A fine Nuremberg Bronze Hackbut Barrel c.1520

[Matchlock]

More images of my 35 kg wallgun (doppelter Doppelhaken).

m

[Matchlock]

Another barrel struck with the Pehaim mark, stylistically datable closely to ca. 1510 because of its lesser staging and the shorter muzzle section.
The pan cover is missing.

m

[Matchlock]

Concerning the red inventory no. on your barrel:

It has become a dubious tradition in the market to attribute any piece bearing a red inventory number to the Hohenzollern Collection, Schloss Sigmaringen, as this is renowned to be a top provenance. The expert at Bonhams was aware of this fact and wisely did not refer to it concerning this barrel.

It is true that many items were sold from that Princely Collection at various times, mainly between the two Word Wars and shortly after WW II.

I have been to Sigmaringen by special appointment 20 years ago on Monday when the collections were closed to the public, and did extensive research there. I was allowed to go behind the fences (there are fences two meters high indeed!) and handle and photograph each piece I liked! In return, I sort of 'updated' their 19th c. inventory - which was a bad bargain because it took me weeks ...

One of the results was: all Hohenzollern Sigmaringen items I remember bore two groups of numbers, a four-digit item no. plus an additional two-digit group number, e.g. 21 for 'matchlocks' (just an example), the latter stamped in red capital letters!
So sorry but three red digits are not enough to prove a Sigmaringen provenance.

In my collection is an extremely rare combined musket rest and pike, 2nd half 16th c., the haft retaining its well-made iron shoe and painted with two groups of Hohenzollern red inventory nos., including '50' for hafted weapons. I bought it from the former Zeughaus (armory) Überlingen/Bodensee some 20 years ago when the museum was in liquidation; the owner had acquired it directly from Schloss Sigmaringen in the 1950's.

Of course there are various other items with red inventory nos. in my collection as well but I would never claim them to come from Sigmaringen.


m

[Swordfish]

From where do you have the certainty that the mark must be attributet to Behaim? Your attribution is only an assumption, but without providing proof. Stoeckel mentions the mark, but not in connection with Behaim. Do you know any hackbut barrel from Pegnitzer with the cast band EPGM? I know this only from the larger falconets which are allways more decorated in high relief than hackbuts.
How do you explain the close similarites of the middle section with the roped bands and the muzzle section of the falconet from Pegnizer and the 'P' marked hackbut barrel? Does Behaim has used the decoration elements from Pegnitzer? Is it likely that many Behaim hackbut barrels have survived and none from Pegnitzer with the mark EPGM?

If you read the Bonham's description, they have well attributet the red number to the Hohenzollern collection, but I also know that auction experts are not allways right.
If you have seen many inventory numbers from Sigmaringen of different form compared with the one on the barrel, I believe you that the three digit number is probably fom another armoury. But for me the it makes no difference from which armoury it originates. If I buy arms, then because of the items itself, not because of the provenance.


Best

[Matchlock]

I am afraid you did not carefully r e a d my lines.

If you do you will find all your questions answered beyond satisfaction.

Btw, it was you who (correctly) identified the EPGM as the Pegnitzer mark ... Do you doubt it now?!


m

[Swordfish]

Originally Posted by Matchlock

I am afraid you did not carefully r e a d my lines.

If you do you will find all your questions answered beyond satisfaction.

m

I'm no analphabet, if you would have a single proof, that would be enough.

[Matchlock]

I will not discuss on this inaccetable level you chose. You exposed the real you.

I am certain that your post will be deleted as inacceptable as it is. I saved it though.