The head of the mace was its striking part, so it was made of solid material. Among the archaeological findings, there are heads made of stone, non-ferrous metals (usually copper-containing alloys), and iron, and some are made of cast iron. Simple heads had a rounded or oval shape and sometimes featured spikes. More complex specimens were made in polygonal shapes studded with spikes or had a cubic shape (in the latter case, such a mace was referred to in Russian as “brus”). Another type of mace is the flanged mace, which has a cylindrical sleeve, to which vertical ribs are welded or soldered using copper solder.

Often, maces did not only serve a combat function but also played the role of a status symbol. In such cases, they were decorated with inlays of non-ferrous or precious metals, silver or gold plating, or even overall gilding. If the mace had a dual purpose, inscriptions could be applied, typically in the form of mottos or biblical quotes.

The presented specimen of a mace is iron-based and has a cubical shape, suggesting it could be made in the second half of the 14th century. Such maces began to appear around the same time as the development of heavier armor, and arms experts consider those two trends related.