Halberd
Unknown Artist
ca. 1550
Medium
Steel, wood
Dimensions
L. 96 1/8 in. (244 cm); L. of head 21 in. (53.3 cm); W. 11 1/8 in. (28.2 cm); Wt. 5 lb. 4 oz. (2381.4 g)
Classification
Shafted Weapons
Culture
Italian
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William H. Riggs, 1913
Accession Number
14.25.32
Art Historical Context
Step into the riveting world of Renaissance warfare with this imposing Italian halberd, crafted around 1550. Measuring nearly 8 feet in length and weighing over 5 pounds, this steel-headed polearm atop a wooden shaft exemplifies the pinnacle of 16th-century arms design. Its broad axe blade (21 inches long and 11 inches wide) was paired with a piercing spike and hook, making it a versatile weapon for thrusting, slashing, and dismounting armored cavalry—ideal for the infantry of Italy's fractious city-states. Halberds like this one were status symbols as much as tools of battle, wielded by prof...