Originally mounted on wooden shafts, these extremely large arrowheads probably served as symbols of rank or batons of command. They are decorated with royal Bohemian monograms and badges in addition to religious invocations in medieval Czech. All three bear the monogram AR for Albert, king of Bohemia and Hungary (reigned 1437–39). In one instance (66.199), there is also the monogram AE, probably for Albert and Elizabeth, his queen. The right and left arrowheads are stamped with the so-called Turkish arsenal mark, indicating that they were captured by Ottoman forces, perhaps in the campaign of 1439 in which Albert was killed, and were subsequently stored in the Turkish arsenal in Constantinople (now Istanbul).
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Artwork Details
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Title:Three Ceremonial Arrowheads
Date:ca. 1437–39
Geography:probably Prague
Culture:Bohemian, probably Prague
Medium:Steel, copper alloy
Dimensions:66.199: L. 12 1/8 in. (30.7 cm); W. 1 3/4 in. (4.4 cm); Wt. 18.2 oz. (517 g); 1984.17: L. 12 9/16 in. (31.9 cm); W. 2 7/16 in. (6.2 cm); Wt. 28.1 oz. (797 g); 1988.170: L. 10 7/8 in. (27.5 cm); W. 1 9/16 in. (4 cm); Wt. 14.4 oz. (410 g)
Classification:Archery Equipment-Arrows & Quivers
Credit Line:66.199: Rogers Fund, 1966; 1984.17: Purchase, David and Dorothy Alexander and Mrs. Ridgeley Hunt Gifts, Bequest of Stephen V. Grancsay, by exchange, and funds from various donors, 1984; 1988.170: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Ronald S. Lauder, 1988
Object Number:66.199; 1984.17; 1988.170
Inscription: 66.199: Inscribed on the obverse, left flange: ar (probably the monogram for albertus rex, or King Albert), mamyla (my dear, or my love; repeated twice encircling the top of the socket); on the right flange: warby woka (protect your eye), ae (probably the monogram for albertus elisabeth), t; on the reverse, left flange: x (monogram for Christ), ZdadZ bvo[h] (All hail, O God); on the right flange: s, marya pano (Virgin Mary; repeated twice on diagonal bands on the socket), m (monogram for marya, or Mary; repeated four times on diagonal bands on the socket). 1984.17: Inscribed on obverse, right flange: ar (probably the monogram for albertus rex, or King Albert), m (monogram for marya, or Mary); on reverse: S (reversed; probably a scroll, possibly a monogram) with pane bozy sanse[y ... kly racys(?)] amen (O Lord God [indecipherable] Amen); on the left flange: y (monogram for yhesus, or Jesus); on the right flange: r(?) (perhaps the monogram for rex, or king). 1988.170: Inscribed on obverse, left flange: vak sem nabozre myloste, ma myla (Go with God's grace, my dear / my love); on the right flange: ar (probably the monogram for albertus rex, or King Albert), m (monogram for marya, or Mary); on reverse, left and right flanges: y (monogram for yhesus, or Jesus); on the right flange: pane myley (sweet Lord).
Marking: 66.199, 1988.170: Stamped with the so-called Turkish arsenal mark.
66.199: Ottoman Arsenal of Saint Irene, Istanbul; A. A. Lyster, Esq., England (until 1966; Arms and Armour sale, Sotheby & Co., London, November 7, 1966, no. 127, sold to MMA). 1984.17: Barons von Geusau, Castle Engelstein, near Weitra, Austria (until 1898; sold to Eugen) Archduke Eugen of Austria, Castle Hohenwerfen, near Salzburg (1898–until 1927; The Great Historical Collection of Arms & Armour sale, The Anderson Galleries, New York, March 1-5, 1927, no. 800, as “Italian Hunting Spear”); Clarence H. Mackay, Roslyn, NY (by 1931–d. 1938); [Eric Vaule, Bridgewater, CT, until 1984; sold through Leopold Blumka Galleries, New York, to MMA]. 1988.170: Ottoman Arsenal of St. Irene, Istanbul; said to have been discovered in 1983 in Port Alfred, Cape Province, South Africa by a private collector (1983–1987; Arms, Armour and Militaria sale, Sotheby’s, London, October 28, 1987, no. 138, sold to Lauder], Mr. Ronald S. Lauder, New York (until 1988; his gift to MMA).
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Loan Exhibition of European Arms and Armor," August 3–September 27, 1931, no. 512 (1984.17: called "hunting speak, Italian, 1500," lent by Clarence H. Mackay).
Prague. Prague Castle. "Charles IV, Emperor by the Grace of God: Culture and Art in the Reign of the Last of the Luxembourgs 1347–1437," February 16–May 21, 2005, nos. 15.8.1–.3.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Charles IV, Emperor by the Grace of God: Culture and Art in the Reign of the Last of the Luxembourgs 1347–1437," September 19, 2005–January 3, 2006, nos. 15.8.1–.3.
Budapest. Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest. "Sigismundus – Rex et Imperator, Art and Culture During the Time of Sigismund of Luxembourg, 1387–1437," March 18–June 18, 2006, no. 5.9.
Luxembourg. Musée National d'Histoire et d'Art Luxembourg. "Sigismundus – Rex et Imperator, Art and Culture During the Time of Sigismund of Luxembourg, 1387–1437," July 13–October 15, 2006, no. 5.9.
Boeheim, Wendelin. "Alte Rüstkammer (Fachliche Notizen)." Zeitschrift für historische Waffenkunde, Zeitschrift für Historische Waffen- und Kostümkunde, 1 p. 213 (1984.17, collection of Archduke Eugen discussed, which included this arrowhead).
Lenz, Eduard von. "Arsenalzeichen oder Beschau?." Zeitschrift für historische Waffenkunde, Zeitschrift für Historische Waffen- und Kostümkunde, 6 pp. 299–303, ill. (66.199).
Anderson Galleries. The Great Historical Collection of Arms & Armour. New York: Anderson Galleries, March 1–5, 1927. p. 134, no. 800, ill. (1984.17).
Grancsay, Stephen V. Loan Exhibition of European Arms and Armor: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, August 3 to September 27, 1931. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1931. p. 115, no. 512 (1984.17, called a "hunting spear, Italian, 1500," lent by Clarence H. Mackay).
Kalmár, Johannes von. "Pfeilspitzen als Würdezeichen." Zeitschrift für Historische Waffen– und Kostümkunde, Zeitschrift für Historische Waffen- und Kostümkunde, 15, n.s.v. 6 pp. 218–21 (similar arrowheads illustrated).
Kalmár, János. "Armbrust-Pfeilspitzen als Rangabzeichen." Folia Archaeologica (1957), pp. 153–66, ill. (66.199).
The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Ninety-Seventh Annual Report of the Trustees of The Metropolitan Museum of Art for the Fiscal Year 1966–1967." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin p. 53, ill. (66.199).
Nickel, Helmut. "Ceremonial Arrowheads from Bohemia." Metropolitan Museum Journal 1 pp. 61–93, figs. 1, 2, 4, 5 (66.199, 1984.17).
Nickel, Helmut. "Böhmische Prunkpfeilspitzen." Sborník Národního musea v Praze, (1969), pp. 102–63, figs. 1, 2, 4 (66.199).
Nickel, Helmut. "Addenda to "Ceremonial Arrowheads from Bohemia." Metropolitan Museum Journal (1971), pp. 179–81 (66.199).
Nickel, Helmut, Stuart W. Pyhrr, Leonid Tarassuk, and David G. Alexander. "Arms and Armor." Notable Acquisitions (Metropolitan Museum of Art) (1984), pp. 20–21, ill.
Arms, Armour, and Militaria. London: Sotheby's, London, October 28, 1987. no. 138 (1988.170).
Nickel, Helmut, and Stuart W. Pyhrr. "Arms and Armor." Recent Acquisitions (Metropolitan Museum of Art) (1988), p. 23, ill.
Nickel, Helmut. "Arms and Armor from the Permanent Collection." The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin (Summer 1991), pp. 34–35, 64, ill. (66.199).
Dolínek, Vladimír, and Jan Durdík. The Encyclopedia of European Historical Weapons. London: Hamlyn, 1993. p. 172, fig. 202 (a similar arrowhead).
Boehm, Barbara Drake, and Jiri Fajt. Prague: The Crown of Bohemia, 1347–1437, edited by Barbara Drake Boehm, and Jiri Fajt. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2005. pp. 323–24, no. 156a–c, ill.
Fajt, Jiri, and Barbara Drake Boehm, eds. Karel IV., Císař Boží Milosti: Kultura a Umění za Vlády Posledních Lucemburků 1347–1437 (Charles IV, Emperor by the Grace of God: Culture and Art in the Reign of the Last of the Luxembourgs 1347–1437). Prague: Správa Pražského hradu, 2006. pp. 114–15, no. 15.8.1–3, ill.
Zsombor Jekely, Szilárd Papp, and Györgyi Poszler. Sigismundus Rex et Imperator: Kunst und Kultur zur Zeit Sigismunds von Luxemburg, 1387–1437, edited by Dr. Imre Takács, Chief Curator, Szépmuvészeti Múzeum. Mainz: Verlag Philipp von Zabern, 2006. pp. 446–47, no. 5.9, ill.
Breiding, Dirk H. A Deadly Art: European Crossbows, 1250–1850. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2013. pp. 126–29, no. 47a–c, fig. 6.6.
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