A Rare Italian Brandestoc, Mid-17th Century

Of iron, with waisted octagonal hammer-head engraved with a lion rampant on the flat face, and balanced by a beak-shaped fluke of diamond section incised with foliage, a rounded mount between incised with bands of foliage en suite (lid missing), a waved double-edged blade emerging between a pair of sprung spikes (one an old replacement) each of slender triangular section, and seamed tubular haft (probably shortened) reinforced at the bottom with an iron tube (some old rust patination overall)
51 cm. extended

For a related example see Lionello G. Boccia and Eduardo T. Colelho, Armi Bianchi Italiane, 1975, p. 401, nos. 596-600