Bill

Date1550–1600

Mediumiron and wood

Dimensions22.9 × 250.8 × 74.5 cm (9 × 98 3/4 × 29 5/16 in.), 4 lb, 11 oz (weight)

ClassificationsArms and Armor

MarkingsOn obverse face of the head, at the peen base, is stamped the "scorpion" mark, the body with a pair of indistinct characters between the pellets. See digital file. Yellow-painted "WAM/1920.21" on back of haft below the langet.

Credit LineThe John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection

Terms

Object number2014.211

DescriptionLong, slim iron head secured by nails to a restored, slightly tapering restored staff. The body of the head is flat with an unsharpened back below the reinforced pointed flat peen, and opposite is a recurved cutting edge that is bluntly pointed at mid-height. The edge continues as a semi-circular fluke of flattened hexagonal section, sharpened on both edges. Projecting from the head is a long quadrangular section thrusting blade at base of which is curved fluke. Pair of short lugs at base of blade & octagonal section closed socket with 2 short langets. These are held to the shaft by domed brass nails.

Octagonal section wooden staff studded over upper 2/3 with brass-capped nails on 4 faces. Squared butt, axially pierced for a spike or ferrule now lost. The join of the haft and head is encircled by a later fringed tassel, once green with gold thread.

The head is decorated with motives of incised leaves, once apparently gilded; only a trace of gilding is preserved in the region of the socket obverse face. The socket has an ascendant pattern of leaving, and on the faces of the head just above the basal lugs are floral devices within lozenge framing (obverse) and circular framing (reverse). Both faces of the head, and the unsharpened back of the blade, have a wide, diapered band of the lozenge-framed device. The leaved devices carry onto the peen.
ProvenanceMr. Philip J. Gentner (purchased in Florence on 27 January 1920, for Worcester Art Museum) Worcester Art Museum (acc. no. 1920.21) to 1947 Gift to Museum from Worcester Art Museum (Worcester, MA) on June 19, 1947. Collection transfer from Higgins Armory, January 2014.

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