2024 © Maxim Tabachnik
Executioner’s Sword and ScabbardJohann Hoppe
This ceremonial sword (16th c.) used for public executions in Riga was forged by Johann Hoppe, a master bladesmith from Solingen—the German City of Blades renowned for elite steelwork. Its original scabbard survives. Such swords underscored the solemn authority of early modern justice, expressing civic power and the deterrent force of public punishment.
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