16-century firearms in stone

[Spiridonov]

The beautiful stone sculpture of sleeping guards from Reutlingen Marienkirche in South Germany (the owner of photo is Timm Radt):

[Spiridonov]

else:

[Spiridonov]

Stone arquebusier
from this site: http://ostdudauphin.forumperso.com/f13-l-artillerie-sources-diverses
Arquebusier de la mise au tombeau (Début XVIe) de la cathédrale d'Auch (Gers, France)

[Spiridonov]

else:

[Spiridonov]

one more

[fernando]

Good ... very good !
Thanks for sharing Alexander :)

[Matchlock]

Hi Alexander,

These stone sculptures doubtlessly range among the most important Late Gothic period artwork on early firearms known so far - thank you so much! ;)

Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

Two interesting surviving examples of almost exactly the Reutlingen type of Landsknecht snap matchlock arquebuses, their lock mechanisms either missing or replaced, and all parts originally and individually nailed to the stocks without lockplates, each ca. 1470's-1500, and preserved in the Royal Armouires Leeds. Please note that the - characteristically expected! - reinforced muzzle sections are missing, both in the stone sculpture and in the existing originals, a feature limited, though rare, to the period around 1500.

The arquebusier is illustrated in the act of fixing a length of thick matchcord to the clamp (head) of the serpentine!

Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

The buttstock of the Reutlingen arquebus sculptured into stone clearly resembles that of a completely preserved original item now in the Hermitage St. Petersburg, made in Nuremberg, ca. 1512-115, the butt painted with the arms of the Nuremberg family of Behaim, the three-stage brass barrel clearly more evolved than the ones illustrated above.

Best,
m

[Matchlock]

In the Bavarian Army Museum Ingolstadt are three crude but nevertheless interesting arquebuses (from Schrobenhausen, a town nearby) preserved that much resemble the one illustrated in Auch cathedral (see images above).

The can be dated closely to ca. 1490-1500.

Best,
Michael

[Spiridonov]

Thank You for share this! It seems Croatian type of arquebuses :shrug:

[Matchlock]

Do you have images of similar Croatian arquebuses, Alexander?

I think these barrels are Nuremberg made and the straight or crooked buttstocks were common to Central Europe 500 years ago.

Attached find illustrations from the painting Die Schlacht im Walde (The Forest Battle), Nuremberg, 1502, and from the Lucerne Chronicle by Diebold Schilling, 1513, depicting the same short and either straight or crooked buttstocks on arquebuses.

Best,
Michael

[Spiridonov]

Michael, I mean this type (second and third from top to bottom)
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/attachment.php?attachmentid=79565&stc=1
the book "Medieval handgonners" mentions that this type is croatian. We can see cross as the mark on the barrel. I have seen similar in book. But this book is muddle-headed :(

[Matchlock]

Alexander,

As I wrote I am absolutely convinced that these barrels, including the one with the cross mark, were wrought in a Nuremberg workshop. Two similar Nuremberg hackbuts with the same workshop mark, and both ca. 1490-1500, are in my collection.

Best,
Michael

[Spiridonov]

this book should be thrown on a scrapyard

[Matchlock]

Hi Alexander,

Before throwing it away, could we please see the hackbuts and marks in question?

Best,
Michael

[Spiridonov]

http://www.linkopingshistoria.se/medeltid/1400-tal/

[Matchlock]

More, showing a crossbow, a stone, a trumpet - and something now missing.

All end of 15th c., the ceiling dated 1499.

Best,
Michael

[Anandalal N.]

Alexander,

Here's a thought. Could the sleeping guard in the first image have timed his sleep to perfection? Knowing how much time it takes for the match-cord to burn a given length he would be woken up when the heat of the match reaches his fingers. Could that be an effective alarm?

Anandalal N.