Design for a Smallsword Hilt

Unknown

ca. 1780 · Pen, ink, colored wash, chalk, paper · Arms and Armor

This rare drawing gives us a glimpse of how an elegant sword hilt was custom designed for an individual client. On the left, the proposed hilt is seen in profile; on the right, its shell guard is shown from above. The notation on the lower right says: "The border and its design appear a little weak to me, but pay no heed to my opinion if it is not to your taste." The grammatically incorrect nature of the French indicates that the writer was someone with little formal education, perhaps the craftsman who was making the hilt or the merchant selling it.

Artist

Unknown

Date

ca. 1780

Medium

Pen, ink, colored wash, chalk, paper

Culture

French

Department

Arms and Armor

Credit line

Gift of John Blair, in memory of his father, Claude Blair, 2011