Pair of Wheellock Pistols Made for the Bodyguard of the Prince-Elector of Saxony

ca. 1610

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 375

These slender, elegant pistols are sparingly inlaid with engraved staghorn and feature push-button pan covers. The finely carved pear-shaped, hexagonal pommels, engraved gilt brass accents, and crisply embellished three-stage barrels mark their quality. In superb condition, they were made for the Bodyguard of the Prince-Elector of Saxony and bear the arms of Saxony on the stocks.

Artwork Details

Title: Pair of Wheellock Pistols Made for the Bodyguard of the Prince-Elector of Saxony
Gunsmith: Simon Helbig (German, Dresden, recorded 1609–1642)
Stock maker: Hans Fleischer (German, Dresden, recorded 1590–ca. 1625)
Date: ca. 1610
Geography: Dresden
Culture: German, Dresden
Medium: Steel, gold, brass, staghorn, wood (beech)
Dimensions: L. of each pistol 29 1/8 in. (73.9 cm); L. of each barrel 8 3/4 in. (47.6 cm); Cal. of each pistol .57 in. (14.5 mm); Wt. of each pistol 4 lb. 5 oz. (1956 g)
Classification: Firearms-Pistols-Wheellock
Credit Line: Gift of William H. Riggs, 1913
Object Number: 14.25.1398a, b
Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor

More Artwork

In the same gallery

A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.

Rapier of Prince-Elector Christian II of Saxony (1583–1611), Israel Schuech German, Steel, bronze, gold, enamel, paste jewels, cameos, pearls, wood, hilt, German, Dresden; blade, Spanish, Toledo — Rapier of Prince-Elector Christian II of Saxony (1583–1611)
Israel Schuech
Juan Martinez
dated 1606

Pair of Wheellock Pistols Made for the Bodyguard of the Prince-Elector of Saxony, Zacharias Herold German, Steel, wood, silver, gold, brass, German, Dresden — Pair of Wheellock Pistols Made for the Bodyguard of the Prince-Elector of Saxony
Zacharias Herold
ca. 1590

Wheellock Gun Made for the Bodyguard of the Prince-Elector of Saxony, Steel, brass, gold, wood (walnut), staghorn, German, Dresden — Wheellock Gun Made for the Bodyguard of the Prince-Elector of Saxony
German, Dresden
dated 1589

Crossbow (Halbe Rüstung) with Winder (Cranequin), Johann Gottfried Hänisch the Elder German, Steel, wood (walnut), staghorn, copper alloy, hemp, leather, silk, gold, iron alloy, wool, crossbow, German, probably Dresden; winder, possibly German — Crossbow (Halbe Rüstung) with Winder (Cranequin)
Johann Gottfried Hänisch the Elder
crossbow, ca. 1720–30; winder, ca. 1575–1600

Crossbow (Halbe Rüstung) with Winder (Cranequin), Johann Gottfried Hänisch the Elder German, Steel, wood, staghorn, copper alloy, hemp, wool, gold, iron alloy, German, Dresden — Crossbow (Halbe Rüstung) with Winder (Cranequin)
Johann Gottfried Hänisch the Elder
dated 1742

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.