Primary Source

Sword Hilt with Revolutionary Icons—Liberty

Image of sword hilt incorporating the revolutionary icon of Liberty

Annotation

This sword, an actual artifact of the revolutionary wars, shows how strongly French officers and soldiers believed themselves to be fighting for the defense of liberty, which is represented by the woman holding the balance and by the Phrygian bonnet on a pike, both visible in the hilt. This example illustrates that even "masculine" objects such as swords depicted liberty as female.

Credits

Included as part of the LIBERTY, EQUALITY, FRATERNITY: EXPLORING THE FRENCH REVOLUTION project
https://revolution.chnm.org/d/27

How to Cite This Source

"Sword Hilt with Revolutionary Icons—Liberty," in World History Commons, https://worldhistorycommons.org/sword-hilt-revolutionary-icons-liberty [accessed March 28, 2024]