Ames Manufacturing Co. Presentation Sword, Inscribed "Presented by the People of the State of Louisiana to Gen. Winfield Scott"
date: label: date made
content: ca 1848
name: label: recipient
content: Scott, Winfield
label: maker
content: Ames Manufacturing Company
notes: label: Description
content: Sword: The blade of this sword is long, straight, and double-edged. The fuller is narrow and deep, and runs almost to the tip of the sword. The blade is decorated in floral sprays and scroll designs in gold chasing on both sides. In addition to these adornments, there is an eagle and a canon on the obverse, and bells and a liberty hat on the reverse. The grip is octagonal. The faces alternate between a gold plate with a sunburst design (reverse) or scroll design (obverse), and a plate made with mother of pearl which features nine rounded gold bolts, (there are four gold plates and four mother of pearl plates). The pommel consists of a cast of an eagle. The knuckleguard is a gold chain that extends from an eyelet attached to the pommel to an eyelet attached to a quillon. The quillons are triangular and each bear two scrolls that extend from the ricasso to the tip of the quillon. There is a large yellow topaz in the center of the ricasso. The langet features an eagle eating a snake on a plain medallion that has scroll designs on its top corners. The sword knot is gold and the bottom is shaped like an acorn. The mother of pearl on the grip is chipped and loose.
label: Description
content: Scabbard: The scabbard has two gold mounts and a drag. The top mount bears an eagle with its wings spread in the center surrounded on all sides by a complex palm spray. The second mount is similar, but the eagle is seen feeding its young. The drag bears an oak spray. Between the first and second mount there is an inscription to the sword's recipient, Gen. Winfield Scott. Between the second mount and the drag there is an ornate engraving of military trophies and scroll and floral designs. There are three carrying rings on the scabbard, one on each side of the top mount, and one on the right side of the second mount. The scabbard is heavily tarnished, and the piece on the opening is completely detached and easily falls off.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Massachusetts, Chicopee
label: given by; given in
content: United States: Louisiana
label: referenced
content: Mexico: Veracruz
label: referenced
content: United States: New Mexico, Mexico City
topic: label: Subject
content: Edged Weapons
label: related event
content: Mexican War
setName: label: See more items in
content: Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Military
label: See more items in
content: Military
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Virginia Scott Hoyt
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: AF.41635
label: catalog number
content: 41635
label: accession number
content: 152161
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Sword
label: Object Name
content: sword
label: Other Terms
content: Sword; Edged Weapons; Presentation
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: metal; gilt (scabbard material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal (blade material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal; mother of pearl (grip material)
label: Measurements
content: blade: 31 in x 1 1/8 in; 78.74 cm x 2.8575 cm
label: Measurements
content: scabbard: 32 in x 2 7/8 in; 81.28 cm x 7.3025 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 37 3/4 in x 5 1/8 in; 95.885 cm x 13.0175 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall, scabbard: 5/8 in x 2 7/8 in x 32 in; 1.5875 cm x 7.3025 cm x 81.28 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall, sword knot: 1 1/4 in x 19 1/4 in x 1 1/8 in; 3.175 cm x 48.895 cm x 2.8575 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall, sword: 1 1/4 in x 5 in x 37 3/4 in; 3.175 cm x 12.7 cm x 95.885 cm