AWL PIKE Austro-German, ca. 1500. Very long, awl-shaped square tip (L ca. 87 cm), which ends in a conical octagonal socket. Signs of corrosion. Slid-on iron-sheet hand guard is somewhat defective. Round shaft, significantly restored. H 270 cm. An exceptionally-rare pole weapon. The Hussite weapon combination of awl spike and targe from the 2nd quarter of the 15th century was adopted primarily by the municipal troops of Austria. Cf. Das Wiener Bürgerliche Zeughaus, Schallaburg catalogue 1977, p.77, No. 59, Ill. 55. * The full tax is charged on this item marked * in the auction catalogue, i.e. VAT is charged on the sum of the bid price plus the surcharge for those items. The VAT will be refunded to Purchasers providing a validly stamped export declaration.

Composed of several subsidiaries, the Drouot Group is a major player in the art market. Hôtel Drouot, located in the heart of Paris, has been the world's largest public auction center since 1852. 15 salerooms are available to more than 70 auction houses. The emulation generated by an annual offer of 230,000 artworks from 21 major specialities - from Antiquity to street art - attracts some 3,000 visitors every day. The Group's digital platform, Drouot.com, offers digital sales - Live auctions (live broadcasting and participation in auctions), Online-only auctions (dematerialised auctions) and Buy Now sales (sales of lots at fixed prices). Nearly 2 million items are offered annually by 600 auction houses. Auction news is reported every week in La Gazette Drouot, the leading weekly magazine for the art market and culture published by Auctionspress.