Art Talking

[John_Clements]

A rare wrestling practice scene from 1442. Note the combat technqiues, a wrist lock being employed at the top, and the leg trip and apparent hair pull at the bottom. A sword, purse, and hat lie placed on the ground. The figures practice under the gaze of the usual staff wielding instructors.

[John_Clements]

An image of seeming sport wrestling next to a church floorplan.
12th centruy French.

[John_Clements]

A rare example of armored fighting that depicts specific examples of known fighting stances confirming those of the fight manuals from the era. The figures wield apparent bastard swords held in, from left to right:post frontale, left vom tag, left pflug (long edge up), and right zornhut. French 15th century.

[John_Clements]

Another rare example of half-swording in period art, this one uniquely illustrating a judicial duel using two well-known techniques right out of the Fechtbuchs. Two apparent daggers or clubs lie on the ground and a female figure awaits her fate from the outcome.

[John_Clements]

Another combat painting that reveals poised snapshots of known fighting stances from the source manuals. From right to left, a posta di donna with pole axe, in the background another poleaxe raised to a high Vom Tag, and to the left a front view of a longsword with Zonhau from the right shoulder. Even the golden armored figure on the far right with poleaxe holds in in a familiar posture.

[John_Clements]

A color plate from the 1447 edition of Hans Talhoffer's well-known Fehctbuch.

[John_Clements]

Here is another interesting one, though somewhat problematic, showing several longsword guards.
Can you spot them? From a 1475 French scene of Roman history.

[John_Clements]

A strange sword hilt.
Note the archer on the far left. He appears to have a falchion or badelair at his right hip, but it's hilt has seemingly no cross gaurd and it's pomel has an unusual upturned partial knuckle bar. From a 15th century French painting.

[John_Clements]

Wearing a longsword formally?
Note the central figure in armor here. His long tapering sword is attached to his hip at by a slender hanging belt at the chape, but is also tied from the waist with a ribbon of cloth at the pommel, while the flaps of his coat cover the cross bar of the hilt. Though the scene apears to be of military regalia, might this be a formal manner of wearing such a sword in late 15th or early 16th century German regions?

[John_Clements]

An excellent depiction of sword and buckler fighting with falchions. Note the familiar stances (!) The buckler's themselves appear to be of leather or wood construction with metal bosses. French, 15th century.

[John_Clements]

Here is a 1534 image of a German plow and how it was used. It offers insight into the fighting stance of Pflug, the "plow", as described in the Fechtbuchs.

In the right Plow we are told to hold the sword to the side with the hands crossed below and the pommel close to the right hip short edge up. This makes perfect sense given the turned and pulled back posture the stance inspires--hence from the hand positions and postures in the image above it is not hard to see whence it's name is derived. It resembles that of working with the plow.

[John_Clements]

A rare photo of a sword wound ---in modern times. A 10 inch gash suffered during the battle of Verdun in WWI.

[John_Clements]

We're finally preparing a major revision and update to our popular Art Talk section, with over 125 new images.
This has been long behind schedule. In the mean time I want to share a few images I found particularly interesting.

John C.

[John_Clements]

From a collection of some of the most unsual sword and buckler images I've yet scene. From a 12th century Spanish illuminated manuscript margin ilustration. Though half-man half-animal, the stances are once again famailiar to those of German Fechtbuchs from the 13th and 14th centuries.

[Brian Hunt]

Hey John,

these are really nice images. I really like the sword and buckler ones.

Brian.