Ontwerp voor heft van een zwaard after 1619

This undated print by Jacob von der Heijden shows the design for the hilt of a sword, but more than that, it gives us a window onto the material processes of the early modern period. Note the way the sword hilt is being fabricated. The men are sawing into a large block of wood, its surface decorated with elaborate floral scrolls. One man stands atop the timber, using his full body weight to push the saw, while another kneels to guide the cut. A third man appears to be missing from the task. It’s easy to overlook the sheer labor involved in even a small object like a sword hilt. The print reminds us that skilled labor and design were deeply entwined. The finished hilt would have been the result of a close collaboration, its beauty inseparable from the work required to bring it into being.