Naval Commando Axe Italy, circa 1600

Extremely ornamented: the iron is openwork, carved in high relief with floral motifs, fantastic and grotesque creatures. This type of axe belonged to captains or officers of the Italian fleet, particularly in Venice.
An almost identical weapon is on display on the website of Lennart Viebahn. We cite from his comments: “In boarding combats the axe was the weapon of first choice as there were no opponents equipped with considerable plate armour. The space for manoeuvrability was limited and the rigging impeded the usage of swords. Hence the captains wore parade hatchets as a sign of leadership. This seems weird at a first glance since from our modern point of view axes are knee-jerk associated with the function as tools for wood cutting or as a simple rural weapon. However the present axe blade was manufactured by steel cutting and chiselling which is a very demanding craft. The steel was handled with small burins and hammers to cut the sculptures out of the hard iron. As this craft was very time consuming and required highly developed skills such blades were very expensive and could only be procured by high ranking and wealthy officers as a status symbol.
For the history of Venice as a wealthy centre of international trade that secured its power by a tremendous fleet, this axe blade is an important reference example. (Lennart Viebahn website).
On a faded red velvet support (20th cent)
Dimensions: 11,8 cm

References:
Musée de l’Armée Hôtel des Invalides (Inventaire n° 2013.0.1194)
Lien: https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/vue-générale/fwELg-Sh36SG2w?childAssetId=hgEmwLae7nPGTg

Lennart Viebahn: http://www.lennartviebahn.com/arms_armour/antiques/naval_commando_axe.html

Collection Rothschild, Waddesdon Manor (Blair, C. (1974) in “Arms, Armour and Base Metalwork, pp. 225”

Real Armeria, Madrid (Nr. H.7): Hacha de Carlos V

Castello Ursino, Catania (Sicily).

Collection Marcello Terenzi, Rom.

Musée de la Porte de Hal, Brussels (Inv. Nr.VI.18)