LATE 16TH CENTURY

Details

A Very Rare 18-Bore South German Matchlock Petronel
Late 16th Century
With tapering octagonal barrel fitted with later shaped tubular back-sight, large pan with pivoting hand-operated cover with bud-shaped finial, and vertical flash-shield at the rear, later lock with border engraved match-holder, fruitwood full stock (fore-end altered, butt repaired) inlaid with white staghorn lines enclosing horn plaques engraved with fruit, foliage, cabled ornament, masks, portrait busts, demi-figures, and on the front and back of the pointed tip of the butt with two large standing figures of musketeers in late 16th century costume in the manner of Hendrick Goltzius, later long iron trigger with baluster finial, and horn-tipped ramrod
39in. (99.1cm.) barrel

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

Horn-inlaid petronels with this distinctive type of hooked butt are found to-day mainly in public collections, for example: the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (inv. no. 32. 75. 111), the Musée Royal de l'Armée et d'Histoire Militaire, Brussels (inv. no. IX/6), the Royal Armouries, Leeds (inv. no. XII. 12), the Hofjagd- und Rüstkammer, Vienna (inv. no. D 271), the Kienbusch Collection, Philadelphia (inv. no. 635), and the Polish Army Museum (illustrated and described in Zdzislaw Zygulski, jr., Stara bron w polskich zbiorach, no. 189, p. 184

More from ANTIQUE ARMS AND ARMOUR AND BOOKS

View All