Important Renaissance Mace from South Germany circa 1550

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Important Renaissance Mace from South Germany circa 1550

About the Item

Background The history of the mace reaches back very far. Its forerunner was the club, having been used since the origins of humanity. In the course of milleniums it slowly developed further, finally becoming the mace. As early as 4000 BC mace heads made of stone were used in Egypt and from about 3000 BC onwards the existence of cast bronze heads is evident. Also in the European cultures this weapon had been very popular from the beginnings. The Bayeux tapestry dating from the 11th century shows combatants equipped with the mace at the battle of Hastings in 1066. In the course of Medieval times the mace became a highly sophisticated knightly weapon, often elegant and handsome. After riding at the opponents with the lance knights often prefered fighting with the mace instead of the sword, when the mobility was limited due to a crowded combat situation. Particularly since the introduction of plate armour the mace had proven very effective. It was now often made entirely of steel with a head constructed of several forged flanges, each tapering to an acute point at the side. The energy of a thrust thus concentrated on a small point and penetrated the iron plates, just like a tin opener. When riding the mace was suspended from the saddle bow, hanging with the grip upward. For this purpose a ring was often fixed into the haft just above the grip or at the bottom in order to attach a wrist thong. Alternatively it ran through a thrilled whole. Paralleling the declining importance of plate armour in battle during the late sixteenth and seventeenth century the mace came out of usage. However in its function as a truncheon it continued to be used in a simplyfied design until very recently. Description The present mace shows an extraordinary rare distinctive feature. Its haft carries a dagger of hollow diamond section that was suitable to penetrate plate armour. This obviously served as a so called misericorde, meaning to deliver the death stroke to a seriously vulnerated oponent. As a knightly weapon this mace is very richly adorned. The haft shows a spiral ornament which is similarly reflected in a second zone above. Separated by horizontal lines a third intecept follows, decorated by diamond shapes. This type of ornament is rare. A comparable piece is shown at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds (Inv. No. VIII.76). Having a closer look at the construction, this weapon can be compared to typical 16th century all metal maces. Its haft is forged from a plate of iron, turned into a tubular shape and soldered by copper at the overlapping ends. Seven massive flanges, skillfully shaped in several swinges and tapering to an acute cross sectional point, are hanged into slots at the haft and also soldered. The top end is closed by a double ball finial ornament. According to the design of the haft and the head in particular this mace can be assigned to Oakeshott type M2 that was in use in the middle of the 16th century. However the classification by Oakeshott is not to be considered strictly selective. Many maces with variing forms of decoration are known to exist and there are transitional pieces, showing characteristics of two types [Oakeshott, E. (1980): European Weapons and Armour, pp. 62 .] Side note: Significance of the number seven in symbolism The overwhelming majority of European all metal maces dating from the 15th and 16th centuries features exactly seven flanges, like the present example. As the passion for symbols was wide spread in the arts of Medieval and Renaissance times it can be assumed that the number of seven flanges was not chosen without a meaning. Besides the function as a thrust weapon the mace also served as sign of command. Corresponding to this meaning the number seven has a special significance in Christianity. It is the sum of three and four. Three stands for the holy trinity of father, son and the holy spirit. Four had long meant the entireness of the material world, encompassing the four cardinal directions or the four elements of earth, water, air and fire. In a nutshell seven unifies heaven and earth and symbolises perfection. This exactly reflects the self image of potentates wearing a mace, justifiying their power as being a proxy of god on earth. Condition Corresponding to its high age the surface shows traces of oxidation and especially the mace head bears signs of wear and usage. It is covered by remainings of a black paint that we kept unchanged in respect of the history of this object. The iron pommel holding the dagger blade is presumably a later edition Provenance I. Collection Prince of Hohenzollern-Sigmaringen at Sigmaringen Castle. The old Sigmaringen inventory number 2463 7 is written in red lacquer on the haft. II. Museum town arsenal Überlingen (Collection Friedrich Hebsacker)

Dimensions:
Height: 23.12 in (58.7 cm)
Style:
Renaissance (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Iron
Place of Origin:
Germany
Period:
18th Century and Earlier
Date of Manufacture:
Circa 1550
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Worpswede / Bremen, DE
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU98141114454