AN ETCHED ITALIAN PARTISAN C.1700

This partisan was carried by a member of a militia or army serving a regional ruler, probably in central Italy. The etched decoration of the head features four portraits in ancient Roman attire including laurel head wreaths. The facial features are purposefully rendered and almost certainly referred to actual living persons at the time. The balance of the decoration involves foliage, both naturalistic and stylized, typical for the northern half of Italy. The octagonal haft is finely finished with a bead along each ridge and tack decoration at both ends. As with most polearms, it was designed to attack at distance, a device which could equalize a foot soldier with a mounted warrior, and is equipped to cut, thrust, and engage to pull down an opponent. Of surviving examples, those bearing original decoration in good preservation number probably less than one in a hundred. 73 1/2" overall length.