A highly important four barrel Landsknecht mace, ca. 1540

fernando · 16th January 2009, 07:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

... were designed to use as clubs when the charge was spent.....

Or the other way round, in this case; your enemy aproaches you with the assumption that you are only armed with a mace and suddenly you open the thing and give him the best

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

Looks like a Landsknecht 'pepperbox'

Never so true

Fernando

Matchlock · 16th January 2009, 08:32 PM

Thank you both, Fernando and Jim,

"Landsknecht pepperbox" is no doubt the very best term I've ever heard, Jim - great!

Fernando, I cherish your idea of surprising an appoaching enemy by flinging the cover open just in time to make him look into these four "promising" holes - before they will issue the balls!

Michael

Matchlock · 16th January 2009, 08:35 PM

I should add that the stops of the sliding wooden pan covers are just wooden pins. It's all the more surprising that three of them are still there.

m

kino · 17th January 2009, 03:14 PM

What an amazing weapon.

It will tenderize, pierce, and sears.

Pukka Bundook · 19th January 2009, 02:59 PM

When I first saw this, I remembered I'd seen it in HL Peteron and R. Elman's book, 'The Great Guns"

Holy water sprinkler....(!) what a grand and droll name !
I had been under the impression that it belonged to the Tower collection but on looking again, saw it was in Meyerick collection at the time.

Unique, and well looked after.
Thank you for showing it here Michael.

All best wishes,

R.

KuKulzA28 · 19th January 2009, 04:12 PM

holy crap!

That's awesome, the Landsknecht were always known for their work with zweihandlers but its not often you get to see or hear of their combination weapons and primitive firearms!

Matchlock · 20th January 2009, 05:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pukka Bundook

When I first saw this, I remembered I'd seen it in HL Peteron and R. Elman's book, 'The Great Guns"

Holy water sprinkler....(!) what a grand and droll name !
I had been under the impression that it belonged to the Tower collection but on looking again, saw it was in Meyerick collection at the time.

Unique, and well looked after.
Thank you for showing it here Michael.

All best wishes,

R.

Hi Richard,

Thank you for mentioning the cute nickname for this kind of weapons: holy water sprinkler.

May I add that, in the Landsknechts' jargon, "to sprinkle holy water" was the cant phrase for fetching blood.

This piece was in the Ratner collection at the time when it was illustrated in Peterson/Elman's book.

The long stocked holy water sprinklers of Henry VIII's army now preserved at the Tower and the Royal Armouries Leeds respectively have three barrels each which are hidden by swiveling small iron plates. Thus, their central spike was no doubt more robust than on my Meyrick piece. I attach a detail of one of Henry VIII's three barrel maces which was referred to as "holy water sprinkles with thre gonnes" in the 1547 Tower inventory.

m

Pukka Bundook · 21st January 2009, 05:21 AM

Ah yes, Michael....The Ratner collection. I should not go by memory!

Thank you for the picture of the Henry V111 type.....the same only different!!

Best wishes,

Richard.

16th January 2009, 08:35 PM	#3
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Landsknecht pepperbox I should add that the stops of the sliding wooden pan covers are just wooden pins. It's all the more surprising that three of them are still there. m

16th January 2009, 08:32 PM	#2
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Thank you both, Fernando and Jim, "Landsknecht pepperbox" is no doubt the very best term I've ever heard, Jim - great! Fernando, I cherish your idea of surprising an appoaching enemy by flinging the cover open just in time to make him look into these four "promising" holes - before they will issue the balls! Michael

17th January 2009, 03:14 PM	#4
kino Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Posts: 981	What an amazing weapon. It will tenderize, pierce, and sears.

19th January 2009, 02:59 PM	#5
Pukka Bundook Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 803	When I first saw this, I remembered I'd seen it in HL Peteron and R. Elman's book, 'The Great Guns" Holy water sprinkler....(!) what a grand and droll name ! I had been under the impression that it belonged to the Tower collection but on looking again, saw it was in Meyerick collection at the time. Unique, and well looked after. Thank you for showing it here Michael. All best wishes, R.

19th January 2009, 04:12 PM	#6
KuKulzA28 Member Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: between work and sleep Posts: 731	holy crap! That's awesome, the Landsknecht were always known for their work with zweihandlers but its not often you get to see or hear of their combination weapons and primitive firearms!

21st January 2009, 05:21 AM	#8
Pukka Bundook Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 803	Ah yes, Michael....The Ratner collection. I should not go by memory! Thank you for the picture of the Henry V111 type.....the same only different!! Best wishes, Richard.