Antique 16th -17th Century Polish - Hungarian Warhammer Nadziak War Hammer

A Very Rare Antique, late 16th - early 17th century, Polish - Hungarian war-hammer Nadziak, comprising of a hand forged and hand finished steel head with a down-curved beak-shaped fluke of octagonal section, chased with a slender groove and balanced by a stepped square hammer. Mounted on its original wooden haft, of tapering oval section. fitted on the top with an oval brass cap chiseled with scrolls . the base mounted with domed iron cap in the form of the flower head, with ring for suspension cord.

MEASUREMENTS:

Overall length: 81.5 cm (32.09 inches).
Overall length of the steel head: 20.5 cm (8.07 inches).

CONDITION: In its original condition showing age and usage.

REFERENCES:

A War hammer with a very similar head has a Polish Hussar painted on, so called "tablica Gołuchowska", painted circa 1620 A.D. (Gołuchowska Board from Gołuchów castle, depicting the Polish nobility in costumes and with arms from that period).

Please see the pictures attached to the listing.

War hammers with similar formed heads are published in the following references:

1. Arms and armour (The Treasures of the Hungarian National Museum) by Ferenc Temesvári, Plate 33.

2. Throne of Relics” in Honour of “His Royal Highness the Invincible Jan III Sobieski, King of Poland” on the Three Hundredth Anniversary of His Death 1696-1996. Wilanow Palace Museum Warsaw 1996, Page: 226, No: 69, Description: Nadziak Husarski Polska XVII w.

3. Maces, War-hammers and Topors from Hungarian collections, by S. Tibor S. Kovacs, Page: 187, No: 69.

4. A Passion for Collecting - The Collection of Ryszard Z.Janiak, in the Royal Castle in Warsaw 2007, and are published in the catalogue from the exhibition on page 298, No. 1/319.

5. Similar War Hammers were excavated on the Beresteczko battlefield where the great battle took place between the Ukrainian Cossack, led by Bohdan Khmelnytsky, aided by Crimean Tatars and Polish army, under the command of King John II Casimir Vasa.

6. Die Türckische Cammer: Sammlung orientalischer Kunst in der kurfürstlich-sächsischen Rüstkammer Dresden, page 88, No. 66.

7. Husaria Rzeczpospolitej by Sikora Radosław, Śleszyński Radosław

8. A similar Polish War hammer of Prince Vasil Obolensky -Turnin dated to late 16th century is published in the book RUSSIAN ARMS AND ARMOUR. The armoury of the Moscow kremlin. The historical museum Moscow, by Yuri Miller, plate 41 (b).

Please see the pictures attached to the listing.

The buyer will be provided with a copy of the pages from the mentioned references, together with a certificate of authenticity.

The market is flooded by reproductions of Polish and Hungarian 17th-18th century weapons including War hammers made by artisans, particularly those in Poland and neighboring Eastern Europe countries and in North America. These reproductions of historical Polish arms and armour based off authentic objects, some of them are very well made and professionally aged to look like authentic 16th - 18th century objects. However, these reproductions do not have any historical or investment value.

We were fortunate to acquire this War Hammer together with other Polish antiques including antique Polish and Eastern European arms and armour from an old Canadian collection formed prior to the time when this criminal procedure started.

This is an example of a rare authentic antique late 16th - early 17th century Polish -Hungarian War Hammer and is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.

To see all 17 pictures of the sword please see the link below:

https://www.antiquesword101.com/European-Arms-and-Armor.php#!/Antique-16th-17th-Century-Polish-Hungarian-Warhammer-Nadziak-War-Hammer/p/711209851/category=3736929