Pollaxe

Description

The pollaxe was designed for knights fighting on foot. The stout thrusting tip could pierce through the gaps in an opponent’s armor, without being broken off between the sturdy steel plates. The stout axeblade delivered a powerful blow that could damage armor and cleave bone. The cleated hammerhead was designed to gain a purchase on the surface of armor, which was always designed with rounded shapes that made it harder to get a solid hit. Yet this deadly weapon is also decorated with the elongated and cusped tracery of Gothic art, echoing the look of medieval cathedrals.


Object Information

Date Created:

late 1400s

Local ID:

2014.81

Collection:

Arms and Armor

Latitude:

62.3

Longitude:

12.3

Place of Creation/Discovery:

Northern Europe

Credit Line:

The John Woodman Higgins Armory Collection

Count:

1

Dimensions:

183.4 × 64.9 × 18.5 cm (72 3/16 × 25 9/16 × 7 5/16 in.), 5 lb, 11 oz (weight)

Materials:

steel, brass, and ash wood

Cultural Attribution:

European

Period:

17th century

Classification:

Arms and Armor

Rights:

Public Domain Rights