Circa 1300-1400 AD Iron war hammer with round face, short throat, square neck, diamond-shaped head and long, curving claw on the reverse. A war hammer was a long-handled weapon used by foot-soldiers, often in the defence of fortified walls and in action against mounted men-at-arms. They were intended to deliver blunt-force strikes against armoured opponents, where bladed weapons would only deliver glancing blows. Size: L:245mm / W:46mm; 595g Provenance: Property of an Oxfordshire art professional; previously in an old British collection, formed in the 1990s on the UK / International art markets.