The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 22, 2025

Three halberd's, a weapon with a steel axe blade, short spike sticking from the back, and spike longer than the axe blade sticking from the top. These are mounted on wood shafts with pieces of metal extending over the wood and bolted into it several times. The central halberd has several holes punched into the axe. All three have been tarnished with black specks.

Halberd

1475–1500

Germany

(?)
steel, pierced circular holes; wood haft
Overall: 230.7 cm (90 13/16 in.); Blade: 21.9 cm (8 5/8 in.)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance 1916.1559
Location: 210A Armor Court

Did You Know?

The first halberds are believed to have been made for warriors of medieval Switzerland.

Description

The halberd was a staff weapon favored by European infantries (foot soldiers) of the 1400s and 1500s for its versatility and deadly effect. The word halberd comes from the German words Halm (staff) and Barte (axe). The halberd is, in fact, an axe that served multiple functions: the axe blade was used for hacking, the spike for thrusting, and the beak for piercing plate armor or for pulling a knight from his saddle. The halberd was used by shock troops (those who lead an attack) and by Swiss and German mercenaries. After about 1550, the halberd gradually became less functional. Its large blade provided space for coats of arms and insignia. By the late 1500s, the parade halberd had become a ceremonial weapon for palace guards.
  • ?-1916
    Frank Gair Macomber (1849-1941), Boston, MA, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art
    1916-
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Catalogue of Arms and Armour. [Boston, Massachusetts]: [Frank Gair Macomber], 1900. cat.# 377 archive.org
    Gilchrist, Helen Ives. A Catalogue of the Collection of Arms & Armor Presented to the Cleveland Museum of Art by Mr. and Mrs. John Long Severance; 1916-1923. Cleveland: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1924. Mentioned: p. 182, H4 archive.org
    Fliegel, Stephen N. Arms and Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art. [Cleveland, Ohio]: The Museum, 1998. pp. 67, 129, 167; cat. no. 103
    Fliegel, Stephen N. Arms & Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art. [Cleveland, Ohio]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2007. cat. no. 96, p. 187
  • Armor Court Reinstallation. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer).
    Gothic Art 1360-1440. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 6-September 15, 1963).
  • {{cite web|title=Halberd|url=false|author=|year=1475–1500|access-date=22 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1916.1559