Lance Point
Unknown Artist
15th century
Dimensions
L. 5 3/4 in. (14.6 cm); W. 2 in. (5.1 cm); L. of blade 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm); Wt. 4 oz. (113.4 g)
Classification
Shafted Weapons
Culture
Spanish
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William H. Riggs, 1913
Accession Number
14.25.482
Art Historical Context
Step into the riveting world of 15th Spanish warfare with this finely crafted *Lance Point*, a testament to medieval arms technology. Measuring just 5¾ inches long with a 4½-inch blade, this lightweight (4 oz.) spearhead was designed for mounting on a wooden shaft, forming a lance ideal for cavalry charges or knightly jousts. Produced in Spain during a turbulent era of the Reconquista—when Christian kingdoms battled Muslim forces in the Iberian Peninsula—this weapon exemplifies the era's demand for precise, lethal tools that balanced speed and penetration. Though the artist remains unknown, t...