500 year-old hand firerams illustrations

[Matchlock]

From the cod. icon. 222, ca. 1502, in the Bavarian State Library in Munich.

Michael

[fernando]

Fascinating, Michael
Is the guy an inspector, proofing the guns ?
Looks like there are hundreds of them, piled up everywhere.
Fernando

[Matchlock]

Yes, Fernando, the guy holding the gun to his shoulder may well be sort of an inspector, as the water color showing heaps of barrels and mounted guns seems to illustrate to mounting process in an amory. On the other hand he my just be an harquebusier looking for a new gun ...

[fernando]

Yes, maybe the second version ... considering the guy looks quite 'military' and is armed with a sword, whereas the inspector would dress differently, and unarmed ?!

[Matchlock]

This is the title page of one of various illuminated inventories of Maximilian I's arsenals bound together in about 1502. The text refers to him being "römischer und ungarischer König" as well as "Erzherzog zu Österreich und Burgund". The title of Holy Roman Emperor is not mentioned as Maximilian was only crowned Emperor in 1508.

The other pages give impressions of cannon and other arsenal material.

Note the iron finials to the bottoms of the hafts of halberds of ca. 1500.


Michael

[Matchlock]

The fact that somebody carries a kind of sword would, in my opinion, rather support than contradict the theory that he may be an inspector.

Cf. the sidearm of the guy who is clearly inspecting the quality of incendiary quarrels in one of my former posts!
My interpretation is that being armed underlines his position which is higher than that of the workers.

Michael

[Matchlock]

A 1530's matchlock harquebus with blued iron parts, brass tunnel back sight and heavily swamped muzzle section, the stock left 'in the white'!!!!

Detail of a painting of the Resurrection by Simon Franck, ca. 1540, in the basilica of Aschaffenburg/Northern Bavaria.

Michael