Forged iron two-handed bludgeoning mace "Morning-Star" or "Morgenstern", France or Germany, 1370-1420

Massive two-handed bludgeoning or melee mace, "Morning-Star" or "Morgenstern" type, made of forged iron and fixed to a solid wooden handle which allowed an extremely firm grip, in the Gothic period (1370-1420) in France or Germany.

This exceptional bludgeoning mace is made of a large sphere in forged and polished iron on which are applied 6 conical points arranged symmetrically, also in forged iron and brazed with silver or tin. The creation of this type of bludgeoning mace was the most suitable in the workshops of master gunsmiths in the Middle Ages, to the extent that they had to meet the fundamental requirements: to be extremely resistant to withstand the strong blows caused by the impact against the solid armor of the enemies, without suffering the slightest damage.

The excellent construction of this mace is also to be considered in function of its perfect balance in the two-handed grip which, once grasped, thanks to the slightly tapered handle, could be brandished by the infantryman with great ease and speed, being able to hit multiple opponents in a melee with minimum effort and maximum precision, despite its considerable weight. In essence, a blow delivered with adequate force and precision, this mace was able to sink even a robust combat armor, causing the unfortunate victim very serious injuries or even death caused by the trauma of the deadly impact.

This mace, depicted in some medieval miniatures, also appears to be used as a throwing weapon or, by replacing the handle with a much longer one, it became possible to use it to cripple the cavalry's steeds. Nonetheless, it was also used by knights as it was a versatile and frighteningly devastating mace precisely because of its construction characteristics which were undoubtedly designed and designed to be as destructive as possible.

One of the very few surviving clubs of this type, in exceptional condition.