8 BULLETIN 1G3, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



period to which the particular weapon belongs only within certain 

 limits, because most of the important makers of American swords 

 worked through a long period of time. 



The pommel offers an excellent base for an eagle-head design, and 

 this formed the distinctive feature of the American military and 

 naval swords of the early part of the nineteenth century. The Na- 

 tional Museum collection contains two swords of this design that 

 were made during the period of the Revolution. These two speci- 

 mens are exceptional, however, and the remaining swords of this 

 design in the national collection belong to a much later period. 



The second portion of the early American sword to bear distinc- 

 tive designs is the shield attached to the obverse side of the blade 

 at the quillons. In some cases this shield bears designs of a mytho- 

 logical character relating to the art of war ; in others it is decorated 

 with a female figure representing America, surrounded by various 

 emblems connected with the American arms ; and finally these shields 

 bear the arms of the United States in a stereotyped form. 



The designs on the blades of the early American swords are of 

 special interest because they indicate in many cases the fact that 

 while the hilts are of American desjgn and manufacture the blades 

 at least were produced in Europe. A regular progression in this 

 connection may be noted in the designs on the blades of the militia 

 officers' sabers of the early part of the nineteenth century, a very fine 

 series of which is included in the National Museum collection. Many 

 of these blades bear small floral and trophy designs of typical 

 French or German origin; others have similar designs with the 

 American shield as a centerpiece ; and still others bear the complete 

 arms of the United States in ornate style. These three types of 

 blade are all contemporary with the use of the eagle's head on the 

 pommel. 



The various designs already described possess a considerable de- 

 gree of originality and art interest as the work of individual crafts- 

 men. They are typical of the second period of the history of the 

 American sword, from 1800 to 1830. With the beginning of the third 

 period the designs on the blades of the American swords assume a 

 more stereotyped character and consequently lack much of the art 

 interest attached to the blades of the former period. There are, of 

 course, exceptions to this general rule, and the national collection 

 contains many individual swords made between 1830 and 1920 the 

 blades of which are interesting from the viewpoint of art. 



The United States has never developed a complete series of military 

 and naval swords truly national in design and manufacture. With 

 some notable exceptions both the military and naval swords of the 

 United States have been copied from European models. This fact 

 will be clearly indicated by the comparison of the United States 



