Powder flask

ca. 1570

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 375

Exceptional for the design and execution of its ornamentation, this flask belongs to a small group carved by an anonymous French Renaissance artist. The flask occupies a special place in the group, as it is one of only two examples decorated with a biblical subject, and the only one to feature a royal cypher––that of Charles IX of France (1550–1574, reigned from 1560). The flask establishes that the artist was thus working in the ambit of the royal court.

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

References

Title: Powder flask
Date: ca. 1570
Culture: French
Medium: Antler, metal
Dimensions: H. 10 1/4 in. (26 cm); W. 6 in. (15.3 cm.); D. 2 in. (5.1 cm); Wt. 13.5 oz. (383 g)
Classification: Firearms Accessories-Flasks & Primers
Credit Line: Purchase, The Ruddock Foundation for the Arts and Bernice and Jerome Zwanger Gifts, and funds from various donors, by exchange, 2018
Object Number: 2018.190a, b
Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor

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Powder Flask, Antler, iron, French — Powder Flask
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Powder Flask of Jacques de Silly (1513–1571), Antler, French — Powder Flask of Jacques de Silly (1513–1571)
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ca. 1555

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