Head of a Ceremonial War Hammer
War hammers were carried as a sidearm by armored cavalrymen for much of the sixteenth century and generally have a hammer-like head opposite a spike or beak: one designed to strike a concussive blow, much like a mace, and the other to pierce or puncture. This example, although entirely of steel, is a ceremonial or symbolic weapon, distinguished by its extensive and exceptionally fine chiseled decoration.
Artwork Details
- Title: Head of a Ceremonial War Hammer
- Date: ca. 1550 to ca. 1625
- Culture: possibly Italian or French
- Medium: Steel
- Dimensions: L. 8 3/4 in. (22.2 cm); W. 12 in. (30.5 cm)
- Classification: Shafted Weapons
- Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1904
- Object Number: 04.3.58
- Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor
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Léopold Bernard
dated 1854
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