Pole Weapons in the Collection of the Wawel Royal Castle

by Krzysztof J. Czyżewski

Kraków 2013

Pole Weapons – halberds, pikes, spontoons, partisans, lances, berdisches – belongs to this section of antique arms that are usually neglected by scholars and museum catalogues. Only the most prominent examples are the subject of closer examination. That is the reason why still so many of the number of pole arms are quite enigmatic for the collectors and museum curators.

Wawel Royal Castle in Krakow is in posession of quite large number of pole weapons. The collection was solicitously rebuilt through the years after II WW. The original collection was in large extent stolen, destroyed or missing since 1795 when the Royal Castle was taken first by Prussian soldiers and later became Austrian Army Garisson.

This catalogue fills the important gap in our knowledge about those arms, so often used in the past. This huge book makes huge impression already at first sight: it is huge, thick, with nicely designed front cover. This impression doesn’t go away after opening the book. Long, detailed descriptions and a lot of pictures: each weapon is taken on its both sides (!) and complemented with numerous pictures of stamps.

The author’s approach is very interesting. With the detailed descriptions he provides to the reader not only basic description but also the history of the object and, what seems to be most significant, many analogies to the similiar objects in other museum and auctions.

For English reader the important information is the book is provided with full, 1:1 translation!

The book is already sold out by the publisher and became rarity!