[Matchlock]

Originally Posted by cornelistromp

The Armoury of the Princely House of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, removed from Schloss Langenburg
Thomas del mar 3/12 lot 257, Iron doppelhaken, dated second half of the 16th century.
however due to its simple barrel shape and hook construction is probably earlier. around 1500?

best,
Jasper

Hi Jasper,


You are absolutely right, that barrel definitely was earlier than the catalog description reads, "second half 16th century".

Sadly, the experts did not note the obvious close relationship between this barrel to the the one dated 1537 - although the two of them lay side by side; still, the former got misdated.
Although not dated, and bearing a different mark, that barrrel shows exactly the same triple sectioning as the one dated, octagonal/round/round, with the very same dimensions, and is equipped with the same kind of pan. Also, the location of the rear sight, though shaped diffrently from that on the 1537 barrel, doubtlessly assigns the piece to the 1530's.
See two last attachments to post #70 and all atts. to post #71 in this thread for a contemporary barrel with the same type of square rear sight.

The only notable formal difference between this and the dated barrel being that the hook of the former is attached by a sturdy iron sleeve. Although this can normally only be observed as a later working time addition to early 15th c. barrels that originally did not have a hook, it was most probably characteristic to the (unidentified) workshop. Another, almost identical piece that still is in the Schloss is wrought exactly the same way, and it doubtlessly retains its original stock, so these hooks cannot be explained by some later working life alteration.
See atts. to follower post.

Due to the formal stylistic criteria set up by the author to enable a closer dating of barrels, this item, too, must have been wrought within a narrow span of time, which isca. 1530-40, and logically it should be correctly identified and dated "Nuremberg, late 1530's", because in 1539, the first Nuremberg barrels were sectioned only twice, with the separating girdle forward of the breech having disappeared:
cf. the barrels of two Nuremberg made Landsknecht's matchlock arquebuses, both struck with the "Crossed Arrows" mark and the date 1539.
Quote from post #94 in this thread:

Two important matchlock arquebuses, the barrels struck twice with that crossed arrows mark and the date 1539, are in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum Nürnberg, inv.no. W 494, and in the author's collection respectively - see:
post #66 in this thread,
and
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showt...=harquebus+1539
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showt...+harquebus+1539

In all probability, a small series of those barrels at the Hohenlohe-Langenburg armory were bought from the City of Nuremberg, to which all local workshops had to deliver by contract a certain quantity of their products. The Nuremberg city archive records still hold all the details.


Best,
Michael