Breech loading 1450-1550 - Page 20

Spiridonov · 8th November 2009, 03:06 PM

What do you thing about dating of this barrel? Maby the notebook of Ghiberti Lorenzo was added later by another author?

Matchlock · 8th November 2009, 07:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spiridonov

What do you thing about dating of this barrel? Maby the notebook of Ghiberti Lorenzo was added later by another author?

Hi Alexander,

As I have tried to point out occasionally in former threads, any substantial dating of an object of arts and crafts should not be confined to only one criterion but should instead be based on as many criteria as possible, the latest (= 'youngest') of which would then denote ideally the correct date.

The figured and moulded staging which you rightly observed on the stocks of the Maximilian arquebuses in Jörg Kölderer's watercolors of the Maximilian Armories (generally dated to ca. 1507) is actually a very common Late Gothic ornament found on many objects from the 14th throughout the 18th century, comprising such different fields as architectural columns, bronze mortars, furniture, book bindings, etc. It is, of course, also found on various kinds of weapons. What I want to say is: the simple presence of this widely used decorative element alone does not account for any close dating of this object.

In the case of the breech loading arquebus other features like the staging and characteristic muzzle section of the barrel and the overall impression it conveys show in their synopsis that this is clearly a product of the second half of the 15th century and can most probably be narrowed down to ca. 1470, +/- ca. 10 years.

Best,

Michael

Zwielicht · 30th December 2009, 05:27 PM

Matchlock,

Thank you for a photos of breech loading harquebus in the post #5!

But one thing I cannot understand from those photos - where was the hole in the cartridge, through which it's powder charge was ignited, and was the bullet put in the cartridge or right to the barrel before it?

Also, what are the dimensions of this a weapon (at least the basics - length, weight, caliber etc.)

8th November 2009, 03:06 PM	#58
Spiridonov Member Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Russia, Leningrad Posts: 355	What do you thing about dating of this barrel? Maby the notebook of Ghiberti Lorenzo was added later by another author?

30th December 2009, 05:27 PM	#60
Zwielicht Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 26	Matchlock, Thank you for a photos of breech loading harquebus in the post #5! But one thing I cannot understand from those photos - where was the hole in the cartridge, through which it's powder charge was ignited, and was the bullet put in the cartridge or right to the barrel before it? Also, what are the dimensions of this a weapon (at least the basics - length, weight, caliber etc.)