Artwork preview

Design for a Sword Hilt

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The drawing depicts a sword hilt design. The hilt has a long, narrow, tapered center section with a pointed top. The top of the hilt features a crowned head with two additional faces on either side, all three facing forward. The handle of the hilt has engravings. The crossguard has decorative engravings and features a horse head on the left and a human head on the right. The center of the crossguard has a decorative design with curved lines and floral patterns. The background of the image is a light beige color. The artist of this design is Albrecht Dürer. The title of this piece is "Design for a Sword Hilt".

Artwork details

Date:
ca.1550
Medium:
Pen, ink, wash, paper
Culture:
German, probably Nuremberg
Dimensions:
600 × 487 px
Museum record:
View original
Palette