Cuttoe
Label Text
Ulysses Grant donated this sword and another to Mount Vernon during his presidency. Unfortunately, how he obtained them is unknown. Based on the inscriptions found on both swords, a John Clark appears to have originally owned them, but nothing further is known of his biography.
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Date1770-1780
Geography
Made -
United States
Medium/TechniqueC: Bone, silver, steel D: Leather, silver
DimensionsOverall (sword): 1 1/2 in. x 30 in. x 3 in. (3.81 cm x 76.2 cm x 7.62 cm)
Credit LineGift of Ulysses S. Grant, 1873
Object numberH-758/C-D
DescriptionCuttoe with engraved and chased four-slot counterguard, having a serrated outer edge and a smooth inner edge. Bone grip retains traces of a light green stain and is spiral carved with imitative crimped tape bands. A fluted silver ferrule secures the grip’s bottom end. The fluted bone pommel is a separate piece of bone, and is topped with a small silver capstan incorporating a loop for a knuckle chain. Heavy, double-fullered curved blade with etched decoration and unusually long false edge.Knuckle chain and rear portion of counterguard are missing. There are old soldered repairs to the counterguard.
Published ReferencesCarol Borchert Cadou, The George Washington Collection: Fine and Decorative Arts at Mount Vernon (New York: Hudson Hills Press, 2006), 16, Fig.5.
MarkingsSword is etched in script on each side of the blade: “Constantonoplis,” along with other decorative devices like the “man in the moon.”
Scabbard is engraved with a cipher on upper silver mount: "JC".
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