16th Century Two Handed Sword

16th Century Two Handed Sword 1500 – 1525 A.D Wallace Collection, A479. originally found in the River Thames in London. Type XX As the Middle Ages gave way to the Renaissance, the sword became more than just a knightly weapon – it became one of the essential arms of the infantry, as well as the weapon of a gentleman. The two-handed sword had begun as an instrument of war, but now it evolved. Swordplay in 16th century Germany was a refined martial art, with at least two centuries of development by masters of swordsmanship such as Johannes Liechtenauer, Sigmund Ringeck, and Hans Talhoffer. The longsword was used for judicial duels, which could be armored or unarmoured. These duels made frequent use of winding and binding, as each swordsman tried to maneuver the tip of their blade into position to strike at their opponent’s head. All across Europe, knowledge of swordplay became a basic requirement for the Renaissance gentleman. With the longsword being used more and more for dueling and b