Wheellock Puffer Pistols

Gunsmith Master HR German

ca. 1585

Not on view

The barrels, locks, and other metal elements of these pistols are undecorated, allowing the intricate inlaid wood ornamentation of the gunstocks to stand out. The dense web of scrolling foliage inhabited by owls, other animals, and masks was created by carving recesses into the wood, and filling them with minute pieces of carved antler, a painstaking process that also required great technical prowess. Stocks decorated in this style are generally believed to originate from Thuringia on account of an example in the Historical Museum in Bern, Switzerland, which is signed "Klaus Hirt gunstock maker in Wasungen," a Thuringian town West of Suhl, a major center for the manufacture of military firearms.

Artwork Details

Title: Wheellock Puffer Pistols
Gunsmith: Balthasar Dressler (German, Dresden, active 1573–1615)
Gunsmith: Master HR (German, active ca. 1585)
Date: ca. 1585
Geography: Dresden
Culture: German, Dresden
Medium: Steel, wood (walnut), antler
Dimensions: Pistol (a): L. 24 in. (61 cm); L. of barrel 15 3/8 in. (39.1 cm); Cal. .61 in. (15.49 mm); Wt. 5 lb. 8.1 oz. (2496 g); pistol (b): L. 24 in. (61 cm); L. of barrel 15 5/16 in. (38.9 cm); Cal. .62 in. (15.74 mm); Wt. 5 lb. 7.7 oz. (2486 g)
Classification: Firearms-Pistols-Wheellock
Credit Line: Gift of The Robert M. Lee Foundation, in celebration of the Museum’s 150th Anniversary, 2018
Object Number: 2018.856.8a, b
Curatorial Department: Arms and Armor

More Artwork

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

Pair of Wheellock Pistols Made for the Bodyguard of the Prince-Elector of Saxony, Simon Helbig German, Steel, gold, brass, staghorn, wood (beech), German, Dresden — Pair of Wheellock Pistols Made for the Bodyguard of the Prince-Elector of Saxony
Simon Helbig
Hans Fleischer
ca. 1610

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

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.