Rapier of Emperor Charles V (1500–1558)

Francesco Negroli

ca. 1550–53 · Steel, gold, silver, wood · Arms and Armor

This rapier, from the workshop of the famous Milanese armorer Francesco Negroli, belonged to Emperor Charles V, whose troops laid siege to Florence in 1529–30. Rapiers were the principal civilian sidearm throughout the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Designed for cut-and-thrust techniques, a rapier typically has a double-edged blade with an acute point and an elaborate guard for the hand. The guards, usually of iron or steel, were subject to a variety of embellishment. They were engraved, chiseled, gilded, damascened, and encrusted in gold and silver in keeping with fashionable styles.

Artist

Francesco Negroli

Date

ca. 1550–53

Medium

Steel, gold, silver, wood

Culture

Italian, Milan

Department

Arms and Armor

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1904