[Matchlock]

Some horseman's hammers of common type, the rectangular wooden haft enclosed by four iron straps joning at the base, the head with long saddle hook, all of them South German, ca. 1520-35.
Horseman's hammers have much shorter hafts than than those for footman's, and the lower section of the haft is usually pierced for a leather strap that was slung around the rider's wrist.

From top:
- Historisches Museum der Stadt Regenburg, on loan from the Bayerisches Armeemuseum Ingolstadt (3 atts.)

- George F. Harding Colln., Chicago Art Institute, inv.no. 1982.2122: featuring an additional sturdy central spike, the straps pierced with Late Gothic tracery, an ornament denoting its quite early date of manufactue, probably ca. 1515-20 (2 atts.)

- Palazzo Ducale, Venice, one of the earliest and finest Gothic war hammers in existence; Northern Italy, ca. 1370-1400; wrought iron, finely sculpted and chiseled as a dragon and bearing two heraldic shields; the socket and haft of octagonal section according to the Gothic sense of style (3 atts.)
This item is very similar to the hammer head from the Higgins, cf. post #3 above, and re-attached below.

- South German, ca. 1525-35, the wooden haft completely encased with iron, and a central rectangular node (nodus); Hermann Historica, Munich, 5 Nov 2014, lot 3190.