LOT 0243

Eastern European Silver Inlaid War-Hammer

16TH CENTURY A.D.

7 1/4 in. (453 grams, 18.5 cm).

A copper-alloy war-hammer composed of ellipsoidal socket, waisted butt with shallow conical face and tapering, lozenge-section head, inlaid with a silver 'net' design.

Private collection of Mr M.B., Mainz, Germany, 1990s.
Property of a London businessman.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by search certificate no.11203-186235.

See Paszkiewicz, M., 'Polish War Hammers: Czekan Nadziak, Obuch', in The Journal of The Arms and Armour Society, vol. VIII, no. 3, June 1974, pp. 225-227, pls. LXXXI - LXXXII, for parallels of war-hammers of this type; Popov, S., ‘Late Medieval War Hammers from Vatevi Collection (Bulgaria)’ in Relaţii Interetnice în Transilvania, Militaria Mediaevalia în Europa centralâ şi de sud-est, Sibiu, pp.71-83, figs. 8-9, type XI.

The name obuch is Polish and means 'the blind end of an axe', but already at the beginning of the 15th century it meant a [unspecified] war hammer. According to Polish sources of 17th century, the war-hammer could have been formed into the shape of an axe (czekan), or in the form of a thick, slightly sloping spike (nadziak), or curved like a round cracknel (obuch). A 17th century description states: 'It was a terrible instrument in the hand of a Pole...With the sabre one could cut off somebody’s hand, cut the face, injure the head, and the running blood of the adversary would calm down the rancour. But with the obuch one could cause a deadly wound without even seeing the blood, and – not seeing it – he would not calm down instantly, but would strike several times without cutting the skin, breaking ribs and bones at the same time.'