WAR HAMMERS for Footmen and Horsemen, 14th to 16th Centuries

[cornelistromp]

Originally Posted by Matchlock

- An unusually fine and important horseman's war hammer head, of cast bronze and wrought iron and profusely sculpted and chiseled to form three zoomorphic heads, probably lion's heads, and a heraldic shield depicting a lion rampant; with a riveted sturdy iron saddle hook; Nuremberg, 2nd half 15th c., formerly in the John Woodman Higgins Armory, Worcester, Ms.
As with many works of craftsmanship in the Late Gothic/Early Reniassance, the winding Gothic minuscule script on the socket does not make any sense; the letters are stylized to a mere decorative element -

Hi Michael,

glad you're back.
the text on Higgins's hammer in Gothic minuscules 'Ave Maria Gracia Plena Helf Maria'

this hammer was recently sold by christies in 2000 and bought by Higgins army museum
Christie's. London, South Kensington. 12 July 2000. Sale 8829. Lot 49. Price realized £8,225 ($12,436).

A Very Rare Low Countries Or German Gothic Horseman's Hammer Head
Second half of the 15th Century
Comprising iron peen with rectangular face formed as the top of a castellated tower, and iron beak-like fluke of stiff diamond section, each projecting from the mouths of two addorsed latten monsters' heads, surmounted by a lion couchant and cast in one with the slightly tapering tubular socket with file-roped moulding at the bottom, a shield bearing a lion rampant in relief at the top, and an engraved encircling spiral band inscribed in Gothic minuscules 'Ave Maria Gracia Plena Helf Maria', and flat riveted iron belt hook, on later turned wooden haft
6½in. (16.5cm.) head

best,
Jasper