Saxon & Medieval — Late Medieval; early- mid 15th century
Two-handed sword
Long swords, designed to be held using both hands, first became fashionable in the early 1400s. In 1510 King Henry VIII himself fought in a tournament with a two-handed sword. This one was found in the Thames near Kew, and probably dates from around 1450. It is similar to one, now in the Royal Armouries, found with other weapons in the river Dordogne in France, close to the site of the Battle of Castillon of 1453. In this, the last great battle of the Hundred Years' War, the English army was heavily defeated by the French - it is possible that captured English weapons were thrown into the Dordogne.
- Category:
- Saxon & Medieval
- Object ID:
- 39.142
- Object name:
- Two-handed sword
- Object type:
- Artist/Maker:
- —
- Related people:
- Related events:
- Related places:
- Production date:
- Late Medieval; early- mid 15th century
- Material:
iron
- Measurements/duration:
- L (overall) 1360 mm, L (blade) 1020 mm, (hilt) 225 mm, W (guard) 340 mm, W (forte) 54 mm, WT 2100 g (overall)
- Part of:
- —
- On display:
- —
- Record quality:
- 100%
- Part of this object:
- —
- Owner Status & Credit:
Permanent collection
- Copyright holder:
digital image © London Museum
- Image credit:
- —
- Creative commons usage:
- —
- License this image:
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