Military Dress Sword Owned by Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben Maker: John Bennett I (British, 1708–1774)

1763

American Decorative Arts

By appointment, Wurtele Study Center

Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben rests his hand upon this London-made sword in the portrait by Ralph Earl on view nearby. Steuben’s will proclaimed: "Sufficient reasons having determined me to exclude my relatives in Europe from any participation in my estate in America, and to adopt my friends and former aides-de-camp, Benjamin Walker and William North as my children. . . . To the said William North I bequeath my silver-hilted sword, and the gold box given me by the city of New York." The sword and box remained in North’s family until 1929 when they they were put up for auction and acquired by the collector, Francis P. Garvan, who then donated them to the Yale University Art Gallery.

Medium

Steel, gilt silver, leather

Dimensions

Sword: 4 1/4 × 3 × 40 1/2 in. (10.8 × 7.6 × 102.9 cm)
Scabbard: 1 5/8 × 1 × 33 1/2 in. (4.1 × 2.5 × 85.1 cm)

Credit Line

Mabel Brady Garvan Collection

Accession Number

1930.1443a-b

Geography

Made in London, England

Culture

British

Period

18th century

Classification

Arms

Disclaimer

Note: This electronic record was created from historic documentation that does not necessarily reflect the Yale University Art Gallery’s complete or current knowledge about the object. Review and updating of records is ongoing.

Provenance
Supposedly presented to Baron von Steuben by Congress in 1784. Bequeathed in 1794 to William North (1755–1836), New York; inherited by his son William Augustus Steuben North (1794–1845) and Margaret Bridge North (1802–1882), New York; inherited by their daughter Mary Catharine North Weston (1822–1882) and Daniel Cony Weston (1815–1903), New York; inherited by thier daughter Mary North Weston Austin (1851–1916) and Francis B. Austin (1847–1927), Summit, N.J.; inherited by their son William Morris Austin (1876–1938), Elizabeth, N.J.; [American Art Association, New York, 30 January 1929, lot 175]; purchased by Francis P. Garvan (1875–1937), New York; donated to Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven, Conn., 1930
Object copyright
No Copyright - United States
Additional information

Object/Work type

armor

Marks

"I B [separated with a pellet] [lion passant] [crowned leopard's head, largely illegible] [Gothic H, largely illegible]" stamped along upper edge of knuckle guard; "IR [or IQ]" under a crown engraved on both sides of the blade

Technical metadata and APIs

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