Rare 15th and 16th Century Ball Molds

Matchlock · 19th May 2014, 06:02 PM

Attachments, following:

- one of the oldest known South German ball molds, which I cannot assign to any closer range of dating than ca. 1460-1540; the dyadic mold of brass, and struck with a maker's mark, a Gothic symbol; the handles of wrought iron, and with swamped globular finials - shaped exactly like the long trigger bars on contemporary matchlock arquebuses from the 1st half of the 16th century!

- 2 images of the lock and trigger bar of my Straubing arquebus of ca. 1540 attached

Some detached brass molds of similar type are recorded, mostly with their iron handles missing - see attachments to post #1.
They seem to have continued being made for a very long period of time, and almost unaltered, especially in Eastern Europe, and in the 500 year-old traditional Early Renaissance German style. The sample in my collection, to which I cannot assign any closer range of dating than ca. 1460-1540, however, is the only recorded specimen to be struck with a mark in the German Gothic style.
A very similar founder's mark is on the cast brass/bronze barrel of ca. 1490, re-used with my earliest Landsknecht matchlock arquebus of ca. 1520:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=18532

A detail of the maker's mark on the barrel of that important piece is attached to the folllowing post!

Best,
Michael

19th May 2014, 06:02 PM	#13
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Attachments, following: - one of the oldest known South German ball molds, which I cannot assign to any closer range of dating than ca. 1460-1540; the dyadic mold of brass, and struck with a maker's mark, a Gothic symbol; the handles of wrought iron, and with swamped globular finials - shaped exactly like the long trigger bars on contemporary matchlock arquebuses from the 1st half of the 16th century! - 2 images of the lock and trigger bar of my Straubing arquebus of ca. 1540 attached Some detached brass molds of similar type are recorded, mostly with their iron handles missing - see attachments to post #1. They seem to have continued being made for a very long period of time, and almost unaltered, especially in Eastern Europe, and in the 500 year-old traditional Early Renaissance German style. The sample in my collection, to which I cannot assign any closer range of dating than ca. 1460-1540, however, is the only recorded specimen to be struck with a mark in the German Gothic style. A very similar founder's mark is on the cast brass/bronze barrel of ca. 1490, re-used with my earliest Landsknecht matchlock arquebus of ca. 1520: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=18532 A detail of the maker's mark on the barrel of that important piece is attached to the folllowing post! Best, Michael Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 20th May 2014 at 02:22 AM.