War Scythe
Author: Unknown
Origin: Unknown
Dating: 17th century
Material: Metal & Wood
Dimensions (cm): 81 x 21
Weight: 1186 g
Inv. no.: PD1018
A double-edged war scythe with a brush cutter blade. The grip is made of wood (wrapped in cloth) and its pommel is of iron.
War sickles were firstly used in the battlefield through the adaptation of the agricultural implements: sickles or reaping-hooks. When standing armies were not common, the infantry was essentially made up of peasants recruited in the farms and they took with them the working tools they had at hand.
Axes, pitchforks, scythes and sickles were frequently found in the battlefield, however, unlike in the agricultural use, the cutting blades were turned outwards so that the opponents could be hit more easily.
Despite the rarity of objects similar to those of the Ducal Palace, there are several variants of war scythes, such as the ones commonly depicted in the personifications of death.
