Finest 16th to 18th Century German Powder Flasks - a Unique Collection!

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On top a fine forked staghorn flask, the etching and fire gilding both typical of the Augsburg style but the body engraved with characteristic Nuremberg foliage, ca. 1580.
Again, this highly decorated piece of artwork carries on the basic style of earlier and plainer Landsknecht's antler flasks that are known from dating specimens and sources of contemporary period works of illustration, with dates ranging from 1532 to ca. 1580. The latest dated samples seem to be a series of flasks, their obverse all engraved with Nuremberg style foliage and a stylized coat of arms resembling those of the Princes of Hohenzollern; some of them bear the date 1572.
Again, the religious scene of the carving is very usual in the 1560's, also known from etched armor and stone epitaphs, and was definitely outdated by ca. 1580.
Especially remarkable is the fact that the reverse of the body is deocrated as well, not carved but engraved. On more than 90 per cent of even profusely ornamented flasks of this type, the reverse side of the body is left showing its natural rough surface.

The horizontal cutoff lever for dosing the gun powder is missing from the base plate of the top mount, and so is the reverse belt hook, with only its upper remains retained.


For close comparison, attached next is a 19th century Historismus/Victorian period copy of the mid 16th century style of ornamentation, datable to ca. 1860-80. The reverse, unlike most original 16th c. flasks, is engraved and the spurious date "1591" added, but the style of the cyphers, especially the shape of the numeral "1", is definitely not correct enough to mislead an expert eye.
The obverse is carved with Abel slaying Cain his Brother.
Sadly, the description does not provide a hint at its actual period of manufacture.