16th-17th Battle Axes From German and Swiss Armories

Matchlock · 27th January 2014, 04:33 PM

Albrecht Altdorfer, the famous painter belonging to the so-called Donauschule (Danube School), created the altar of St. Sebastian in St. Florian near Linz, Austria, in 1505-19; a mercenary soldier on the right is depicted with the very same type of axe as 'mine' on his shoulder (top attachments).

Next there is a line drawing based on Benedikt Tschachtlan's earliest Swiss Chronicle of 1470, and another drawn after a watercolor by Diebold Schilling from his Bern Chronicle of 1483.

Attached next is a group of foot combat axes, mid- to 2nd half 16th c., which I photographed in the former Munich Armory in the City Museum of Munich, which was sadly closed down to the public for some 20 years. Their blackened ash wood hafts conveyed the characteristic somber 'armory' atmosphere.
A fine and very similar axe, one side of the blade partly gilt, retaining its original figured haft painted red (now wormed), 2nd half 16th c., was discovered near Augsburg, Bavaria, together with other weapons of early Thirty Years War Date; one piece of printed paper found was dated 1621. The blade was struck with a maker's mark (attachment) and pierced with a short-stalked Gothic trefoil ornament (gestielter Dreipass).
As some of the guns featured Augsburg marks we may safely assume that that axe too was of local make.
All items were preserved in completely untouched condition and stowed in the false ceiling of a 15th c. house, seemingly under the pressure of an imminent conquest; all firerams were left uncleaned after firing and heavily rusted, the pyrites in the dogs of the wheellock guns completely abraded down to the jaws of the dogs!

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27th January 2014, 04:33 PM	#2
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Albrecht Altdorfer, the famous painter belonging to the so-called Donauschule (Danube School), created the altar of St. Sebastian in St. Florian near Linz, Austria, in 1505-19; a mercenary soldier on the right is depicted with the very same type of axe as 'mine' on his shoulder (top attachments). Next there is a line drawing based on Benedikt Tschachtlan's earliest Swiss Chronicle of 1470, and another drawn after a watercolor by Diebold Schilling from his Bern Chronicle of 1483. Attached next is a group of foot combat axes, mid- to 2nd half 16th c., which I photographed in the former Munich Armory in the City Museum of Munich, which was sadly closed down to the public for some 20 years. Their blackened ash wood hafts conveyed the characteristic somber 'armory' atmosphere. A fine and very similar axe, one side of the blade partly gilt, retaining its original figured haft painted red (now wormed), 2nd half 16th c., was discovered near Augsburg, Bavaria, together with other weapons of early Thirty Years War Date; one piece of printed paper found was dated 1621. The blade was struck with a maker's mark (attachment) and pierced with a short-stalked Gothic trefoil ornament (gestielter Dreipass). As some of the guns featured Augsburg marks we may safely assume that that axe too was of local make. All items were preserved in completely untouched condition and stowed in the false ceiling of a 15th c. house, seemingly under the pressure of an imminent conquest; all firerams were left uncleaned after firing and heavily rusted, the pyrites in the dogs of the wheellock guns completely abraded down to the jaws of the dogs! m Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 27th January 2014 at 07:37 PM.