Old Swords

balisong084 · Jul 24, 2006

Just got back from my vacation in chicago a few days ago. I had lots of fun and while I was visiting the Art Museum Of Chicago I saw these and snapped some pics. There all from differant years during the middle ages and some even older, some a little newer. Anyways here they are, and I hope you like them.

Machete(sp) like sword

Bunch of old swords

Some more swords

Carved handle of a really cool looking sword, unfortunantly i foget to get a shot of the whole sword

Gold, Ivory, Jewel, and engraved

Ive got some more of some older axes, and spears but i figured they didnt belong here, if you wanna see em though, then just let me know.

tedwca · Jul 25, 2006

Cool, thanks. I'd like to see the axes. If you can send me an email that'd be nice.

Thanks

not2sharp · Jul 25, 2006

An interesting collection of weapons. Thanks for sharing those photos. It is hard to tell from these; but, I am left with the impression that many of them are either later reproductions, or have been heavily restored. That Islamic sword at the end looks like a late 19th, early 20th century (high end) tourist item. Do you recall any of the museum discriptions?

n2s

balisong084 · Jul 25, 2006

not2sharp said:
An interesting collection of weapons. Thanks for sharing those photos. It is hard to tell from these; but, I am left with the impression that many of them are either later reproductions, or have been heavily restored. That Islamic sword at the end looks like a late 19th, early 20th century (high end) tourist item. Do you recall any of the museum discriptions?

n2s

I dont remember the exact descriptions but all are originals, none of them are reproductions. It didn't say anything about them restoring them, but I must assume since its an art museum that they are definantly restored(along w/ most of there very old paintings). Some were as old as the 16th century and some were as new as the 20th century. There was just a vast array of differant ones. They also had descriptions of them and what they were used for, etc., etc., but I dont recall exactly what they said. I wish I would have took pics of the words for you guys. sorry.

balisong084 · Jul 25, 2006

tedwca said:
Cool, thanks. I'd like to see the axes. If you can send me an email that'd be nice.

Thanks

Cant figure out how to send pics via email through bladeforums. Give me your email address and ill be more than happy to send you some pics. Or email me at dedhed46290@yahoo.com

FullerH · Jul 25, 2006

That first one looks to be a 17th or 18th Century hunting suite or a replica thereof.

WeaselBites · Jul 25, 2006

FullerH said:
That first one looks to be a 17th or 18th Century hunting suite or a replica thereof.

I didn't know they used these big falchions for hunting swords. I was wondering about the two other blades in the scabbard.

Watchful · Jul 25, 2006

If my local memory serves, these are all real weapons, although certainly there would be substantial renovation and repairs to many of them.

The collection used to be private, and then went into a small, Loop-area museum for many years. In the early 1970s, the museum either went bankrupt, or the owner died, or something, and then bequeathed the entire collection of arms and armor to the Art Institute of Chicago.

The AIC immediately promoted the heck out of it, which is what the original owner never did, and generated intense interest for all the arms and armor. It's still a big part of anybody's visit.

It's a much larger exhibit than these photographs can reveal, as I'm sure Balisong084 can attest. I haven't been to it myself since probably 1995.

Edited to add: here's the page for the exhibit.
Worth a visit if you're in town, and I think they're still free on Wednesdays!

not2sharp · Jul 25, 2006

WeaselBites said:
I didn't know they used these big falchions for hunting swords. I was wondering about the two other blades in the scabbard.

This is a similar set from the Glasglow Museum.

The original caption reads:

Hunting Trousse, Saxon, circa 1630.
n2s

balisong084 · Jul 25, 2006

Watchful said:
It's a much larger exhibit than these photographs can reveal, as I'm sure Balisong084 can attest. I haven't been to it myself since probably 1995.

Edited to add: here's the page for the exhibit.
Worth a visit if you're in town, and I think they're still free on Wednesdays!

The collection is huge man, I wanted to take a lot more pictures, but I didn't have that much memory on my camera left and didn't wanna erase any pictures. Definantly worth checking out. Lots of armor, canon replicas, and other interesting knife and weapon related items.

Its not wednsday anymore. But if you go on Thurs. or Fri. after 5:00 its free.

Triton · Jul 25, 2006

I concur with Hugh about the first ones being a hunting set. I think the "falchion thingie" was used more to deliver the coup de grace or dress the game then anything else.

Certainly a very eclectic collection. From left to right in the second picture let's see...

1) A (huntsman's?) axe of a form I'm not familiar with. Have to look it up when I get home.
2, 3) Look to be probably 15th century single hand swords would appear to be Oakeshott type XVIII
4) Hand and a half type XVIIIa also 15th century maybe
5) Not sure what the heck that is, looks middle eastern or eastern european maybe???
6) Nice looking complex hilt cut and thrust
7) A boar sword this one was actually used in hunting
8) Looks to be an estoc although one with antenna is a new one on me.

In the second picture

1, 2, 3, 4) Various complex hilted rapiers
5) A cut and thrust sword with complex hilt
6) Baskethilt broadsword pinch of snuff? pattern? Never can keep them straight
7) Dalmation Schiavona
8, 9, 10, 11) Cup hilt rapier and sail guard main gauches, often used by the portoguese or spanish

I have no idea if they are reproductions are not.

Wonder how I did... would love to see the captions to see how on I am. Thanks for posting the pics!

FullerH · Jul 25, 2006

The "falchion thingie" would also do one Hell of a job on disjointing a largish beast such as a stag or a boar. These things came into use after firearms got reliable enough that the need for a huntsman's sword for protection was somewhat less. Besides, they were generally used in hunting parties and not by individual hunters.

Triton, that axe looks very much like some of the ceremonial axes that I have seen. These were carried by the forester guildsmen, etc. They might even have been carried by village officials. Their area of use was in Eastern Europe, Poland, Prussia, the Baltic states, etc.

the possum · Jul 25, 2006

Thanks for posting these! I'll have to get up there one of these days.

Triton said:
8) Looks to be an estoc although one with antenna is a new one on me.

I was wondering about that myself. Think it was used as a rest for a heavy arquebus or matchlock or something? I know Bernard Levine would not approve of making assumptions like this...

Triton · Jul 26, 2006

FullerH said:
The "falchion thingie" would also do one Hell of a job on disjointing a largish beast such as a stag or a boar. These things came into use after firearms got reliable enough that the need for a huntsman's sword for protection was somewhat less. Besides, they were generally used in hunting parties and not by individual hunters.

Triton, that axe looks very much like some of the ceremonial axes that I have seen. These were carried by the forester guildsmen, etc. They might even have been carried by village officials. Their area of use was in Eastern Europe, Poland, Prussia, the Baltic states, etc.

Makes sense to me Hugh, that things to teensy to be of much use as an actual weapon I would think.

Triton · Jul 26, 2006

the possum said:
Thanks for posting these! I'll have to get up there one of these days.

I was wondering about that myself. Think it was used as a rest for a heavy arquebus or matchlock or something? I know Bernard Levine would not approve of making assumptions like this...

Hmm now there is an intersting theory. You are right Bernard would be treating us to a rousing reendition of the "would have, could have, should have" theory right at the moment but still it certainly at least seems plausible...

M. Taylor · Jul 26, 2006

In case anyone's interested, there's a nice write-up at myArmoury.com .

Merek · Jul 26, 2006

Zoomed in, the 'antenna' sword in question has a thick triangular or diamond cross section.
The one that intrigues me is the spike-tipped thing just right of center of photo 2. The odd axe-like thing closely resembles a strange sword I saw in Braunfels Castle in Germany.

darkestthicket · Jul 27, 2006

That shamshir is hella nice.

darkestthicket · Jul 30, 2006

Merek said:
Zoomed in, the 'antenna' sword in question has a thick triangular or diamond cross section.
The one that intrigues me is the spike-tipped thing just right of center of photo 2. The odd axe-like thing closely resembles a strange sword I saw in Braunfels Castle in Germany.

that is an odd looking (and beautiful) sword, if the blade were a steel or wooden pole, it would look just like a polearm/poleaxe. interesting design.

reveler · Aug 4, 2006

i love that schiavona. i was there in 2003 and i don't recall seeing it there though.