16th-17th Battle Axes From German and Swiss Armories

Matchlock · 27th January 2014, 04:33 PM

Albrecht Altdorfer, the famous painter belonging to the so-called Donauschule (Danube School), created the altar of St. Sebastian in St. Florian near Linz, Austria, in 1505-19; a mercenary soldier on the right is depicted with the very same type of axe as 'mine' on his shoulder (top attachments).

Next there is a line drawing based on Benedikt Tschachtlan's earliest Swiss Chronicle of 1470, and another drawn after a watercolor by Diebold Schilling from his Bern Chronicle of 1483.

Attached next is a group of foot combat axes, mid- to 2nd half 16th c., which I photographed in the former Munich Armory in the City Museum of Munich, which was sadly closed down to the public for some 20 years. Their blackened ash wood hafts conveyed the characteristic somber 'armory' atmosphere.
A fine and very similar axe, one side of the blade partly gilt, retaining its original figured haft painted red (now wormed), 2nd half 16th c., was discovered near Augsburg, Bavaria, together with other weapons of early Thirty Years War Date; one piece of printed paper found was dated 1621. The blade was struck with a maker's mark (attachment) and pierced with a short-stalked Gothic trefoil ornament (gestielter Dreipass).
As some of the guns featured Augsburg marks we may safely assume that that axe too was of local make.
All items were preserved in completely untouched condition and stowed in the false ceiling of a 15th c. house, seemingly under the pressure of an imminent conquest; all firerams were left uncleaned after firing and heavily rusted, the pyrites in the dogs of the wheellock guns completely abraded down to the jaws of the dogs!

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Matchlock · 27th January 2014, 05:45 PM

The Historisches Museum in Bern, Switzerland, possesses an impressive number of various types of foot combat/poleaxes which were illustrated, with their measurements published by Rudof Wegeli: Inventar der Waffensammlung des Bernischen historischen Museums in Bern, Vol. III: Stangenwaffen (polearms), 1939.
Wegeli started out with two early blades, 10th-12th c., 21.3x16 cm and 16x8.7 cm, and another of 15th c. date, 17x10.5 cm (b/w attachments), before introducing the type of Swiss poleaxe called Mordaxt (murder axe), hafted in ash, branded with the initials ZB for Zeughaus (armory) Bern, and with a short vertical spike on the top.
The first hafted axe attached is 2nd half 16th c., no. 1127 in the group scan, the four-sided pole of ash wood. Two long lateral iron straps are attached to the narrow sides of both the haft and blade; one is riveted to the spike, the other bears a horizontal reinforcement. The blade is struck with the Bern city mark, a bear, and a maker's mark, a cross with four pellets, just as on the axe formerly in my collection.
Overall length 151.6 cm, weight 2.260 kg, the blade 20.5 x 12.2 cm, the spike 7.5 cm long.

An axe from that very same series, the blade struck with identical marks, the haft also branded ZB, 153 cm overall, failed to sell at Galerie Fischer's, Lucerne, on 26 May 1988, lot 9012 (see color attachment).

Have fun.

Best,
Michael

Matchlock · 27th January 2014, 05:48 PM

More variants of 15th to 16th c. poleaxes in the Bern Museum, and their marks, starting with a 15th c. detached axe blade and socket.

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Matchlock · 27th January 2014, 06:18 PM

Finally attached are images of two Swiss axes of types represented in the Bern arsenal that were in Fischer sales on Nov 24, 1976, lot 9, mid-16th c., the blade struck with an orb and cross mark, and on Sept 6, 2007, lot 60, also ca. 1540-60.

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Matchlock · 28th January 2014, 11:23 PM

Mid-15th c., sold at the Dorotheum, Vienna, 26 Februar 2012.

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machinist · 29th January 2014, 04:17 AM

Wow, that was a real full meal post. It is nice to see some real battle axes as a lot of what I have seen are sort of maybe battle axes and it is hard for me to learn or form definite opinions about them. Thanks for posting.

Matchlock · 29th January 2014, 09:05 AM

Thanks, Machinist,

You won't see me posting though for quite a long time as I have to return to hospital for what will probably be months.

Best,
Michael

27th January 2014, 04:33 PM	#1
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Albrecht Altdorfer, the famous painter belonging to the so-called Donauschule (Danube School), created the altar of St. Sebastian in St. Florian near Linz, Austria, in 1505-19; a mercenary soldier on the right is depicted with the very same type of axe as 'mine' on his shoulder (top attachments). Next there is a line drawing based on Benedikt Tschachtlan's earliest Swiss Chronicle of 1470, and another drawn after a watercolor by Diebold Schilling from his Bern Chronicle of 1483. Attached next is a group of foot combat axes, mid- to 2nd half 16th c., which I photographed in the former Munich Armory in the City Museum of Munich, which was sadly closed down to the public for some 20 years. Their blackened ash wood hafts conveyed the characteristic somber 'armory' atmosphere. A fine and very similar axe, one side of the blade partly gilt, retaining its original figured haft painted red (now wormed), 2nd half 16th c., was discovered near Augsburg, Bavaria, together with other weapons of early Thirty Years War Date; one piece of printed paper found was dated 1621. The blade was struck with a maker's mark (attachment) and pierced with a short-stalked Gothic trefoil ornament (gestielter Dreipass). As some of the guns featured Augsburg marks we may safely assume that that axe too was of local make. All items were preserved in completely untouched condition and stowed in the false ceiling of a 15th c. house, seemingly under the pressure of an imminent conquest; all firerams were left uncleaned after firing and heavily rusted, the pyrites in the dogs of the wheellock guns completely abraded down to the jaws of the dogs! m Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 27th January 2014 at 07:37 PM.

27th January 2014, 05:45 PM	#2
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	The Historisches Museum in Bern, Switzerland, possesses an impressive number of various types of foot combat/poleaxes which were illustrated, with their measurements published by Rudof Wegeli: Inventar der Waffensammlung des Bernischen historischen Museums in Bern, Vol. III: Stangenwaffen (polearms), 1939. Wegeli started out with two early blades, 10th-12th c., 21.3x16 cm and 16x8.7 cm, and another of 15th c. date, 17x10.5 cm (b/w attachments), before introducing the type of Swiss poleaxe called Mordaxt (murder axe), hafted in ash, branded with the initials ZB for Zeughaus (armory) Bern, and with a short vertical spike on the top. The first hafted axe attached is 2nd half 16th c., no. 1127 in the group scan, the four-sided pole of ash wood. Two long lateral iron straps are attached to the narrow sides of both the haft and blade; one is riveted to the spike, the other bears a horizontal reinforcement. The blade is struck with the Bern city mark, a bear, and a maker's mark, a cross with four pellets, just as on the axe formerly in my collection. Overall length 151.6 cm, weight 2.260 kg, the blade 20.5 x 12.2 cm, the spike 7.5 cm long. An axe from that very same series, the blade struck with identical marks, the haft also branded ZB, 153 cm overall, failed to sell at Galerie Fischer's, Lucerne, on 26 May 1988, lot 9012 (see color attachment). Have fun. Best, Michael Attached Images

27th January 2014, 05:48 PM	#3
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	More variants of 15th to 16th c. poleaxes in the Bern Museum, and their marks, starting with a 15th c. detached axe blade and socket. m Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 27th January 2014 at 06:11 PM.

27th January 2014, 06:18 PM	#4
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Finally attached are images of two Swiss axes of types represented in the Bern arsenal that were in Fischer sales on Nov 24, 1976, lot 9, mid-16th c., the blade struck with an orb and cross mark, and on Sept 6, 2007, lot 60, also ca. 1540-60. m Attached Images

28th January 2014, 11:23 PM	#5
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Mid-15th c., sold at the Dorotheum, Vienna, 26 Februar 2012. m Attached Images

29th January 2014, 04:17 AM	#6
machinist Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Posts: 93	Wow, that was a real full meal post. It is nice to see some real battle axes as a lot of what I have seen are sort of maybe battle axes and it is hard for me to learn or form definite opinions about them. Thanks for posting.

29th January 2014, 09:05 AM	#7
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Thanks, Machinist, You won't see me posting though for quite a long time as I have to return to hospital for what will probably be months. Best, Michael