Hopefully, you enjoyed this exhibit. This exhibit strove to tell a narrative on how power and prestige were reflected through the various types of swords during the Middle Ages. The objects in the exhibit depict how swords were used as a weapon of the common soldier, a ceremonial gift to illustrate chivalric virtue, social status and religious devotion, and an example of cross-cultural interactions. From the multi-purposeful nature, it is not a stretch to see the sword held by a common soldier, a worthy or a devoted knight. Whether it is being used to defeat one’s enemies or as a presentation of honor and virtue, the sword is a symbol of power and prestige.
In fact, the fascination with the sword as a prominent symbol is not contained to the Middle Ages. Moving into the 17th-century, the rapier, a slender, sharp-pointed sword that was optimized for thrusting, became the iconic sword. Similar to the roman and medieval sword, the rapier became central to literary texts of the time. For instance, sword duels with the rapier became frequent in the literary classics of Shakespeare. It is this persistent endurance of the sword as both a physical and symbolic representation of power and prestige that makes this historical narrative unique and intriguing.