boar spear

fernando · 27th June 2014, 07:11 PM

It looks fine ... at least to non expert eyes

Can't you post more pictures ... like close ups of the mark, leather straping and so on ?

LJ · 27th June 2014, 09:22 PM

I will happily take more photos, but I'm afraid I must leave you all in suspense until next week, when I have access to the collection again.

Of course, I should have thought about this before first posting ... sorry !

Enmetena · 29th June 2014, 01:53 PM

Looks like 16th cent German boar spears. Here You can see similar ones:

As You can see Yours lacks bone crossbar under the spearhead.

LJ · 29th June 2014, 08:01 PM

Many thanks for attaching those images. I must admit that the criss-cross leather strapping has me puzzled. I noticed this feature on boar spears displayed in the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, where the labels on most examples say that they are old heads on newer shafts. I did wonder if the strapping was an original feature - now I can see it IS, from those old illustrations.

It still seems to me to be a bit impractical. You would think that the leather would very quickly get into a disgusting state, very difficult to clean after use. In the examples with a cross-bar this might be less of a problem. Is there actually a practical reason for adding this strapping, or was it really just decoration ?

A Senefelder · 30th June 2014, 05:48 PM

Quote:

where the labels on most examples say that they are old heads on newer shafts.

This is because it was not altogether uncommon in the 19th century during the medieval/gothic revival to rehaft older period pole arm heads ( I've onwed a few of these over the years ) and copy the leather wrapping. Tasseling under the socket and covering the new shaft in fabric ( velvet was popular ) were also common features of the better redos. Doesn't mean this one has undergone that but its the reason for the attributation at Leeds.

fernando · 1st July 2014, 08:11 PM

Boar spears at the Philadelphia Museum of Art:

.

Enmetena · 1st July 2014, 09:24 PM

Don't know for sure but bone crossbars are attached by those straps. It does not however explains why those straps are so long, so probably there was also decorative factor.

Here are two more boar spears from Venceslaus Hollar engravings (mid 17th cent)

Rafal

29th June 2014, 01:53 PM	#3
Enmetena Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 7	Looks like 16th cent German boar spears. Here You can see similar ones: As You can see Yours lacks bone crossbar under the spearhead. Attached Images

1st July 2014, 08:11 PM	#6
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	Boar spears at the Philadelphia Museum of Art: . Attached Images

1st July 2014, 09:24 PM	#7
Enmetena Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Posts: 7	Don't know for sure but bone crossbars are attached by those straps. It does not however explains why those straps are so long, so probably there was also decorative factor. Here are two more boar spears from Venceslaus Hollar engravings (mid 17th cent) Rafal Attached Images

27th June 2014, 07:11 PM	#1
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	It looks fine ... at least to non expert eyes Can't you post more pictures ... like close ups of the mark, leather straping and so on ?

27th June 2014, 09:22 PM	#2
LJ Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 93	I will happily take more photos, but I'm afraid I must leave you all in suspense until next week, when I have access to the collection again. Of course, I should have thought about this before first posting ... sorry !

29th June 2014, 08:01 PM	#4
LJ Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Posts: 93	Many thanks for attaching those images. I must admit that the criss-cross leather strapping has me puzzled. I noticed this feature on boar spears displayed in the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, where the labels on most examples say that they are old heads on newer shafts. I did wonder if the strapping was an original feature - now I can see it IS, from those old illustrations. It still seems to me to be a bit impractical. You would think that the leather would very quickly get into a disgusting state, very difficult to clean after use. In the examples with a cross-bar this might be less of a problem. Is there actually a practical reason for adding this strapping, or was it really just decoration ?