In the early 16th century, dueling became widespread in France and later in other European countries. The tradition remained extremely popular for over three centuries. Duels resulted in numerous deaths. For example, during the several decades of the reign of Henry IV, King of France, around ten thousand people, mostly noblemen, were killed in duels. During that time, the weapons used for dueling were smallswords.
A smallsword is a bladed thrust or cut-and-thrust weapon with a narrow straight double-edged, single-edged, or faceted blade and a complicated guard design. The average length of the blade was one meter, but there were also longer swords.
There were different types of a blade cross-section: hexagonal, triangular, lenticular, diamond, and hollow ground. As a rule, a smallsword weighed about one and a half kilograms. The blade could have fullers or stiffening ribs. It ended with a hilt that featured a grip with a loop and a guard. Smallsword guards were often quite elegant. They were intended to protect the owner’s hand and sometimes to capture the enemy’s blade.
A smallsword was somewhat lighter than a regular sword. It had a narrow and flexible blade which was designed for thrusting rather than cutting. As time went by, smallswords became lighter and were used exclusively for thrusting. Many of the later smallswords even lacked a cutting edge or had one that was not sharpened.
The displayed smallsword entered the collection the year when the museum was founded. It was donated by a resident of Troitskosavsk on December 16, 1890. The smallsword is an example of a decorated weapon of the 18th–19th centuries. The blade is narrow, long, and straight. Both flat sides of the blade feature a floral pattern closer to the guard, as well as engraved inscriptions in Russian and Latin.
The blade is made of
metal, gilded, and two-edged. The grip is made of bronze and decorated with
overlay braid-like plaiting. The guard has a complicated design. It features a
shell, a crossbar, and a loop. The pommel and the guard are also decorated with
a floral pattern, while the shell is shaped like petals.
