17th Century Austrian War Axe

This is a Western war axe dating from the 17th century. The stock with its wheel-shaped guards on each side of the grip area and the attachment ring at the end of the hilt indicate a Germanic origin.
On the other hand, the curved hook opposite the edge of the axe does not correspond to the models usually encountered. It strongly evokes the Turkish war hammers of the 16th and 17th centuries, called "kulunks" or "djokkans". There is an obvious Ottoman influence, which is probably related to the weapons recovered from the enemy after the first siege of Vienna in 1529.
So it is logical to attribute an Austrian origin to this weapon, at the (conflicting) crossroads of the Ottoman and Holy Roman Empire civilizations. It can reasonably be dated to the 17th century, before the second siege of Vienna in 1683, which probably made the desire to carry a weapon that was a little too reminiscent of the enemy disappear.
HEAD OF THE AXE : on one side there is an asymmetrically cut iron, and on the opposite side a double-curved hook that was intended to dismantle the cuirasses at their weak points. In the center of the iron of the axe, and extending the weapon in line with the handle, there is an eight-sided conical point. The head of the axe extends towards the handle by an iron socket in which the wood is fitted.
STOCK : it is made of hard, dark and clearly old wood. it extends to the end of the weapon to form the grip
HILT : it is separated from the stock by a double iron guard, oval and asymmetrical, the side of the oval corresponding to the cutting edge of the axe being larger, in order to protect the user's fingers.
On the opposite side and therefore at the end of the handle opposite the axe head, we find the same shape of guard with also a thick part chiseled in a twist on the edge and a thin part chiseled in the shape of a flower.
The hilt ends with a strong ring which was most likely used to attach a safety link connected to the saddle of the horse, or to the body of the rider, and which shows signs of wear resulting from long use.
The wood of the grip is covered with leather which has become very hard and seems old, it is twisted on string.

It is in summary a beautiful object, rare and atypical which deserves to appear in a Haute Epoque collection.
Ref A4Y-2568
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