Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - A unique bronze barrel wall gun (doppelter Doppelhaken), Nuremberg, ca. 1515-20

Matchlock · 11th October 2014, 08:19 PM

Characteristic of the Nuremberg sense of style in the mid-1530's, the barrel is shaped and sectioned like the columns in contemporary archictecture. Reflecting the traditional Nuremberg style seen on the earlier, five-staged barrel of the wall gun in The Michael Trömner Collection, it is divided into four main sections, separated and subdivided by filed moldings, thistle shaped acanthus trefoils (German: Akanthus-Dreipässe) chiseled in high relief, and scales (German: Schuppenfriese).
The acanthus motif is an important element based on the decoration of the capitals of Corinthian columns; Renaissance art renewed the Ancient Greek and Roman styles.

The rear section (German: Hinterstück) is typically square, its beveled edges of ploygonal shape; it comprises the short base (German: Bodenstück), which is most probably ten-sided or octagonal, and the rear sight cast integrally. Contrary to the usual deep vertical slot, on this barrel, the back sight is pierced horizontally with a small hole.
The location of the pan for the priming powder marks the beginning of the breech (German: Pulversack oder Pulverkammer). The originally riveted swiveling pan cover is now missing, showing the horizontal slot above the pan, cut for a "rainproof" fit. The crisp chisel marks, used for gouging out the round pan trough (German: Pfannentrog) around the touch hole, denote that this finely wrought barrel saw little use.
As is the case with most large cast-brass/bronze objects, the greenish patina shows some rusty dots in places; these are traces of iron fixings that had to be mounted to stabilize the model during the founding process.

The profusely punched and chiseled Late Gothic/Early Renaissance style of decoration starts at the base of this barrel, showing petulated trefoils (German: gestielter Dreipass) on both sides, and soon lozenge patterns (German: Rautenmuster) are added; cf. the author's thread on the so-called "Monk's Gun":
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...light=monk%27s

The rear section also bears the cast and chiseled coat-of-arms (German: Stammwappen), denoting that this piece of finest arts and crafts alike was made by order of, and for, a member of the von Schellenberg family. It is surmounted by the proudly chiseled monogram I.V.R., for Iohann Ulrich Ritter (knight), reflecting the singular position of its owner.
For decades, Reichsritter Ulrich von Schellenberg zu Kißlegg (1478–1549),Doctor beider Rechte, served both the Habsburg Emperors Maximilian I and Charles V. as an Eques auratus, a Feldhauptmann and Kriegsrat.
The Doctor of Both Laws (Doktor beider Rechte), Dr. iur. utr., meant considering both Civil Law and Canonical Law; Knight of the Golden Spur (H.R.E.) is the English equivalent of Eques auratus (German: Ritter vom güldenen Sporn). Furthermore, he was Captain and War Council.

Accentuated by three grained scales (German: Schuppenfriese mit gekörntem Grund), the rear section of the barrel changes to a long and edged center section (German: Mittelstück), including two subsections: a shorter two-stage octagonal length, changing to a longer ten-sided section. Typically, the center section shows the smallest outer diameter of the barrel. Its upper surface, originally not covered by the stock, is subdivided and quantized by filed moldings and acanthus leafs; additionally, flames cut in high relief dart blazing towards the muzzle. In the Gothic and Renaissance sense of style, a gun barrel represents the scary metal embodiment of a sea monster, a serpent, or a mythologic dragon breathing fire; thus, this winding ornament symbolizes the vivid movement of both a serpent and a flame. Moreover, in the superstitious contemporary minds, it was believed to have an apotropaic effect, fending off evil.

Another frieze of moldings marks the forward section of the barrel (German: Vorderstück), the muzzle area (Mündungskopf). It is notably longer than the one of the barrel in the author's collection, which is about two decades older, but retains the basic slightly swamped shape. As the latest Nuremberg stylistic element originating in the early 1520's*, its muzzle is rounded now, and the integral blade foresight has moved a bit to the rear, when compared to pre-1520's muzzle sections.

These stylistic features identified and defined by the author are fundamental for assigning a time line of origin to a gun barrel, and their result will prove to be significantly closer, and safer, than "first half 16th century".

Michael Trömner
Rebenstr. 9
D-93326 Abensberg
Lower Bavaria, Germany

Self-established Academic Medievalist
Graduated from Regensburg University in 1982
Stipendiary recipient and member of the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes, Bonn
Author of BEHÄLTNISSE FÜR KOSTBARES 1500-1700, 2005
M. of the Arms & Armour Society, London since 1991
M. of the Gesellschaft für Historische Waffen- und Kostümkunde e.V., Berlin since 1987
Expertises in European weapons, ironworks, and furniture of the 14th through 17th centuries
Preservation and academic documentation of museum collections

11th October 2014, 08:19 PM	#63
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Characteristic of the Nuremberg sense of style in the mid-1530's, the barrel is shaped and sectioned like the columns in contemporary archictecture. Reflecting the traditional Nuremberg style seen on the earlier, five-staged barrel of the wall gun in The Michael Trömner Collection, it is divided into four main sections, separated and subdivided by filed moldings, thistle shaped acanthus trefoils (German: Akanthus-Dreipässe) chiseled in high relief, and scales (German: Schuppenfriese). The acanthus motif is an important element based on the decoration of the capitals of Corinthian columns; Renaissance art renewed the Ancient Greek and Roman styles. The rear section (German: Hinterstück) is typically square, its beveled edges of ploygonal shape; it comprises the short base (German: Bodenstück), which is most probably ten-sided or octagonal, and the rear sight cast integrally. Contrary to the usual deep vertical slot, on this barrel, the back sight is pierced horizontally with a small hole. The location of the pan for the priming powder marks the beginning of the breech (German: Pulversack oder Pulverkammer). The originally riveted swiveling pan cover is now missing, showing the horizontal slot above the pan, cut for a "rainproof" fit. The crisp chisel marks, used for gouging out the round pan trough (German: Pfannentrog) around the touch hole, denote that this finely wrought barrel saw little use. As is the case with most large cast-brass/bronze objects, the greenish patina shows some rusty dots in places; these are traces of iron fixings that had to be mounted to stabilize the model during the founding process. The profusely punched and chiseled Late Gothic/Early Renaissance style of decoration starts at the base of this barrel, showing petulated trefoils (German: gestielter Dreipass) on both sides, and soon lozenge patterns (German: Rautenmuster) are added; cf. the author's thread on the so-called "Monk's Gun": http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...light=monk%27s The rear section also bears the cast and chiseled coat-of-arms (German: Stammwappen), denoting that this piece of finest arts and crafts alike was made by order of, and for, a member of the von Schellenberg family. It is surmounted by the proudly chiseled monogram I.V.R., for Iohann Ulrich Ritter (knight), reflecting the singular position of its owner. For decades, Reichsritter Ulrich von Schellenberg zu Kißlegg (1478–1549),Doctor beider Rechte, served both the Habsburg Emperors Maximilian I and Charles V. as an Eques auratus, a Feldhauptmann and Kriegsrat. The Doctor of Both Laws (Doktor beider Rechte), Dr. iur. utr., meant considering both Civil Law and Canonical Law; Knight of the Golden Spur (H.R.E.) is the English equivalent of Eques auratus (German: Ritter vom güldenen Sporn). Furthermore, he was Captain and War Council. Accentuated by three grained scales (German: Schuppenfriese mit gekörntem Grund), the rear section of the barrel changes to a long and edged center section (German: Mittelstück), including two subsections: a shorter two-stage octagonal length, changing to a longer ten-sided section. Typically, the center section shows the smallest outer diameter of the barrel. Its upper surface, originally not covered by the stock, is subdivided and quantized by filed moldings and acanthus leafs; additionally, flames cut in high relief dart blazing towards the muzzle. In the Gothic and Renaissance sense of style, a gun barrel represents the scary metal embodiment of a sea monster, a serpent, or a mythologic dragon breathing fire; thus, this winding ornament symbolizes the vivid movement of both a serpent and a flame. Moreover, in the superstitious contemporary minds, it was believed to have an apotropaic effect, fending off evil. Another frieze of moldings marks the forward section of the barrel (German: Vorderstück), the muzzle area (Mündungskopf). It is notably longer than the one of the barrel in the author's collection, which is about two decades older, but retains the basic slightly swamped shape. As the latest Nuremberg stylistic element originating in the early 1520's, its muzzle is rounded now, and the integral blade foresight has moved a bit to the rear, when compared to pre-1520's muzzle sections. These stylistic features identified and defined by the author are fundamental for assigning a time line of origin to a gun barrel, and their result will prove to be significantly closer, and safer, than "first half 16th century". Michael Trömner Rebenstr. 9 D-93326 Abensberg Lower Bavaria, Germany Self-established Academic Medievalist* Graduated from Regensburg University in 1982 *Stipendiary recipient and member of the Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes, Bonn* *Author of BEHÄLTNISSE FÜR KOSTBARES 1500-1700, 2005* *M. of the Arms & Armour Society, London since 1991* *M. of the Gesellschaft für Historische Waffen- und Kostümkunde e.V., Berlin since 1987* Expertises in European weapons, ironworks, and furniture of the 14th through 17th centuries Preservation and academic documentation of museum collections Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 12th October 2014 at 01:28 AM.