Two-Handed Sword with Flamboyant Blade, 1550–1600. Germany, second half 16th Century. Steel, leather and wood grip with brass rivets; bronze pommel; overall: cm (66 1/2 in.); blade: cm (46 3/4 in.); quillions: cm (19 7/8 in.); grip: cm (19 3/8 in.); ricasso: cm (10 1/2 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: 2133px × 3400px
Photo credit: © CMA/BOT / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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