Wheel-Lock Spanners ca. 1520-1620

Matchlock · 7th April 2009, 06:45 PM

Those were the predecessors of - amongst others - Late Gothic to Early Renaissance sword quillons and later matchlock serpentines. In a superstitious medieval world, they were traditionally regarded as fencing off evil.

Some of them are from the world famous Notre Dame cathedral in Paris - remember the stunning 1939 movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame starring the unique Charles Laughton?

Michael

ward · 7th April 2009, 07:27 PM

what is the afghan afghan flint hammer doing mixed with the wheel lock pieces doing there. Just kidding noticed the afghan piece on the side of pic

Matchlock · 8th April 2009, 02:53 AM

Ward,

This combination hammer and screwdriver is not Afghan but Southern Italy, ca. 1550, and the predecessor of later Afghan items and is, of course, just part of my accouterments collection.

Michael

ward · 8th April 2009, 03:02 AM

Interesting. Would it be possible to see a full pic of that piece.

Matchlock · 8th April 2009, 03:09 PM

Here they are: the early Italian combined pin hammer, fire striker, pyrites hammer and screw driver, ca. 1550 (left), together with a simpler oriental form, probably Albania or Afghanistan, 18th-19th centuries.

The same decorative structure as on my mid 16th century Italian hammer is reflected by the world famous papal hammer, Rome, with which the the door of St. Peter's Cathedral was solemnly and ritualitstically opened in The Holy Year 1550. I attach a picture; please note that the wooden handle is a later replacement.

Michael

ward · 8th April 2009, 09:18 PM

So determining the Italian 16th century is done by what file work,brass inlay,workmanship ? I am looking for specifics I would normally call your piece afghan but realize they copied from other cultures and so I am looking for the differences.

Matchlock · 9th April 2009, 10:26 AM

An exact determination is extremely hard to accomplish. All I can say is that in general, the closer the form, staging and decoration of the hammer to both the papal hammer and the quillon ends of Cornelis's sword the higher the probability that it may be Italian and early.
Remember that Italy lies close to oriental neighbors and their styles intertwined very easily and quickly.
The second from right tool on your image seems to come pretty close to my earliest piece.

Michael

7th April 2009, 06:45 PM	#1
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Apotropaic Gargoyles on Gothic Cathedrals Those were the predecessors of - amongst others - Late Gothic to Early Renaissance sword quillons and later matchlock serpentines. In a superstitious medieval world, they were traditionally regarded as fencing off evil. Some of them are from the world famous Notre Dame cathedral in Paris - remember the stunning 1939 movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame starring the unique Charles Laughton? Michael Attached Images

7th April 2009, 07:27 PM	#2
ward Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 637	what is the afghan afghan flint hammer doing mixed with the wheel lock pieces doing there. Just kidding noticed the afghan piece on the side of pic Attached Images

8th April 2009, 03:09 PM	#5
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Here they are: the early Italian combined pin hammer, fire striker, pyrites hammer and screw driver, ca. 1550 (left), together with a simpler oriental form, probably Albania or Afghanistan, 18th-19th centuries. The same decorative structure as on my mid 16th century Italian hammer is reflected by the world famous papal hammer, Rome, with which the the door of St. Peter's Cathedral was solemnly and ritualitstically opened in The Holy Year 1550. I attach a picture; please note that the wooden handle is a later replacement. Michael Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 9th April 2009 at 10:28 AM.

8th April 2009, 09:18 PM	#6
ward Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 637	So determining the Italian 16th century is done by what file work,brass inlay,workmanship ? I am looking for specifics I would normally call your piece afghan but realize they copied from other cultures and so I am looking for the differences. Attached Images

8th April 2009, 02:53 AM	#3
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Ward, This combination hammer and screwdriver is not Afghan but Southern Italy, ca. 1550, and the predecessor of later Afghan items and is, of course, just part of my accouterments collection. Michael

8th April 2009, 03:02 AM	#4
ward Member Join Date: Feb 2006 Posts: 637	Interesting. Would it be possible to see a full pic of that piece.

9th April 2009, 10:26 AM	#7
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	An exact determination is extremely hard to accomplish. All I can say is that in general, the closer the form, staging and decoration of the hammer to both the papal hammer and the quillon ends of Cornelis's sword the higher the probability that it may be Italian and early. Remember that Italy lies close to oriental neighbors and their styles intertwined very easily and quickly. The second from right tool on your image seems to come pretty close to my earliest piece. Michael