HELBARD

German, ca. 1586, Claus Lerchli, Kempten, for the Zurich Armory.
Square tip, maker's mark at the base: a shield with a three-leaved clover, somewhat blunt, trapezoidal blade with slanted, slightly concave edge. Top and bottom edges of the blade and beaked hooks decorated with scalloped incisions. Two langets and two shaft bands. Original octagonal shaft, few traces of worming.
L 233.5 cm.

Rare helbard by the armorer Claus Lerchli, active in Kempten in the Allgäu, who supplied the Zurich Armory with 336 helbards of this type in 1586. The helbards were provided with shafts in Zurich. Cf. Jürg A. Meier: Stangenwaffen aus Kempten für Zürich, die Lieferungen Claus Lerchlis in den Jahren 1585-1591, in: Rapport 3 / 4, Schweiz. Waffeninstitut, Grandson 1979, pp. 213-224.