spear identification

PeterP · 4th January 2015, 07:33 PM

Hello,
some time ago I picked up this spear point at a flea market. My first thoughts were Indo-Persian. Don't know why but the general shape reminded me of that region. But after a visit to the new weapons room at the Rijksmuseum I started to doubt this attribution. So I wondered if someone here could help me out determining where this spear originates, and from what period it dates.

M ELEY · 4th January 2015, 09:24 PM

Very nice piece with great patina. My guess is that it is an 18th century spontoon head, although which European nation is anyone's guess. I see why you thought Indo-Persian with the general shape, but I still suspect that its Western-

Note the lack of langets, which one saw on linstocks, halberds, and some spontoons. As the spontoon was typically used either as a symbolic weapon (commanders sometimes used them to direct troops- a giant 'pointer', if you will) or by soldiers in camp (think of the Swiss Guard), many of them didn't have the langets that other pole arm weapons did.

4th January 2015, 07:33 PM	#1
PeterP Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Posts: 15	spear identification Hello, some time ago I picked up this spear point at a flea market. My first thoughts were Indo-Persian. Don't know why but the general shape reminded me of that region. But after a visit to the new weapons room at the Rijksmuseum I started to doubt this attribution. So I wondered if someone here could help me out determining where this spear originates, and from what period it dates. Attached Images

4th January 2015, 09:24 PM	#2
M ELEY Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NC, U.S.A. Posts: 2,138	Very nice piece with great patina. My guess is that it is an 18th century spontoon head, although which European nation is anyone's guess. I see why you thought Indo-Persian with the general shape, but I still suspect that its Western- Note the lack of langets, which one saw on linstocks, halberds, and some spontoons. As the spontoon was typically used either as a symbolic weapon (commanders sometimes used them to direct troops- a giant 'pointer', if you will) or by soldiers in camp (think of the Swiss Guard), many of them didn't have the langets that other pole arm weapons did.