id:			95876
accession number:	1916.1556
share license status:	CC0
url:			https://clevelandart.org/art/1916.1556
updated:		2020-11-04 19:13:59.892000

Halberd, c. 1480-1500. Switzerland, late 15th Century. Steel; wood haft (rectangular with planed corners); overall: 205.7 cm (81 in.); blade: 20.3 cm (8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance 1916.1556

title:				Halberd
title in original language:	
series:				
series in original language:	
creation date:			c. 1480-1500
creation date earliest:		1480
creation date latest:		1500
current location:		210A Armor Court
creditline:			Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance
copyright:			

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culture:	Switzerland, late 15th Century
technique:	steel; wood haft (rectangular with planed corners)
department:	Medieval Art
collection:	MED - Arms & Armor
type:		Arms and Armor
find spot:	
catalogue raisonne: 

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CREATORS

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measurements: Overall: 205.7 cm (81 in.); Blade: 20.3 cm (8 in.)
state of the work:	
edition of the work: 	

support materials:

	description:	three incised marks grouped on one side
	watermarks:	

inscriptions:

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CURRENT EXHIBITIONS

	title:		Armor Court Reinstallation
	opening date:   1998-09-10T00:00:00
	<i>Armor Court Reinstallation</i>. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer).

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LEGACY EXHIBITIONS

* The Cleveland Museum of Art (09/10/1998); "Armor Court Reinstallation"

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PROVENANCE

	Frank Gair Macomber; Boston; cat.# 4.
	date: 
	footnotes: 	
	citations: 	


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fun fact: 


digital description: 


wall description: 
The halberd was a staff weapon favored by European infantries (foot soldiers) of the 1400s and 1500s for its versatility and deadly effect. The word halberd comes from the German words Halm (staff) and Barte (axe). The halberd is, in fact, an axe that served multiple functions: the axe blade was used for hacking, the spike for thrusting, and the beak for piercing plate armor or for pulling a knight from his saddle. The halberd was used by shock troops (those who lead an attack) and by Swiss and German mercenaries. After about 1550, the halberd gradually became less functional. Its large blade provided space for coats of arms and insignia. By the late 1500s, the parade halberd had become a ceremonial weapon for palace guards.
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RELATED WORKS

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CITATIONS

	<em>Catalogue of Arms and Armour.</em> Vol. 1, <em>14th &amp; 15th centuries. </em>[Boston, Massachusetts]: [Frank Gair Macomber], [1900-1915].
	page number: 	Mentioned and Reproduced: No. 4
	url:		https://archive.org/details/CatArmsArmour1/page/n40

	Gilchrist, Helen Ives. <em>A Catalogue of the Collection of Arms &amp; Armor Presented to the Cleveland Museum of Art by Mr. and Mrs. John Long Severance; 1916-1923</em>. Cleveland: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1924.
	page number: 	Mentioned: p. 187, H21; Reproduced: Plate XXXIX, H21
	url:		https://archive.org/details/SeveranceCollection1924/page/n270

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IMAGES

web:	https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1916.1556/1916.1556_web.jpg
print:	https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1916.1556/1916.1556_print.jpg
full:	https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1916.1556/1916.1556_full.tif