Mace

ca. 1550–1600

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 371

Steel armor evolved throughout the sixteenth century as a practical defense against most handheld weapons, including swords designed for cutting or thrusting and percussive weapons such as maces, war hammers, and axes. As with armor, some highly decorated weapons were made for active use, while others were purely ceremonial. By the end of the century, widespread use of firearms and artillery undermined the protective capabilities of traditional plate armor, leading to its gradual disuse in the seventeenth century.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

References

Title: Mace
Date: ca. 1550–1600
Culture: Italian
Medium: Steel
Dimensions: L. 25 3/16 in. (64 cm); L. of head 6 1/2 in. (16.5 cm); W. 5 in. (12.2 cm); Wt. 2 lbs. 15 oz. (1332.4 g)
Classification: Shafted Weapons
Credit Line: Gift of Stephen V. Grancsay, 1942
Object Number: 42.50.44
Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor

More Artwork

In the same gallery

In the same medium

From the same time and place

Rapier, Steel, wood, iron, possibly Italian — Rapier
possibly Italian
ca. 1575–80

Mace Made for Henry II of France, Diego de Caias Spanish, Steel, gold, silver, French — Mace Made for Henry II of France
Damascener Diego de Caias
ca. 1540

Armor Garniture of George Clifford (1558–1605),
Third Earl of Cumberland, Jacob Halder British, Steel, gold, leather, textile, British, Greenwich — Armor Garniture of George Clifford (1558–1605), Third Earl of Cumberland
Armorer Made under the direction of Jacob Halder
1586

Messenger Badge and Shield, Iron, copper, bronze, gold, enamel, possibly Italian — Messenger Badge and Shield
possibly Italian
badge, 1400–1450; shield, ca. 1800

Mace, Steel, probably Turkish — Mace
probably Turkish
mid-16th century

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.