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Old 22nd December 2014, 06:30 AM   #16
Matchlock
(deceased)
 
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Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking
Posts: 4,310
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sajen
Hello,

may I ask when and why the brass and bone inlays added?

Regards,
Detlef

Hi Detlef,

Those plain wheellock and matchlock guns soon became technically outdated by ca. 1700 and were replaced by flintlocks. The obsolete guns were sold off cheaply in large numbers by the city arsenals, and many noblemen bought them and had them "embellished" in late 16th c. style in Poland and Czechia; they then "decorated" their castles with that stuff that now looked much nicer hanging on the walls than it did before.
Such items, of course, are an absolute "no go" for any serious collector.

Best,
Michael
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