Halberd
Unknown Artist
15th century
Medium
Steel, wood (oak)
Dimensions
L. 84 3/4 in. (215.2 cm); L. of head 16 in. (40.6 cm); W. 7 in. (17.8 cm); Wt. 5 lbs. 13 oz. (2640 g)
Classification
Shafted Weapons
Culture
German
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mrs. Bashford Dean, in memory of Alexander McMillan Welch, 1949
Accession Number
49.120.11
Art Historical Context
This imposing 15th-century German halberd, a masterwork of functional arms and armor, exemplifies the pinnacle of medieval weapon craftsmanship. Crafted from forged steel for its axe-like blade, spear point, and rear spike, and fitted to a sturdy oak shaft, it measures an impressive 84¾ inches in length, with a 16-inch head and weighing nearly 6 pounds. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Arms and Armor Department, it was generously gifted by Mrs. Bashford Dean in memory of Alexander McMillan Welch in 1949. Halberds like this one emerged in late medieval Europe as versatile shafted wea...