Choose your weapon—or three. This halberd, a medieval multi-tasking hybrid of axe, sword, and sharpened hook, meant certain death for an enemy. But this halberd was intended only for ceremonial display, a somewhat threatening conversation piece, in the home of a family known for its pomp and circumstance—and its reliance more on marriage than warfare to expand its dominion. It was made for Ferdinand I, the Holy Roman Emperor and a member of the renowned House of Habsburg, one of the most prominent ruling families of Europe for more than 600 years.
An axe to chop, a sword to pierce, a sharpened hook to pull riders off their horses—this trifecta of weapons was death on a stick. In fact, that staff ensured you couldn’t get close to someone wielding a halberd unless you had one of your own.
This halberd is an impressive weapon, not just for fighting but admiring. The extensive decoration, including delicately carved leafy tendrils, point to its ceremonial use as a symbol of power and prestige.
The letters FAR are etched on either side of the crossed staves. They stand for "Ferdinand," "Anna" (his wife) and "Rex" ("King," his title).
The crossed staves impale a coronet, or crown, through its middle. The coronet indicates a ruler and, depending on the type, what kind of ruler he or she is. This particular coronet is a Herzogskrone, or duke’s crown.
Ferdinand I counted the Dukes of Burgundy among his ancestors—another celebrated marital alliance that significantly increased the Habsburg family’s territories.