Sword: Did you mean...?

Photo of Benito Mussolini (1883-1945) at the gates of Tripoli, Libya, raising the 'sword of Islam' and proclaiming himself 'protector of Islam'. The sword of Islam was a ceremonial propaganda object given to Mussolini to gain the favor of...

A steel falchion sword, popular across Europe from the 13th century. One side of the guard protected the hand while the other permitted the user to lever the sword of one's opponent out of their hand. Venetian, c. 1490. The light weight and...

A diagram illustrating the various components of a medieval Great Sword and scabbard, the typical weapon of knights.

A bronze Mycenaean sword with a gold handle inlaid with lapis lazuli, from Mycenae, Grave IV, Grave Circle A, 16th century BCE. National Archaeological Museum, Athens.

A Han dynasty iron sword and scabbard with wood and lacquer decoration, China, 2nd century BCE. (British Museum, London)

A straight bronze sword from the Egyptian New Kingdom. Length: 52 cm (20 1.2 in). Thebes, Egypt. 18th Dynasty, 1550–1458 BCE. (Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art)

A medieval Great Sword, c. 1400 CE. This weapon was the typical weapon of a European knight. L. 40 1/4 in. (102.2 cm); L. of blade 32 in. (81.3 cm); Wt. 3 lb. 11 oz. (1673 g). (Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York)

A Mycenaean gold sword hilt with bronze blade. From a tomb in Skopelos, 15th century BCE. (National Archaeological Museum, Athens)

A bronze, double-edged straight sword from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty. Decorated with turqoise and gold. Warring States Period, c. early 5th century BCE. China. (Courtesy of the Smithsonian Institute)

A bronze sword from the Eastern Zhou dynasty, China, 5th-3rd century BCE. (British Museum, London)