Glaive for the Bodyguard of Emperor Maximilian II
1564
Medium
Steel, iron, gilding, oak, and silk textile (velvet)
Dimensions
H.: 215.9 cm (85 in.); Blade with socket: H.: 62.6 cm (24 5/8 in.)
Classification
edged weapon-staff
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
106511
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Pole arms (staff weapons) were used not only in warfare and hunting, but also in sporting combat and ceremonies. The term refers to a family of edged weapons attached to wooden staffs. With the exception of the lance, which remained the weapon of the mounted knight, all other staff weapons were wielded by men on foot by 1600. With the development of firearms and their introduction as infantry weapons, pole arms lost their importance on the field, and from the mid-16th century, they were reserved...