Presentation Sword, Inscribed "Major General E.W. Ripley U.S. Army"
date: label: date made
content: ca 1812
name: label: recipient
content: Ripley, Eleazar W.
label: maker
content: Targee, John
notes: label: Description
content: Sword: The blade of this presentation sword is long, straight, and single edged. The fuller is shallow and broad, and extends almost to the tip of the blade. Both sides are decorated in silver chasing. The obverse features an eagle holding an "E PLURIBUS / UNUM" banner surrounded by stars, flanked by floral sprays. The reverse is similar, but instead of an eagle there is a cluster of military trophies. The grip of the sword is four sided and fat. There is a row of gold flowers along the edges and a floral design on the obverse and the reverse. The pommel is a casting of an eagle's head. The knuckleguard is a flat strip of gold metal with floral designs cast on both sides and a medallion with and eagle on the obverse. The knuckleguard terminates in a quillon in the shape of a ram's head. The counterguard features a figure of a man (possibly Hercules?) fighting a lion.
label: Description
content: Scabbard: The scabbard bears one mount. On the mount there is an inscription with Ripley's name on it, surrounded by floral designs. The rest of the obverse of the scabbard is covered in engravings of various scenes, like a battle with the cavalry, a large waterfall (Niagara Falls, perhaps?), and an eagle. The reverse features another inscription to Ripley. There are no carrying rings on this scabbard, but there are two long metal hooks, (which presumably serve the same purpose), at the very top of the piece near the throat.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: Place Made
content: United States: New York, New York
label: presented by
content: United States: New York
topic: label: Subject
content: Edged Weapons
label: related event
content: War of 1812
setName: label: See more items in
content: Military and Society: Armed Forces History, Military
label: See more items in
content: Military
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: AF.16091
label: catalog number
content: 16091
label: accession number
content: 13152
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 (blade material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal; brass (hilt material)
label: Physical Description
content: metal; gilt (scabbard material)
label: Measurements
content: blade: 30 7/8 in x 1 in; 78.4225 cm x 2.54 cm
label: Measurements
content: scabbard: 32 7/8 in x 1 7/8 in; 83.5025 cm x 4.7625 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 36 1/8 in x 4 3/4 in; 91.7575 cm x 12.065 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall, sword: 2 in x 4 5/8 in x 35 5/8 in; 5.08 cm x 11.7475 cm x 90.4875 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall, scabbard: 5/8 in x 1 3/4 in x 32 1/8 in; 1.5875 cm x 4.445 cm x 81.5975 cm