Późnośredniowieczny miecz w zbiorach Muzeum Historycznego m. Krakowa

Abstract

A LATE MEDIEVAL SWORD IN THE COLLECTION OF THE CRACOW HISTORICAL MUSEUM

Among the specimens of weapons in the permanent exhibition of the Cracow Historical Museum, the late medieval knight's sword which dates from the turn of the fourteenth century and which has not yet received expert description, attracts attention. It comes from the collection in the castle of Namysłów in Lower Silesia and has been in the Historical Museum since 1952.
The sword is in very good condition even though, slightly rusted. The pommel is double-edged, narrowing downwards into a gently marked point. The stout square hilt ends in a diskshaped pommel. The guards of the hilt are slender, with the ends bent slightly downwards. The surface of the pommel is covered with the fairly well preserved signs of a rather complicated design which are still sufficiently distinct not to blur its real meaning.
The dating of the exhibit does not present any special difficulties; according to Oukeshott's classification it may be assumed that the sword described comes from the turn of the fourteenth century. The place where it was made — taking into account some analogies — must have been in the region of Silesia and the Province of Cracow. The possibility cannot be excluded, however, that this unusually interesting problem will be solved more precisely in the future by reading the signs on the pommel.