CALIVERMAN's Powder Flasks and Their Leather Frogs, Nuremberg, ca. 1580-1620

[Matchlock]

Please see:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=8506

Michael

[Matchlock]

Two fine Saxon samples for guardsmen of the Trabanten-Leibgarde of the Saxon Elector Christian I, 1580's.

Michael

[Matchlock]

This one is unusual for having a velvet covered wooden body and retaining its original tinning on the iron mounts. Most Nuremberg flasks were quite plain.

Michael

[Matchlock]

Of Nuremberg make, ca. 1600, the body carved, the fire gilt cast bronze mounts highly figured and engraved with the characteristic Nuremberg style of foliage.

This is also unusual for having a ball reservoir on the underside which was released by turning the cross cut screw. The frog hook is missing from the obverse.

Height 20.5 cm.

It fetched 6,000 euro at a German auction last year, its estimate was a humble 100 euro - imagine! Of course it is worth double the sum it went for ...


Michael

[Matchlock]

Another fine Saxon leather frog with a wooden compartment drilled for four paper cartridges, together with a finely carved Suhl Schützenflasche (caliverman's flask), the frog hook missing from the reverse, and a wheel-lock spanner, all ca. 1580.

Michael

[Matchlock]

An unusual leather frog for a caliverman's flask, ca. 1580, in the Princes Odescalchi Colln., near Rome.

[Jim McDougall]

Hi Michael,
As always, magnificent items, and it is incredible to see all the work and creativity that went into things that would otherwise been considered simple utilitarian implements to accompany the firearms of the times.

I always think it is interesting to see the artwork applied to material culture and how it compares to the actual art of the periods associated. While the markings and inscriptions on the weapons themselves often carry varying degrees of symbolism beyond the commercial and perhaps even mundane bureaucratic purposes of the time, it is interesting to consider what type of symbolism might have been imbued in the applied art on these items, or if any other than simple aesthetics.

I suppose one example of such applied art used on weapons of these times
would be the 'Holstein' daggers and use of his "Dance of Death" artwork.

In looking at these powder flasks, I was somehow drawn to the screws and began to think about how amazing it was that these simple pieces of hardware have remained virtually unchanged through so many centuries of advances in technology. I cant help but wonder more on how long this simple element has existed as used on weaponry. Simplistic I know, but always just curious. :)

Thank you for these great photos!!!

All the best,
Jim

All the

[Matchlock]

The larger frog of yellowish color, Nuremberg, ca. 1580, the plicated pouch retaining a beech wood compartment drilled for four paper cartridges two of which are still present, the lead balls now oxidized to a greyish white, as well as some tow and a portion of matchcord, each preserved in its separate leather compartment; together with a caliverman's flask, Nuremberg, ca. 1580, and of unusually good quality, the wooden body retaining much of its original red paint and fitted with well wrought iron mounts, the bottom mount containing a very rare additional ball reservoir with a spring loaded lid and one ball still present, now oxidized to a greyish white.

The smaller frog of grey suede, Nuremberg, ca. 1600, the pouch probably meant for reserve balls, the reverse with an old inventory number in red ink; together with a plain caliverman's flask, Nuremberg, early 17th century, the blackened body of fir wood with plain and thin iron mounts.

Displayed together with two musketeers' bandoliers, ca. 1600, and a bundle of original matchcord, all from my collection; more on these rare accouterments to follow soon.

400 year old fragile leather and textile items range among the greatest rarissimae.

Michael

[Matchlock]

More details of the better quality frog, plus two good Nuremberg caliverman's flasks, ca. 1580's to 1600, the wooden bodies covered with tooled blackened leather, retaining their reverse frog hooks; from my collection.

Michael

[Matchlock]

Another Nuremberg Schützenflasche, late 16th century, the frog hook damaged at the tip.

Michael

[Matchlock]

Details from two paintings by Sebastiaen Vrancx, ca. 1625-30, preserved at the Museum of Fine Arts, Brussels, Belgium.

From roelipilami's excellent photostream on www.flickr.com - thank you so much, roelipilami!

Michael

[Matchlock]

Note the unvarnished stocks and blued iron parts of both the wheel-lock and matchlock muskets.

Michael

[Matchlock]

With gilt-copper mounts, and retaining its original leather frog covered with gold-embroidered textiles, ca, 1590, made for a high-ranking officer of the Trabanten-Leibgarde (body guard) of Christian I or II, Elector of Saxony; provenance: the Royal Saxon Collections, Dresden.

The carved representation is the standard motif found on all Saxon calivermen's flasks, the pikeman.

Preserved in the Met, NY.

Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

A very fine and large example of a caliverman's cowhorn flask, Nuremberg, ca. 1595-1618, overall length 37 cm.

The biblical scene of Judith with the head of Holofernes is often found on the flattened cowhorn bodies of Nuremberg flasks. The engraving is of good quality and its blackening as well as the patina of the iron parts are perfectly preserved. This dark patina comes quite close in impact to the originally blued surfaces.
The reverse of the flask shows a 17th c. arsenal mark, A 1, and what most probably was the owner's initials, LZ in somewhat clumsy script.

Although it retains its long hook (actually not a 'belt' hook but for attaching the flask to the leather frog) this flask is not perfect: the horizontal cut-off is missing from the top mount base plate, its spring is still present.
The bottom close-up of another flask of this type shows what the srcrolled cut-off lever looked like.

Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

Calivermen with their light matchlock gun (the caliver), the characteristic flat and curved powder flask carried attached to the leather frog by means of the reverse-side hook, and a man's portion of matchcord.

From Jacob de Gehyn's famous exercise manual Wapenhandelinghe, 1607-08.

m

[Matchlock]

Two more more close-ups, the first depicting a white cowhorn flask.

Please note the cord and tassels consisting of silk and wool!

m

[Matchlock]

For a comprehensive thread on matchcord, please see

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=15668



m

[Matchlock]

Nuremberg calivermen's flaks, late 16th to early 17th c., author's collection.

Most of them retaining their original cord, and two of them are even complete together with their extremely rare original leather frogs (for close ups, see posts #8 and #9 above).

The flask at the bottom, with the wooden body painted red, is of unusually fine Nuremberg make and, as a very rare extra, combines a ball rerservoir in the bottom mount. It is also preserved complete with its original leather frog, fitted with a pouch containing a compartment for four paper cartridges (three of which are still there, one displayed separately in another of my glass cases!) and a portion of matchcord! The original leather straps (damaged) can be seen next to it.

Again, see more in posts #8 and 9.


m

[Matchlock]

For much more stuff, see

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=8506


m

[Matchlock]

A caliverman's flask, German or Swiss, ca. 1600; the body of flattened, bleached and engraved cowhorn, the mounts of blackened iron, the opening ring of the top mount with an additional small iron device of unknown purpose attached by a chain;
the obverse engraved with a mythological hunting scene, the reverse engraved with characteristic concentric circles, the frog hook missing from the reverse (the small hole filled where it was attached by a threaded pin).

m

[Matchlock]

A similar caliverman's flask as before, the style of the engraving Nuremberg, ca. 1600, the obverse depicting two warriors all'antica, the reverse engraved with typical concentric circles, the mounts of blued iron (heavily patinated and discolored), and retaining its original reverse-mounted long frog hook (often incorrectly callred 'belt hook)';
spring-loaded manually operated nozzle cover, the spring missing;
preserved in oustanding original condition overall, with all engravings crisp and retaining their deeply blackened ground;
the original spring missing from the

m

[Matchlock]

Saxon caliverman's flask retaining its leather frog, ca. 1590-1600:

Wallce Colln., London

m

[Matchlock]

A Flemish or Swiss caliverman's engraved cowhorn flask, dated 1594;
Wallace Colln., London.

m

[Matchlock]

Two unusually fine South German caliverman's flasks, for guardsmen, ca. 1600, the blackened cowhorn bodies engraved with foliage, the mounts incised and gilt;

- the first probably Augsburg, the top mount featuring a lid for an additional compartment of unknown purpose, and complete with reverse belt hook;

- the second engraved with characteristic Nuremberg foliage, the bottom comprising a compartment for spare balls, and complete with reverse belt hook;

both Wallace Colln, London.


For similar flasks combined with ball compartments see posts #4, 8 and 18.



m

[Matchlock]

Two further caliverman's flasks, ca. 1590-1600, the bottom mount comprising a reservoir for spare balls;
the lower one, with etched and gilt mounts, dated 1594, preserved in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum Nuremberg.

m

[Matchlock]

A caliverman's flask with plain wooden body, ca. 1590-1600.

And a contemporary cowhorn flask retaining its original raw silk and wool tassels, in the Legermuseum Delft.

m

[Matchlock]

An unusually fine South German (Augsburg or Nuremberg) caliverman's flask, ca. 1590-1600;
the body of bleached, flattened, engraved and blackened cowhorn; a very rare feature is the fact that the mounts are made of brass, embossed, pierced, engraved punched with decorative quatrefoils; the reverse-mounted belt hook of iron.
The obverse engraved with a sunburst and typical Nuremberg style foliage, the reverse with the usual concentric circles.
The whole preserved in optimum condition.

This finely wrought flask was most probably designed for a guardsman of a small unit.

Sold Hermann Historica, April 23, 2012, after failing to sell at least in two previous auctions!


m

[Matchlock]

Another very rare instance of a good-quality caliverman's leather frog, ca. 1600, very similar in make to a sample in the author's collection, see post # 8.

Displayed inaptly together with a triangular musketeer's flask, in the museum of Weissenburg/Bavaria, not far from the author's home.
Author's photos.

m

[Matchlock]

A fine sample of a caliverman's frog, Nuremberg, ca. 1600, the obverse covered with a grayish velvet (obviously made for a guardsman; only the primary layer preserved, with the surface rubbed).
Please note the characteristic Nuremberg heart-shaped ornamental piercings.

The Royal Armouries Leeds; author's photos, 1997.

m

[Matchlock]

Two more fine German Schützenflaschen (caliverman's flasks), the first most probably Saxony, with natural cowhorn body, ca. 1600, the other Augsburg or Nuremberg, same period of time, the edged brass body completely copper-gilt (fire gilding), the frog hook broken off and missing.

m

[Matchlock]

Two more of the Saxon flask with the elaborately pierced and gilt mounts.


And the gilt-mounted Augsburg or Nuremberg flask, its body made of copper-gilt brass throughout.


m

[Matchlock]

More of this stunning flask in the North Italian manner.
I seems like there is a central ball compartment in the bottom mount.

m

[Matchlock]

Jacob de Gheyn's caliverman (Schütze) filling a definite portion of powder from his horn (note the frog hook!) into the barrel of his caliver (Schützenrohr), 1608.

m

[Matchlock]

Pieter Snayers (*1592 in Antwerp, + ca. 1667 in Brussels) was a famous and prolific painter of historic battle scenes.
Please note the battle formations as squares of musketeers, calivermen, pikemen etc., which were charateristic of that period of time.

From top:

- Battle of White Mountain near Prague, Nov. 8, 1620, the first big battle of the Thirty Years War (1618-48)

- Siege of the Fortress of Löwen near Vienna, with many close-ups of weapons and accouterments, such as matchlock muskets, musket rests, bandoliers, drums and two lengths of matchcord kept in hand smoldering at both ends

- Siege of Vienna, June 5-12, 1619

- Battle of Lützen, Nov. 16, 1632, where the Swedish King Gustav Adolf died of musket wounds


Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

The fighting order at the Battle of Lützen, Nov. 16, 1632, of both the Swedish and Imperial forces.

m

[Matchlock]

This finely made Nuremberg specimen I photographed at an auction viewing in 2009.

Please also note the close-ups of the original woollen tassels of another caliverman's flask.


m

[Matchlock]

On the right is a caliverman's flask with plain wooden body, ca. 1580-1600, in the reserve collection of the City Museum of Köln (Cologne).

Author's photo, 1987.

For more on trapezoid flasks like those depicted in the photo, please see my thread
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=15724

[Matchlock]

A characteristic Nuremberg made and engraved caliverman's flask of bleached cowhorn, retaining its originally blackened iron mounts and frog hook, the body dated 1607.
Please remember that, contrary to the dealer's assertion, this is NOT a musketeer's flask!

m

[Matchlock]

We have seen finely carved flasks for calivermen of the Royal Saxon Trabantenleibgarde of the Electors Christian I and II, ca. 1590, retaining their original leather frogs, in posts # 2 and 5 above.
Here is another good sample retaining most of its original blued finish on the iron mounts, including the frog hook, ca. 1590.

m

[Matchlock]

And a fine North Italian cuir bouilli flask decorated with characteristic roped Renaissance ornamentation, iron mounts and reverse belt hook, ca. 1560-70.
The specific overall shape follows that of the contemporary side bags (German: Gürteltaschen) that - in an epoch before ca. 1600 when garments did not yet have integral bags - everybody had to wear on the belt to carry coins but also all the other little things of importance, like written documents etc.

m

[Marcus den toom]

Was the North Italian cuir bouilli flask for presentation purposes or for a (mostlikely) wealthy person?
Their seems to be some remnants of gilding? And does this flask have a (screw) lid on top? I remember from one of your other threads that this was the case with some of these flasks.

Much appreciated as always ;)

[Matchlock]

Hi Marcus,


As the dealer's description does not mention otherwise I assume that what seems to be some gilding actually is a light reflection from the photo session.

Those flasks, like the one in discussion, are indeed characterized by having a number of screws, especially before ca. 1570. The basal plate of the top mount/lid is generally fixed by a transverse screw, as seems to be the case here.


Best,
Michael

[Martin Moser]

Very interesting! There is a very similar flask in the Deutsches Ledermuseum. A picture can be found in Rex Lingwood's discussion of cuir bouilli here: http://makersgallery.com/rexlingwood/waterer.html -> download the PDF available there.

[Matchlock]

Right,


Here it is, ca. 1560-70.

I also attached another, contemporary sample in a private collection (the belt hook missing from the reverse).


m

[Martin Moser]

Excellent details, thanks again, Michael :-)
It looks like the back plate is wood, covered with thin leather - is that correct? Is there also a wooden corpus to the front (the balbous) part? From what I read so far, it would seem that the front is leather alone, treated to be hard enough to not need any wooden or otherwise backing (i.e. cuir bouilli or similar).

Thanks,
Martin

[Matchlock]

Hi Martin,

Alas there is none of these Italian flasks in my collection so I cannot tell with certainty whether there is a wooden back plate underneath the hardened leather.

m

[Marcus den toom]

Some pictures of similair pieces.
This link is a rich source of powder flask and maybe even more.

http://silverwolf.lviv.ua/forum/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=5212

and this one as well

http://www.pinterest.com/scasocial/as-leatherwork/


http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/arms-armor/an-italian-cuir-bouille-powder-flask-early-17th-5305661-details.aspx

http://i57.tinypic.com/24bqkxd.png

_______________
"Powder-flask
Unknown Artist / Maker
Italy and Balkan
c. 1550- c. 1575 and 19th century
c. 1550- c. 1575 (body)
1800 - 1899 (mounts)
Leather and copper alloy, tooled
Height: 19 cm
Weight: 0.28 kg
Label: '904' Blue-edged label"

http://silverwolf.lviv.ua/forum/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=5212

http://i60.tinypic.com/2u59vvd.jpg


_____________________
"Powder-flask
Unknown Artist / Maker
Italy
3rd quarter of 16th century
Leather and steel, embossed and tooled
Height: 18.4 cm
Weight: 0.355 kg"

http://i61.tinypic.com/10h65jo.jpg

___________________
"Powder-flask
Unknown Artist / Maker
Italy
3rd quarter of 16th century
Leather and steel, embossed and tooled
Height: 18.4 cm
Weight: 0.48 kg"

http://i58.tinypic.com/69g9zp.jpg

______________________
"Powder-flask
Unknown Artist / Maker
Italy
3rd quarter of 16th century
Leather and steel, embossed, incised and chiselled
Height: 17.7 cm
Weight: 0.445 kg"

http://i61.tinypic.com/ilx8gz.jpg


___________________
"Powder-flask
Unknown Artist / Maker
Italy
3rd quarter of 16th century
Leather, steel and gold, embossed, tooled, blued and gilded
Height: 14.6 cm
Weight: 0.2 kg"

http://i57.tinypic.com/2qk08kw.jpg

____________________
???
http://i60.tinypic.com/rkakg7.jpg

[Matchlock]

For details on bandoliers, please see also

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/editpost.php?do=editpost&p=167939

and

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=7072&highlight=bandeliers


m

[Martin Moser]

Thanks for posting, Marcus and Michael! It is amazing what can be done with leather and sad at the same time to think that many of these skills are lost to us now ...

[Matchlock]

Back to the roots of my thread: flasks for calivermen.

Here is a good sample, and one of the few that were obviously not made and engraved in Nuremberg; the top mount is hinged to fold out for easy refills, which is highly unusual.
It may be French and is dated 1597.
The style of engraving is very similar to that on the flask from post #23, which is attributed to Flanders, and certainly the template was the same in both cases.

m

[Matchlock]

A horn body for a caliverman's flask, French, ca. 1590-1600, the central female figure meant as the impersonation of war and inscribed in Old French La Guere (sic!). the original iron mounts and the reverse frog hook all missing, the nozzle and bottom plate later horn replacements.
The engraving follows the identical pattern as the flask in the previous post.

m

[Matchlock]

Not a musketeer's flask, as the dealer thought, but that of a caliverman, ca. 1590-1600, in nicely patinated condition, and retaining some bluing on the iron mounts.
m

[Matchlock]

A Nuremberg made and engraved flask of flattened cowhorn, ca. 1600, sold Hermann Historica, Munich, 18 Oct 2006.
This decoration is the well-known intertwined foliage that all Nurembeg workshops used as a pattern.
The blackened mounts finely convey a nice contrast to the white horn body which of course the artist originally intended. This is why a flask from this series with its iron mounts polished bright has lost all its charms.

m

[Matchlock]

Here is a caliverman's flask I photographed 30 years ago in the reserve collection of the St.-Annen-Museum Lübeck, Lower Saxony, Germany.
The obverse and small sides of the wooden body are profusely carved with scales.
Following the usual formal criteria, a date of 'ca. 1600 to early 17th century' would seem appropriate. However, a 'military' wheellock musket, the lock struck with the Suhl proof mark SVL and the octagonal barrel retaining its original bluing, and the whole gun datable to ca. 1640, features a stock carved in exactly the same manner. It is preserved in the reserve collection of the Gäubodenmuseum of Straubing, Lower Bavaria, and would go perfectly well with the flask stylistically. Thus I am prone to assign the same date to this flask, making it the latest of its kind known to me, from the 'heyday' of the horrible Thirty Years War.

Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

A very good Nuremberg made caliverman's flask, the flattened cow horn body engraved with a characteristic scene all'antica, probably depicting Heracles and the Nemeic lion, the reverse inscribed 'I. Collone WITELSBACH', spelled with a doubling tilde above the n and T respectively, and referring to its provenance, the former Straubing arsenal of the Dukes (German: Herzöge) of Wittelsbach.
The belt hook and spring loaded nozzle cap are both missing.

Please note the crisp and highly contrasted state of preservation of the engraving. It is this perfectly retained original condition that actually separates the wheat from the chaff when a piece is chosen to enter a collection!
Take a few minutes and search the engraved cow horn flasks posted in this thread, just concentrating on the craftsmanship of their engraving and their state of preservation!

I took these photographs 25 years ago in the reserve collection of the Gäubodenmuseum of the City of Straubing, Lower Bavaria.


m

[Matchlock]

For exact definitions, please see my posts and attachments:

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?p=170341#post170341

m

[Matchlock]

For some of the finest caliverman's flasks in existence, see
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=19421