Pommel of a Sword

Culture European

Dateabout 1500–1550

Mediumiron

Dimensions5.4 × 4.8 cm (2 1/8 × 1 7/8 in.), 10 oz (weight)

ClassificationsArms and Armor

Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection

Terms

Object number2014.417

DescriptionIron, heavy. Rather rhomboidal in outline, flattened at ends, & hexagonal in section. Faces are carved & filed deeply as 6 rounded, roped ribs tapering to ends & divided by raised, undulated ribs. There is no base. Axially pierced with an irregularly circular hole for tang.
Label TextThe pommel is a characteristic feature of European swords. It serves to balance the weight of the blade, making the weapon easier to control. Almost every sword blade has a long, narrow projection called the tang, to which the grip is secured. Once the grip was in place, the pommel was slipped over the projecting end of the tang, and the stub of the tang was hammered down to secure the assembled weapon. Early pommels tended to have simple geometrical shapes, but by the end of the Middle Ages they were being carved into elaborate forms. The style of pommel is often crucial to dating a sword, but many surviving examples have had their pommels replaced at some point, making the task a considerable challenge.ProvenancePurchased by John W. Higgins on September 28, 1929 from estate of Dr. Bashford Dean (Riverdale, New York), his # 68. Given to the Museum July 1, 1954. Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.

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