-century fencing master, claimed knights should 'skilfully wield spear, sword, and dagger in a manly way.' By the 1580s the sword had evolved into an elaborate costume acccessory, although it was still a lethal and often-used weapon for self defence.
The seeds of this development were sown long before and this 'hand-and-a-half' sword for use in foot combat carries an early sign. Held either in one or both hands, and also known as a 'bastard' sword, as its grip was not as long as a traditional two-handed sword, it can be dated to around 1500 based on the decoration of its hilt. The rounded ends of the crossbars (quillons) are quite flimsy while the finely chiselled pommel recalls the swirling lobes that decorated contemporary flagons and candlestick stems. This appearance demonstrates a move away from the relative simplicity of the medieval sword.
No part of a medieval sword was made without both attack and defence in mind. Modern fencing encourages us to see the blade, in fact only the tip of the blade, as the sole attacking element of a sword and the hilt more as control room and protector. Tight rules prevent the sword hand ever straying from the hilt and the spare hand from getting involved at all. The fifteenth-century Fightbook published by the German fencing master, Hans Talhoffer, illustrates a more pragmatic approach as two fashionably dressed men settle their differences using undecorated swords with thick diamond-section blades. The blades could be gripped as well as the hilt. The rounded pommels at the end of the grip and at the ends to the quillons not only balanced the swing of the sword but acted as hammerheads to deliver the 'murder-stroke'. As soon as these elements ceased to be functional they took on the role of adornment. This sword hints at the more decorative hilts produced later in the century.
To fully appreciate the sword's meaning to the sixteenth-century gentleman, it is important to understand its double role as both offensive weapon and costume accessory. The art of combat was an essential part of a nobleman's education. Sigund Ringeck, a 15th-century fencing master, claimed knights should 'skilfully wield spear, sword, and dagger in a manly way.' By the 1580s the sword had evolved into an elaborate costume acccessory, although it was still a lethal and often-used weapon for self defence.
The seeds of this development were sown long before and this 'hand-and-a-half' sword for use in foot combat carries an early sign. Held either in one or both hands, and also known as a 'bastard' sword, as its grip was not as long as a traditional two-handed sword, it can be dated to around 1500 based on the decoration of its hilt. The rounded ends of the crossbars (quillons) are quite flimsy while the finely chiselled pommel recalls the swirling lobes that decorated contemporary flagons and candlestick stems. This appearance demonstrates a move away from the relative simplicity of the medieval sword.
No part of a medieval sword was made without both attack and defence in mind. Modern fencing encourages us to see the blade, in fact only the tip of the blade, as the sole attacking element of a sword and the hilt more as control room and protector. Tight rules prevent the sword hand ever straying from the hilt and the spare hand from getting involved at all. The fifteenth-century Fightbook published by the German fencing master, Hans Talhoffer, illustrates a more pragmatic approach as two fashionably dressed men settle their differences using undecorated swords with thick diamond-section blades. The blades could be gripped as well as the hilt. The rounded pommels at the end of the grip and at the ends to the quillons not only balanced the swing of the sword but acted as hammerheads to deliver the 'murder-stroke'. As soon as these elements ceased to be functional they took on the role of adornment. This sword hints at the more decorative hilts produced later in the century.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Forged and partially blackened steel, chiselled |
| Brief description | Steel, the blade forged and the hilt cut, chiselled and partly blackened, Germany, ca. 1510 |
| Physical description | The hilt of cut and blackened steel, with a pommel decorated with spiral chiselling, and a two stage grip with serpentine guards extending forward into simple guard loops in front of the quillons. The quillons are chiseled and curved with flared ends. The blade is long with a single central fuller extending approx two thirds of the way down the blade, with a stamped mark near the hilt. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions | Maker's mark: a cross on a star (Unidentified) |
| Credit line | Bequeathed by Major Victor Alexander Farquharson |
| Object history | This sword was acquired by the Museum from the Major Victor Farquharson Bequest in 1927. Its provenance before this is unknown. |
| Historical context | The art of combat was an essential part of a nobleman's education. Sigund Ringeck, a 15th-century fencing master, claimed knights should "skilfully wield spear, sword, and dagger in a manly way." This sword, gripped in both hands, was a potent weapon against armour before the development of firearms. To fully appreciate the sword's meaning to the sixteenth-century gentleman, it is important to understand its double role as both offensive weapon and costume accessory. As costume jewellery the decorated sword hilt flowered fully between 1580 and 1620. However, the seeds were sown long before, This 'hand-and-a-half' sword for use in foot combat carries an early sign of this development. Held either in one or both hands, and also known as a 'bastard' sword as its grip was not as long as a traditional two-handed sword, it can be dated to around 1500 based on the decoration of its hilt. The rounded ends of the crossbars (quillons) are quite flimsy while the finely chiselled pommel recalls the swirling lobes that decorated contemporary flagons and candlestick stems. This appearance demonstrates a move away from the relative simplicity of the medieval sword. No part of a medieval sword was made without both attack and defence in mind. Modern fencing encourages us to see the blade,, in fact only the tip of the blade, as the sole attacking element of a sword and the hilt more as control room and protector. Tight rules prevent the sword hand ever straying from the hilt and the spare hand from getting involved at all. The fifteenth-century Fightbook published by the German fencing master, Hans Talhoffer, illustrates a more pragmatic approach as two fashionably dressed men settle their differences using undecorated swords with thick diamond-section blades. The blades could be gripped as well as the hilt. The rounded pommels at the end of the grip and at the ends to the quillons not only balanced the swing of the sword but acted as hammerheads to deliver the 'murder-stroke'. As soon as these elements ceased to be functional they took on the role of adornment. This sword hints at the more decorative hilts produced later in the century. |
| Summary | This sword, gripped in both hands, was a potent weapon against armour before the development of firearms. To fully appreciate the sword's meaning to the sixteenth-century gentleman, it is important to understand its double role as both offensive weapon and costume accessory. The art of combat was an essential part of a nobleman's education. Sigund Ringeck, a 15th-century fencing master, claimed knights should 'skilfully wield spear, sword, and dagger in a manly way.' By the 1580s the sword had evolved into an elaborate costume acccessory, although it was still a lethal and often-used weapon for self defence. The seeds of this development were sown long before and this 'hand-and-a-half' sword for use in foot combat carries an early sign. Held either in one or both hands, and also known as a 'bastard' sword, as its grip was not as long as a traditional two-handed sword, it can be dated to around 1500 based on the decoration of its hilt. The rounded ends of the crossbars (quillons) are quite flimsy while the finely chiselled pommel recalls the swirling lobes that decorated contemporary flagons and candlestick stems. This appearance demonstrates a move away from the relative simplicity of the medieval sword. No part of a medieval sword was made without both attack and defence in mind. Modern fencing encourages us to see the blade, in fact only the tip of the blade, as the sole attacking element of a sword and the hilt more as control room and protector. Tight rules prevent the sword hand ever straying from the hilt and the spare hand from getting involved at all. The fifteenth-century Fightbook published by the German fencing master, Hans Talhoffer, illustrates a more pragmatic approach as two fashionably dressed men settle their differences using undecorated swords with thick diamond-section blades. The blades could be gripped as well as the hilt. The rounded pommels at the end of the grip and at the ends to the quillons not only balanced the swing of the sword but acted as hammerheads to deliver the 'murder-stroke'. As soon as these elements ceased to be functional they took on the role of adornment. This sword hints at the more decorative hilts produced later in the century. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | M.603-1927 |
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| Record created | March 29, 2004 |
| Record URL |
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