An Early-16th C. Maximilian Frog's Mouth Landsknecht Pike in my Collection
The one on top of the wall rack.
Ca. 1500, the leaf shaped or so called frog's mouth blade of characteristic section, with pronounced central rib.
On its original octagonal ash haft, shortened to 2.78 m from originally probably 4.5-5.0 m.
From the Landeszeughaus Graz, Austria, the upper section of the haft bearing the inventory stamp of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, N.Y., from an inventory of ca. 1900.
Not one single of hundreds of pikes of this type still preserved in Graz retains its original octagonal haft; they were all restocked with round hafts around the middle or during the second half of the 16th c. Attached below is a scan of two pieces in Graz.
Best,
Michael
Last edited by Matchlock; 5th March 2012 at 07:06 PM.
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