Two-Handed Sword, 1550–1600. Germany, second half 16th Century. Steel, leather and wood grip, bronze pommel; overall: cm (67 1/8 in.); blade: cm (49 7/16 in.); quillions: cm (21 1/8 in.); grip: cm (17 in.); ricasso: cm (13 11/16 in.). The two-handed sword, originally a weapon of war for specialist infantry, is so named because two hands were required to wield it. By the late 1600s, these enormous swords assumed a largely ceremonial or bodyguard function.

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Size: 1449px × 3400px
Photo credit: © CMA/BOT / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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