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

[Matchlock]

War hammers for infantry and cavalry (German: Streithämmer für Fußsoldaten und Reiterei) represent another field of historic weaponry rarely considered ever; thus, the author is starting out with a fine and topic 15th c. sample sold at auction just a few days ago at Bonhams, London: 26 November 2014, lot 175.

It had an important provenance: the armory of the Princes of Hohenzollern, Schloss Sigmaringen.
The Michael Trömner Collection holds a very rare combined spear and musket rest, ca. 1580-1600, from the same Castle, the haft painted with two inventory numbers in red ink in the characteristic Hohenzollern manner: a two-digit group of weapons no. and a four-digit item identification no.

Contrary to the catalog description, this hammer of course was a FOOTman's hammer, due to the length of its haft which is probably the original. The long iron straps repaired in places should be noted as well.
By around 1500, the straps of hafted arms became notably shorter; this observation leads the author, though definitely not being an expert on this field, to assigning a wide date line of 2nd half 15th c. to around ca. 1530 to the item in discussion.
It is both the general formal and stylistic criteria that account decisively for the basic dating of any item.


Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

A definitely later specimen much related to the group of LUCERNE hammers was sold at Hermann Historica, 3 May 2011, lot 3440.
Contrary to the opinion uttered in the catalog description, its correct date line most probably should read mid 16th c.
The elongated and rather delicate overall appearance of the head points the author to that assigment; as the side straps have obviously been cut down, no longer reflecting their originally needed working function, the present haft - of inapt round section throughout - must be a replacement.

Best,
m

[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.

The following information I gratefully owe to our expert Jaspar/cornelistromp - thanks a whole lot, Jasper!!!

Herewith I humbly correct my interpretation:
Contrary to many works of craftsmanship in the Late Gothic/Early Reniassance, the winding Gothic minuscule script on the socket of this hammer head does make sense:
It is the beginning of the Hail Mary prayer and reads:
Ave Maria Gracia Plena Helf Maria
(Latin and Old German for
Hail Mary, full of grace - help us, Mary).

Please note Jasper's valuable contribution in post #8!

So on this early piece the Gothic lettering still is much more than just stylized to a mere decorative element as on many items from the late 15th and early 16th c. - cf. author's threads:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ipt+decoration
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...ipt+decoration

- A very fine and completely preserved footman's war hammer, the iron parts profusely etched with a running floral pattern against a blackened punched and dotted ground, the head with a riveted iron saddle hook, and mounted on a short haft; the date of manufacture given by the Higgins Armory inventory is ecaxtly correct: Augsburg or Nuremberg, ca. 1525-30.

- A fine and early horseman's war hammer on a long octagonal haft, Nuremberg, ca. 1430-50, the four-spiked hammer decorated with delicate copper inlays forming saltires, the iron straps and the haft studded with heavy nails with rectangular heads.

As none of these three items was included in the two-part sale of contents from the Higgins with Thomas Del Mar Ltd., they most probably went, together with other weapons, to the Worcester Art Museum (WAM).

[kronckew]

like matchlock in post 3, i am speechless with wonder.

[Matchlock]

Thank you so much, Kronckew,

Actually it was just a placeholder and I intended to fill in that gap today, and have just done so.
Hope you will like what you see.

Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

Some horseman's hammers of common type, the rectangular wooden haft enclosed by four iron straps joning at the base, the head with long saddle hook, all of them South German, ca. 1520-35.
Horseman's hammers have much shorter hafts than than those for footman's, and the lower section of the haft is usually pierced for a leather strap that was slung around the rider's wrist.

From top:
- Historisches Museum der Stadt Regenburg, on loan from the Bayerisches Armeemuseum Ingolstadt (3 atts.)

- George F. Harding Colln., Chicago Art Institute, inv.no. 1982.2122: featuring an additional sturdy central spike, the straps pierced with Late Gothic tracery, an ornament denoting its quite early date of manufactue, probably ca. 1515-20 (2 atts.)

- Palazzo Ducale, Venice, one of the earliest and finest Gothic war hammers in existence; Northern Italy, ca. 1370-1400; wrought iron, finely sculpted and chiseled as a dragon and bearing two heraldic shields; the socket and haft of octagonal section according to the Gothic sense of style (3 atts.)
This item is very similar to the hammer head from the Higgins, cf. post #3 above, and re-attached below.

- South German, ca. 1525-35, the wooden haft completely encased with iron, and a central rectangular node (nodus); Hermann Historica, Munich, 5 Nov 2014, lot 3190.

[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

[Matchlock]

Thank you so much, Jasper,


For both your kind welcome and for your valuable contribution on the Higgins hammer head!
I've just corrected my former wrong opinion in the post above and credited you, just to make sure not to possibly mislead anybody.

The Higgins inventory I retrieved from their home page did not provide any information on that inscription, so I surmised it would be all decorative, as is the case on many later items.

My computer is still not o.k., it must go to intensive care again tomorrow. My scanner is still not recognized and accepted by the computer - this is why I could not yet send all the scans I promised you.
That Fischer catalog still lies open on my desk anxiously waiting for being scanned, along with many other books ... so please be patient a bit longer - thanks!


Best as ever,
Michael

[kronckew]

i like the fisted nail ones: the dolchstreithammer.
(mine (1.) below, by the chap who made the one in 'van helsing' the movie) there is a dolchstreithammer thread we made earlier here with more war hammers.

i have a professional armourer acquaintence outside prague who makes these beck de corbin. (2.) a.k.a. 'hammer of lucerne'. this picture also shows the scale of the two handed infantry versions.

and a double hammered one very much like the one you pasted above. (3.) with longer languets.

he makes them in a traditional forge with traditional tools and materials. with a bit of his own artistic license thrown in of course. he tries to base them on museum examples as much as possible. might buy one like the beck. or get him to make one like your post with a beak instead of the 2nd hammer face.