1777 Pavise

1777) GOTHIC ARCHERS AUSTRIAN PAVISE CIRCA 1450: Almost certainly from one of a large number of pavises sold off many years ago from the Vienna Zeughhaus. Some of the Viennese examples were decorated with the IHS monogram in the “Sun in Splendor,” the top of the “H” sometimes formed as a cross. These examples seem to have been obtained from the city of Olmutz. The central monogram are those of the Bishop of Olomouc (Olmutz) in Moravia, which in the 15th century was a dominion of the kingdom of Hungary and Bohemia.

Introduction: Pavises were referred to in the City of Vienna’s inventory in 1444 as “setztartschen.”. Vienna’s pavises are quite different from the pavises in the rest of Europe. In fact, they can be quite varied in design because of the different troops that occupied the city in the 15th-century. They are often heavily repainted, and some have had their upper corners cut to fit in the arches of the Vienna Zeughaus. The Siege of Vienna took place in September–October 1529. It was a massive effort by the Ottoman Empire under the military leadership of Suleiman the Magnificent, with an army of more than 100,000, to capture Vienna, the capital of the Habsburg Austrian Empire.

Discussion: The pavise is believed to have derived its name from the North Italian city of Pavia as early as 1250. The effectiveness of the pavise is evident by how quickly it spread throughout Europe. The pavise was used with noteworthy results during the Bohemian Wars of 1419- 1434 (Christian Hussites against the combined Christian Catholic forces).

One of the first recorded and best illustrations of a pavise is in “Pageant of the Birth, Life, and Death of Richard Beauchamp Earl of Warwick,” attributed to John Rous, circa 1485–1490. In the Medieval manuscript Liber Viginti Artium (The Book of Twenty Arts)* circa 1413– 1417, the Czech author Pavel Zidek (also called Paulus, Paulus de Praga, Paulerinus, Paulirinus, about) writes: “A pavise is made of wood, glue, and pieces of canvas joined together as thoroughly as possible using glue and interwoven by ligaments.”

In 1562, Tadeáš Hájek** published Aventine, noting that the wood used to construct pavises was willow because of its “stickiness and sinewed character.” One of the main reasons Bohemian pavises have survived more than pavises from other countries is their exceptional decoration. The decoration of pavises was so important that a feud erupted in Prague between the pavise makers and painters. The pavise makers felt they should be responsible for painting the pavises, and for obvious reasons, the painters disagreed. The feud was finally settled when both guilds merged. In the city of Prague, pavises were held in such high regard that:

(1) They were accepted as payment for taxes due.

(2) Pavise makers were exempt from military service.

Provenance: From an old Italian collection.

Description: Constructed of willow wood, glue, and pieces of canvas joined together.

Dimensions: ″17 W x 7″ D x 46″ H

Conclusion: A pavise is a double winner for any collector. It is a piece of Medieval European warfare and a beautiful Medieval painting. They look most impressive hanging on the wall or standing upright on the ground, mimicking their original intended posture when used. Like any Medieval painting, they have been conserved. This superb example could be a centerpiece of any collection or fit in any museum. Here it is for the collector who only wants the rare and the best! Priced to sell to the discriminating collector immediately. ACT KNOW pavises in this good condition sell quickly.!!!*