id:			95877
accession number:	1916.1559
share license status:	CC0
url:			https://clevelandart.org/art/1916.1559
updated:		2022-06-11 09:00:10.450000

Halberd, 1475–1500. Germany (?), late 15th century. Steel, pierced circular holes; wood haft; overall: 230.7 cm (90 13/16 in.); blade: 21.9 cm (8 5/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance 1916.1559

title:				Halberd
title in original language:	
series:				
series in original language:	
creation date:			1475–1500
creation date earliest:		1450
creation date latest:		1499
current location:		210A Armor Court
creditline:			Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance
copyright:			

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culture:	Germany (?), late 15th century
technique:	steel, pierced circular holes; wood haft
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: 230.7 cm (90 13/16 in.); Blade: 21.9 cm (8 5/8 in.)
state of the work:	
edition of the work: 	

support materials:

	description:	pierced circular holes
	watermarks:	

inscriptions:

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CURRENT EXHIBITIONS

	title:		Gothic Art 1360-1440
	opening date:   1963-08-06T04:00:00
	<i>Gothic Art 1360-1440</i>. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 6-September 15, 1963).

	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

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PROVENANCE

	Frank Gair Macomber (1849-1941), Boston, MA, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art
	date: ?-1916
	footnotes: 	
	citations: 	


	The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
	date: 1916-
	footnotes: 	
	citations: 	


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fun fact: 
The first halberds are believed to have been made for warriors of medieval Switzerland.

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> [Boston, Massachusetts]: [Frank Gair Macomber], 1900.
	page number: 	cat.# 377
	url:		https://archive.org/details/CatArmsArmour1/page/n219/mode/2up

	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. 182, H4
	url:		https://archive.org/details/SeveranceCollection1924/page/n261

	Fliegel, Stephen N.<em> Arms and Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art</em>. [Cleveland, Ohio]: The Museum, 1998.
	page number: 	pp. 67, 129, 167; cat. no. 103
	url:		

	Fliegel, Stephen N.<em> Arms &amp; Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art. </em>[Cleveland, Ohio]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2007.
	page number: 	cat. no. 96, p. 187
	url:		

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IMAGES

web:	https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1916.1559/1916.1559_web.jpg
print:	https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1916.1559/1916.1559_print.jpg
full:	https://openaccess-cdn.clevelandart.org/1916.1559/1916.1559_full.tif