Court sword, c.1790 (steel & silver with gilding)

The hilt of this sword is finely finished with cut or faceted steel which is burnished to resemble cut stones. The neo-classical urn shape of the pommel was especially fashionable in England after 1780 up to the turn of the century. The upper portion of this blade is blued and gilded to provide a feel of great luxury. By the end of the 18th century, civilians no longer regularly wore swords nor used them as weapons. The court sword (or 'small' sword as it was known in England) had become a piece of costume jewelry to be worn only with court dress or by military officers in dress uniform. The hilt and often the upper part of the blade became lavishly decorated as is illustrated by this example.