Cutlass
Cultureblade
Spanish
, Toledo
Dateblade dated 1804; hilt about 1810
Mediumsteel, iron and gilt brass with bone or ivory
Dimensions3.5 × 89 × 13 cm (1 3/8 × 35 1/16 × 5 1/8 in.), 2 lb, 3 oz (weight)
ClassificationsArms and Armor
Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection
Object number2014.97
DescriptionSteel. Gently curving single edge flattened hexagonal section blade. Stout ricasso, pipe back to false edge near spear point. Deep, narrow fuller at back edge on both faces. Obverse face marked with "*(crown)/R[EA]L F[ERRERI]A DE TOLEDO.*" & reverse "*AÑO.1804*". Hilt consists of curved flat knuckle guard to basal end of which is riveted gilded brass straight rear quillion with thick curved terminal. Pair of shield-shaped langets over blade (one piece with the rear quillon), chiseled with acanthus leaves. Checkered ivory or bone grip swollen at mid-height tapering to gilded brass eagle's head pommel plumage carries down backstrap. At base of grip is plain bronze ferrule band. Damage to the ivory grip near the pommel has obliterated decoration in that area.Label TextThis sword presents a curious appearance, with its highly ornate grip and crudely fashioned knuckleguard apparently at odds with each other, and the American-style eagle's head contrasting with the Spanish blade. Mismatched parts are often a clue that a sword may be a modern assemblage of unrelated components, but in this case the extreme contrast, combined with the date, suggests a different explanation: this sword may have been assembled from scavenged parts during the War of 1812, when the British blockade restricted American access to European sword manufacturers.ProvenanceProvenance unknown. Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.
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