Ottoman War and Sport Maces

Mace is a close-quarter fighting weapon. Before the invention of firearms it has been used in both infantry and cavalry as a striking and smashing weapon. It may basically be described as “a ball-shaped head at the tip of a handle”. Other than its usage as a weapon, mace has been used as a symbol of authority and as a sport equipment. Lifting heavy maces and/or using maces skillfully in wars had been considered as a heroic accomplishment among the ancient Turks. In Ghaznavid, Seljuk, and Beylik periods, as well as in the early Ottoman period, mace was an important military weapon. The present paper, after briefly introducing the historical development of maces, will examine the maces used in ceremonies, wars and sportive activities as based on historical visual material in Ottoman Turkey, Iran, India and Japan. It will also give information about mace-lifting of sultans as an athletic accomplishment and about mace-makers