Cleveland Museum of Art

Parade Halberd (from the bodyguard of Ludwig Rudolf, Duke of Brunswick- Wolfenbüttel [1671-1735])

Date

1717

Medium

blued, etched and gilded steel, wooden haft with orginal steel base spike, silk tassel with alternating blue and gold bands

Culture

Germany, 18th century

Department

Medieval Art

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

The halberd and partisan are hafted weapons highly favored by European infantries of the 1500s and 1600s for their great versatility and deadly effect. From about 1550 on, these weapons underwent significant changes as they gradually became more ornamental. The large flat surfaces of the blades lent themselves to engraving, etching, gilding, and other forms of decoration. They also provided the perfect location for the coats of arms of princely or noble families. For this reason, hafted weapons became the favored parade weapons of palace guards and splendidly outfitted special regiments of princely bodyguards. These examples, made for the German dukes of Brunswick at Schloss Blankenburg, still have their silk tassels in their original colors of blue and yellow. A halberd is a mix between a battle ax and a spear.

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