Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History



  • Head of a Hunting Spear, 1425–50
    German or Austrian
    Steel, inlaid with brass

    Ex coll.: William H. Riggs, Paris
    Gift of William H. Riggs, 1913 (14.25.321)

    Spearheads such as this one were used for hunting various types of large game, especially wild boar, deer, and bear. The protruding wings on either side of the base were intended to check the forward momentum of a charging animal, keeping it at a safe distance from the hunter. The fine brass inlay decorating the spearhead is a reminder that hunting was a favorite pastime of nobility during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

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    Head of a Hunting Spear, 1425–50
    German or Austrian
    Steel, inlaid with brass

    Ex coll.: William H. Riggs, Paris
    Gift of William H. Riggs, 1913 (14.25.321)


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