HELBARD Swiss or German, 1st quarter of the 16th century. Massive short square tip, long narrow trapezoidal blade with slanted, straight edge, strike mark (sword stroke ?), blade upper and lower edges minimally concave, beaked hook, mark: "U"-shaped mark in a pentagon with tapered base. Two langets. Octagonal shaft, significantly restored. L 191.5 cm. Provenance: - Collection M. Sigrist, Lucerne. Rare early helbard shape from the time of Marignano 1515 and Pavia 1525. A weapon from the same workshop is in the Collection "Altes Zeughaus" Solothurn and in the Metropolitan Museum N.Y. Cf. Rudolf Beglinger/Marco A. R. Leutenegger: Die Stangenwaffen im Museum Altes Zeughaus Solothurn, Solothurn 2004, p.20, No. 3. John Waldmann: Hafted Weapons in Medieval and Renaissance Europe, Boston 2005, p. 50, Ill. 49.

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