German State Glaive converted to executioners use in the city of Algiers

[shayde78]

Thank you for sharing, and thereby preserving the interesting history of this piece. If we could bring our collections together and let the items "talk" to one another, what fascinating stories we would hear.

[Vendredi1448]

Originally Posted by shayde78

Thank you for sharing, and thereby preserving the interesting history of this piece. If we could bring our collections together and let the items "talk" to one another, what fascinating stories we would hear.

Thank you, Shayde. That’s a wonderful thought. I suspect if these artifacts could speak, they would tell stories far more extraordinary than we could imagine. I feel fortunate that this glaive has preserved enough of its history to allow us to reconstruct at least part of its remarkable journey through time.

[Jim McDougall]

Thank you Vendredi for sharing this fascinating and well documented item. I'd like to join the others in noting the importance of finding the historic stories that most all weapons have, and the very purpose of creating this forum has been to investigate, discuss and preserve these details.

This is a fantastic weapon, and despite the grisly history (which of course is often part and parcel of weapons by their intrinsic purpose), this is an absolutely brilliant entry!!!

The subject of 'executioners' swords has come up many times through the years, with most being of course of the broadsword type. This is a most unusual form and as noted, fascinating to follow it through these varied contexts.

Thank you again!!!!

[Jim McDougall]

Curious, I looked further online and having wondered how this Austrian weapon had come into Algeria, as noted it was likely captured in the important siege in 1683 by the Ottomans. Apparently these were glaives which were polearms distinct to the Hartschieren-Leibgarde in Austria from 16th c. well into 17th as traditional arms in these units and distinct from the others with halberds.

One auction entry described an example with the sequential number 74, which appears to have been the highest number recorded (as per Leibrstkammer in Vienna). Thus perhaps these may have been limited to that number and used traditionally for some time prior to the presumed 1683 capture, and interesting in the presumed 1663 production of this one.
Again compounding the intriguing background of this example!