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

Matchlock · 18th December 2014, 02:52 PM

This powder flask literally beats everything - made by Caspar Spät, who chiseled and gilt the iron, and the gun stockmaker Hieronymus Borstorffer; both artisans lived in Munich and worked together, especially between ca. 1630 and 1637, when Borstorffer is no longer recorded.

The form of this flask exactly corresponds to the butt stock of a wheellock musket and other accouterments all decorated en suite, which it was part of originally.
That gun and some of its original accouterments still exist. The author will add more on them soon.

Although retaining the characteristic North Italian shape of butt stocks evolved in ca. 1570, and copied in Germany from ca. 1590 to 1600, this fine flask and the gun it belonged cannot have been made before ca. 1630. As is often the case with highly decorated arms for the nobility, they were ordered, and made, in an obsolete style of military weapons typical of a period 20-40 years ago.

Matchlock · 18th December 2014, 03:11 PM

Although retaining the characteristic North Italian shape of butt stocks evolved in ca. 1570, and copied in Germany from ca. 1590 to 1600, this fine flask - and the gun it belonged to - cannot have been made before ca. 1630. As is often the case with highly decorated arms for the nobility, they were ordered, and made, in an obsolete style of military weapons that was typical of a period some 20-40 years earlier.

In The Michael Trömner Collection is a very fine Augsburg made sniper's wheellock musket from ca. 1590-1600, its barrel smoothbore but 137 cm long! - the musket measures 1.66 m all over - , the butt stock of which basically corresponds to the shape of this flask.
The tunnel back sight enables special vertical adjustment by means of a turnscrew on top of the tunnel housing.
See top atts., then there are more views of that flask.

The photos on top copyrighted by the author.

Matchlock · 18th December 2014, 04:05 PM

The bottom atts. depict other fine guns and artworks created by the cooperation of Spät and Borstorffer in their characteristic style in the 1630's; they are in the British Museum London and the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum München (BNM).

Best,
Michael Trömner

Matchlock · 18th December 2014, 04:54 PM

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.

Matchlock · 18th December 2014, 06:09 PM

One more detail of the 19th c. Historismus period flask, and for contrast another, similar flask but carved in the characteristic manner of the 1830's to 1840's, and carried out at a Thuringian workshop.

Matchlock · 18th December 2014, 07:56 PM

Another very special flask is this circular specimen carved by the famous artisan Michael Maucher in Schwäbisch Gmünd, and decorated with engraved and fire-gilt strips of copper; ca. 1680.
Maucher also adorned gun stocks employing his unparalleld characteristic gift of craftsmanship.
This receptacle for gunpowder is wrought bipartite horizontally, and its diameter is only 11 cm.

Best,
Michael

bkp747 · 25th December 2014, 08:21 PM

These are truly magnificent pieces... simply amazing, Michael.

Matchlock · 3rd January 2015, 03:26 PM

[QUOTE=Matchlock]Although retaining the characteristic North Italian shape of butt stocks evolved in ca. 1570, and copied in Germany from ca. 1590 to 1600, this fine flask - and the gun it belonged to - cannot have been made before ca. 1630. As is often the case with highly decorated arms for the nobility, they were ordered, and made, in an obsolete style of military weapons that was typical of a period some 20-40 years earlier.

In The Michael Trömner Collection is a very fine Augsburg made sniper's wheellock musket from ca. 1590-1600, its barrel smoothbore but 137 cm long! - the musket measures 1.66 m all over - , the butt stock of which basically corresponds to the shape of this flask.

Close-up of another wheellock musket with the same highly figured butt stock; this onne not only adopted the typical Italian style but was made in Northern Italy, probably in the Brescian area, ca. 1590.

Photo saved from the web, with no further information given.

m

m

bkp747 · 10th January 2015, 09:05 PM

The artwork on the "flasks" is incredibly fine, in detail, and I am entranced with the fantastic state of preservation of the leather "frogs". It's hard to imagine that leather of that period is still supple and retains its structure. Great care must have been taken, over many centuries, to keep these items in such a beautiful state. Wonderful, Michael. Thank you.

18th December 2014, 02:52 PM	#1
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	This powder flask literally beats everything - made by Caspar Spät, who chiseled and gilt the iron, and the gun stockmaker Hieronymus Borstorffer; both artisans lived in Munich and worked together, especially between ca. 1630 and 1637, when Borstorffer is no longer recorded. The form of this flask exactly corresponds to the butt stock of a wheellock musket and other accouterments all decorated en suite, which it was part of originally. That gun and some of its original accouterments still exist. The author will add more on them soon. Although retaining the characteristic North Italian shape of butt stocks evolved in ca. 1570, and copied in Germany from ca. 1590 to 1600, this fine flask and the gun it belonged cannot have been made before ca. 1630. As is often the case with highly decorated arms for the nobility, they were ordered, and made, in an obsolete style of military weapons typical of a period 20-40 years ago. Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 18th December 2014 at 07:26 PM.

18th December 2014, 03:11 PM	#2
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Although retaining the characteristic North Italian shape of butt stocks evolved in ca. 1570, and copied in Germany from ca. 1590 to 1600, this fine flask - and the gun it belonged to - cannot have been made before ca. 1630. As is often the case with highly decorated arms for the nobility, they were ordered, and made, in an obsolete style of military weapons that was typical of a period some 20-40 years earlier. In The Michael Trömner Collection is a very fine Augsburg made sniper's wheellock musket from ca. 1590-1600, its barrel smoothbore but 137 cm long! - the musket measures 1.66 m all over - , the butt stock of which basically corresponds to the shape of this flask. The tunnel back sight enables special vertical adjustment by means of a turnscrew on top of the tunnel housing. See top atts., then there are more views of that flask. The photos on top copyrighted by the author. Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 18th December 2014 at 07:35 PM.

18th December 2014, 04:05 PM	#3
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	The bottom atts. depict other fine guns and artworks created by the cooperation of Spät and Borstorffer in their characteristic style in the 1630's; they are in the British Museum London and the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum München (BNM). Best, Michael Trömner Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 18th December 2014 at 06:39 PM.

18th December 2014, 04:54 PM	#4
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	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. Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 19th December 2014 at 12:51 AM.

18th December 2014, 06:09 PM	#5
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	One more detail of the 19th c. Historismus period flask, and for contrast another, similar flask but carved in the characteristic manner of the 1830's to 1840's, and carried out at a Thuringian workshop. Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 18th December 2014 at 08:15 PM.

18th December 2014, 07:56 PM	#6
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Another very special flask is this circular specimen carved by the famous artisan Michael Maucher in Schwäbisch Gmünd, and decorated with engraved and fire-gilt strips of copper; ca. 1680. Maucher also adorned gun stocks employing his unparalleld characteristic gift of craftsmanship. This receptacle for gunpowder is wrought bipartite horizontally, and its diameter is only 11 cm. Best, Michael Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 18th December 2014 at 09:08 PM.

25th December 2014, 08:21 PM	#7
bkp747 Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 15	These are truly magnificent pieces... simply amazing, Michael.

3rd January 2015, 03:26 PM	#8
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	[QUOTE=Matchlock]Although retaining the characteristic North Italian shape of butt stocks evolved in ca. 1570, and copied in Germany from ca. 1590 to 1600, this fine flask - and the gun it belonged to - cannot have been made before ca. 1630. As is often the case with highly decorated arms for the nobility, they were ordered, and made, in an obsolete style of military weapons that was typical of a period some 20-40 years earlier. In The Michael Trömner Collection is a very fine Augsburg made sniper's wheellock musket from ca. 1590-1600, its barrel smoothbore but 137 cm long! - the musket measures 1.66 m all over - , the butt stock of which basically corresponds to the shape of this flask. Close-up of another wheellock musket with the same highly figured butt stock; this onne not only adopted the typical Italian style but was made in Northern Italy, probably in the Brescian area, ca. 1590. Photo saved from the web, with no further information given. m m Attached Images

10th January 2015, 09:05 PM	#9
bkp747 Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Location: Colorado Springs, Colorado Posts: 15	The artwork on the "flasks" is incredibly fine, in detail, and I am entranced with the fantastic state of preservation of the leather "frogs". It's hard to imagine that leather of that period is still supple and retains its structure. Great care must have been taken, over many centuries, to keep these items in such a beautiful state. Wonderful, Michael. Thank you.