COURT SCEPTER DESIGNED AS A MACE

German or Swiss, 1st half of the 17th century.
Head with six openwork pointed leaves with engraved decoration. Acorn-shaped end. Shaft consisting of two halves divided by a central ring with a movable ring. Wooden handle, with iron rosettes on both sides, screw fastener at the bottom.
L 63.8 cm.

A rare court-related antique item. By the end of the 16th century, hand-held maces had lost their primary function as combat weapons in large parts of Europe (excluding Eastern Europe); however, they were sometimes still used as command staffs or court scepters. For this reason, court scepters made in the 17th/18th centuries often resemble the former hand-held maces, as symbols of rulership. Court scepters, which are probably from the same workshop, are in the collections of the 'von Graffenried' and 'von Wattenwyl' families. Rudolf Wegeli: Stangenwaffen, Bernisches Hist. Museum, 1939, pp. 2-3, Ill. 2, 3. Hans Braun: Familie von Wattenwyl, 2004, p. 112. Hans Braun: Familie von Graffenried, 2012, p. 65.