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Ceremonial maces in the United Kingdom began as lethal weapons of medieval knights in England, Scotland, and Wales, evolving into ceremonial objects carried by sergeants-at-arms. In the United Kingdom , they now represent the monarch's authority in parliaments and councils, and royal maces are borne in procession at the State Opening of ...
Some officials of the medieval Eastern Roman Empire carried maces for either practical or ceremonial purposes. Notable among the latter is the protoallagator, a military-judicial position that existed by about the 10th century A.D. and whose symbols of office were reported by the Palaiologan writer Pseudo-Kodinos in the 14th century to include a silver-gilt mace (matzouka).
Articles relating to ceremonial maces, highly ornamented staffs of metal or wood, carried before a sovereign or other high officials in civic ceremonies by mace-bearers, intended to represent the official's authority. The mace, as used today, derives from the original mace used as a weapon.
With ceremonial swords, an example of this is that the sword may be poorly balanced. Historically, however, many ceremonial weapons were also capable of actual combat, most notably in the military. Maces , halberds , daggers , and swords are the most common form of ceremonial weapons, but in theory almost any weapon can become ceremonial.
The ceremonial mace is a short, richly ornamented staff often made of silver, the upper part of which is furnished with a knob or other head-piece and decorated with a coat of arms. The ceremonial mace was commonly borne before eminent ecclesiastical corporations, magistrates, and academic bodies as a mark and symbol of jurisdiction.
Ceremonial maces (1 C, 16 P) R. Ritual weapons (1 C, 49 P) W. Wands (2 C, 20 P) ... Ceremonial maces in the United Kingdom; Ceremonial shield from the Tombs of Vergina;
Objects used at the coronation ceremony variously denote the monarch's roles as head of state of the United Kingdom, Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and head of the British armed forces. The regalia feature heraldic devices and national emblems of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, and other Commonwealth countries.
Neville donated a silver ceremonial mace to the Corporation of East Retford to be carried by the senior bailiff. Arthur Kidson reports that Neville "did much for the town". He describes the mace as "Silver gilt, 3 feet 113/8 inches long, surmounted by an arched crown with the orb and cross.