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| This is a long steel sword that was at the Crystal
Palace Exhibit in 1851. It
was probably displayed to show off Britain’s ability to manufacture
products others would take months to make.
It was used by cavalry and had an engraved hilt and scabbard.
It was manufactured by artists and mechanics in Britain.
The engravings depict the Roman army in battle, with a portrait
of Mars, the Roman god of war, on the hilt.
This signifies that Britain, a nineteenth century empire,
is relating itself to Rome, an empire over a millennium earlier.
The manufacture of these swords also relates to the availability
of improved steel and the machines to process it, thanks to the Industrial
Revolution and Bessemer steel processing.
The detailed engravings relate as well to the intellectual
revolution, as British scientists and historians were starting to study
ancient cultures, Rome being one of them. |
The day that a tool to kill with must be fancy is the
the day that we confirm that man is crazy. ~~~ "Joseph Paxton"
