1759) RARE AND MASSIVE ITALIAN GOTHIC WAR SPETUM CIRCA 1500:
Introduction: It was one of the most devastating late Gothic/early Renaissance staff weapons and the quintessential Italian weapon of war.
Provenance: The world-famous Marzoli collection.
Description: Constructed with a large all-steel head with a sharp, quickly tapering wide blade to a sharp tip, a medial ridge at the center with a reinforced tip, and extending side wings on opposite sides of the blade that turn down and taper to a very sharp hooking point. The original pair of langets secure the head to the haft.
The octagonal wooden haft is an ancient working life replacement that has already begun to warp from age and is probably made of ash. I have never seen a Gothic spetum such as this one with its original haft even in museums. Makers mark on both sides, cleaned to museum standards.
Staff weapons with original shafts are an extreme rarity and are highly sought after by collectors and museums.
Why?
Even with the advent of the gun, staff weapons were used as a third line weapons up to the 19th century in Europe. Staff weapon hafts (wood poles) were replaced one to four times during their working life as a result of use and age, which can cause the haft to dry, crack, and bend , rendering them useless. taff weapons had to be ready for use at a moment’s notice (see pages 119 and 353 in my book).
Approximate dimensions: length 92 inches, width 14.5 inches.
Discussion: The Italian Spetum is also known as the Corseca in English, the Korseke in German, and Corseque in French. The spetum is a variant of the brandistocco but with its side wings turned outwards and the tips slightly down.
The staff weapon was an essential weapon of the Middle Ages that changed warfare for multiple reasons:
1) Staff weapons such as the spetum have a significant advantage related directly to their length. This reach advantage allows the man-at-arms to effectively attack without needing to defend himself from attacks.
2) Staff weapons, like the spetum under discussion, could be used to stop the cavalry charge, which was one of the most devastating strategies of the Medieval and Renaissance periods. 3) Since much of the staff weapon was made from wood, they were inexpensive and easy to manufacture. Because the design of the head was relatively simple, they could be made by a village blacksmith.
4) Staff weapons are easy to use, requiring relatively little training to become competent in their use.
5) Staff weapons could be multipurpose weapons. For example, the spetum under discussion is a spear with two flukes (wings) to dismount a knight from his horse.
6) Staff weapons require the use of multiple large muscles; therefore, the body fatigues more slowly.
7) Since staff weapons are long and provide leverage, they generate high-impact, deep penetrating strikes.
Comparable: The Collectors Course On Medieval Arms and Armor,2021, Garcia, page 352.
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Conclusion: A rare and highly sought-after typology of staff weapon with an impressive provenance. When you enter a room with a massive spetum like this, it’s one of the first items people point to—priced to sell immediately. It is a very early piece that could be in a museum or major collection. I have had spetums in the past, but nothing like this massive early one. ACT-NOW, you will not be disappointed!!!*