is cylindrical and hollow. The whole surface is decorated with gold plating in a design of oblong panels of arabesques and intertwined ornaments, introducing what appears to be the Roman numeral IIII. This specimen is Italian, and certainly of the third quarter of the XVIth century. We illustrate three other maces of typical mid-XVIth century form (Fig. 1402 a, b, c). The second of these (Fig. 1402 b) is of especial beauty as regards workmanship; for not only are the head and grip beautifully damascened with gold, but the haft is chiselled with fine motifs in the taste of the French Renaissance, the groundwork being plated with gold. This mace was formerly in the collection of the Duc de Dino, and is now in the Metropolitan Museum of New York. It will be noted that these maces, though retaining the constructional ideas of the XVth century, rely on all the late XVIth century motifs for their enrichment.
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Fig. 1401. Parade mace
Italian, second half of the XVIth cent. Wallace Collection (Laking Catalogue, No. 633)
Towards the close of the XVIth and in the XVIIth centuries, heads of maces are often found of semi-Oriental form; for instance, the head is sometimes constructed with many more flanges, the whole taking almost a spheroidal shape, such as is met with on maces of Turkish and of Polish origin. Then again direct copies of the Indian gargaz, such as that beautifully decorated weapon, No. 647, in the Wallace Collection, are often to be seen (Fig. 1403). The formation of the head of this curious mace or "morning star" appears to be identical with that of the formidable ball-headed mace with small blades protruding from it, a specimen of which, made at Delhi, can be seen in the Wallace Collection (No. 2328 of the Oriental Armour section). The head of the mace is globular and has twenty-two pyramidal spikes; the haft is cylindrical and hollow. The grip is of square section, and terminates in an acorn-shaped pommel with small rondel. It is decorated with oval panels, engraved and plated with gold, each containing an emblematical classical figure, bordered with silver spots. The general groundwork is covered with C-shaped scrolls, and filled with minute work in gold azzimina damascening. Down the centre of the haft is a fluted ornament in gold plating. This mace appears to be a production of northern Italy, probably of Venice, and of the closing years of the XVIth century.
