CIRCA 1575-85

细节

A RARE NORTH GERMAN (BRUNSWICK) EMBOSSED IRON CARTRIDGE-BOX (PATRON)
Circa 1575-85
With wooden body of plano-convex section drilled for five cartridges, the interior fitted with a brass plate reinforcing the apertures, the body with two fabric-covered panels at the front, the remainder almost completely encased in blackened iron finely embossed in high relief, involving a pair of frontal panels each decorated with a pierced formal arrangement of leaves and scrolls issuant from a central rosette, border panels with diamond-shaped nodules arranged in rows and all engraved in imitation of rough bark, the base embossed with a series of putti masks and fruit joined as a frieze, hinged spring-actuated lid embossed with a winged putto mask, and with three loops for suspension.
5 1/8in (13.1cm)

注意事项

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price and at 15% on the buyer's premium

拍品专文

The embossed patterns have elements strongly in common with those on a series of wheel-lock firearms with embossed metal stocks, made for Duke Julius of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel (r. 1568-89). For examples from the series made for the wedding of Duke Julius's son, Prince Heinrich Julius, in 1585, see Wolfgang Glage, Das Kunsthandwerk der Büchsenmacher im Land Braunschweig, 1983, pp.47-57, 71.

A payment made in 1585 to the Brunswick gunmaker Ditrich Oberst for 100 such pairs of pistols and a gun stocked in brass included payment for 100 powder-flasks.