Cleveland Museum of Art

Parrying Dagger

Date

c. 1580–1610

Medium

steel, copper wire

Culture

Italy, late 16th - early 17th Century

Department

Medieval Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

The perforations within the blade were meant to provide elasticity, preventing it from snapping during vigorous parries. The serrations were arranged not for producing an unpleasant wound, but to "catch" the adversary's blade.

The authoritative record is held by Cleveland Museum of Art. LinkedCulture surfaces this object and its connections; it does not alter institutional metadata.