Smallsword with Scabbard ca. 1790-1800 hilt and scabbard, probably Spanish; blade, German, Solingen Smallswords were an essential element of male costume throughout Europe in the eighteenth century, the badge of a gentleman. The hilts of these sidearms, employing a variety of materials and embellished in the most current of fashions according to the wealth and whim of the owner, were appreciated as masculine jewelry. While smallsword design changed little over the century, certain aspects of a swords form and decoration can provide subtle evidence that points to its approximate date and place of manufacture and cultural context. In the absence of helpful marks or inscriptions, the identification of the exquisitely worked, gold-hilted smallsword recently acquired as a gift from The Robert M. Lee Foundation offered a test for the efficacy of stylistic analysis.The simple and elegant form of the hilt, especially the tall ovoid pommel and oval shell guard, reflects the neoclassical taste