DISCOVERART

Hilt: Portuguese or Spanish; blade: probably German

Dress Sword

1743
Gold-Copper alloy, steel, and gilding

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● On view now — Gallery 239

Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · verified July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Cast in solid gold, the hilt of this dress sword is a rare survival. More often such extravagant pieces were melted down for the value of the precious material. The goldsmith who made it is unknown, though the heavy florid style and form of the guard suggests a southern European, perhaps Portuguese origin.

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