visit to château de Castelnaud
 

Hi all,

during my short stay in France I visited Château de Castelnaud, a very nice castle situated close to the river the Dordogne.
it was very special to see an arms collection in this surrounding.

worthwhile visiting!

please see the pics for the impression.

best regards

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Excellent pictures!!Thank you very much!!

Great survey and details, Cornelis,

Thank you so much for sharing! :)

I will comment on a few interesting pieces some later on.

Michael

Wow! Thank you so much for such beautiful pictures....its almost like being there, and here my day has barely begun and I have already been on a colorful trop to France.
I really look forward to comments on these interesting weapons as well.

All the best,
Jim

Hi Cornelis,

First of all, two of your images have sort of killed at a blow a collector's hope of mine cherished for 30 years. :( :shrug:

The short three stage copper alloy ('brass') arquebus barrel dated 1516 was sold Sotheby's, 23rd May 1978, lot 212, and I had been hoping it would turn up in another sale since I started collecting shortly after that auction. Now, sadly enough, I have to accept that it is in that French museum.

It was cast in Nuremberg and the arms are those of the von Schlaberndorf family of Brandenburg, Prussia, which produced an archbishop named Georg, who was Bailiff of the Johanniter Order in the early 16th century.

The length is 80.65 cm, the caliber ca. 12 mm. The pan cover is missing.
I enclose four images.


The first organ gun the images of which I enclose once more below employs older European arquebus barrels of ca. 1540, the second is made of Indian matchlock barrels.

I mistrust the wooden parts of the two early barrels; the one of the handcannon is obviously a modern reconstruction.

Thank you so much again for posting! :)

Best,
Michael

A Short Nuremberg Snap Tinderlock Landsknecht Arquebus, ca. 1515
 

... at the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg.

The barrel is almost identical to the one dated 1516 posted above, and this is why I have suggested to date this arquebus to ca. 1515 instead of the traditional dating 'ca. 1500' given by Leonid Tarrassuk.

Further attached is a an illumination from the Theuerdank (ca. 1516, completed in 1518)) of the Emperor Maximilian I aiming an almost identical brass barrel arquebus, with the exception that the snap tinder serpentine acts forward.


Michael

Some guys have all the luck :shrug: .
I have once been in a French chateau but not a weapon could be seen.
Beautiful pictures, Cornelis: thanks a lot for sharing.
I am also particulary pleased to see a hand cannon stock (replica) resembling somehow the one of my present project.
Fernando

What an incredibly fabulous set of pics!! Thanks a million times for sharing!!
Brian