On the silver hilt of this sword small monsters merge in an unusual and amusing way with kwab motifs. Michiel Esselbeek came from Augsburg, an important centre of silversmithing in Germany. In Amsterdam he combined elements from Lutma’s style with his own inventions. Ornamental swords of this kind were probably worn by guardsmen on festive occasions.
c. 1650
Founding
10.5 cm
BK-1964-4
Image and text courtesy of Rijksmuseum, 2019
Where you'll find this
Rijksmuseum
Permanent collection