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Source Description
The walnut stock of this pistol is inlaid with engraved stag horn in the form of interlacing foliage and arabesques interspersed with putti, birds, and animals—an elegant weapon befitting a noble patron. Since pistols of this type could deliver only one shot and had to be reloaded to fire the next round, they were commonly made in pairs to be worn in leather holsters. The large ball-shaped pommel on the grip made it easier to withdraw the pistol from its holster, and also served as a counterweight to a heavy steel barrel. Additionally, the pommel became a useful weapon when the firing mechanism failed or when close quarters required its use.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
97025
label
Wheel-Lock Hunting Pistol
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
97025
contentType
object
title
Wheel-Lock Hunting Pistol
description
The walnut stock of this pistol is inlaid with engraved stag horn in the form of interlacing foliage and arabesques interspersed with putti, birds, and animals—an elegant weapon befitting a noble patron. Since pistols of this type could deliver only one shot and had to be reloaded to fire the next round, they were commonly made in pairs to be worn in leather holsters. The large ball-shaped pommel on the grip made it easier to withdraw the pistol from its holster, and also served as a counterweight to a heavy steel barrel. Additionally, the pommel became a useful weapon when the firing mechanism failed or when close quarters required its use.
date
1578
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q60780850
genreSpecific
Arms and Armor
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 54.6 cm (21 1/2 in.); Barrel: 31.8 cm (12 1/2 in.); Bore: 1.4 cm (9/16 in.)
cul
South Germany, 16th century
accession
1916.672
Source extras
tec
steel, walnut stock with engraved stag horn; ball butt
tombstone
Wheel-Lock Hunting Pistol, 1578. South Germany, 16th century. Steel, walnut stock with engraved stag horn; ball butt; overall: 54.6 cm (21 1/2 in.); barrel: 31.8 cm (12 1/2 in.); bore: 1.4 cm (9/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance, 1916.672
collection
MED - Arms & Armor
inscriptions
inscription
near lock plate: HSVZ 1578
didYouKnow
In this time period nobles bred dogs to help them hunt boars; on the barrel of this gun, a boar is shown charging a dog.
citations
citation
<em>Catalogue of Arms and Armour. </em>[Boston, Massachusetts]: [Frank Gair Macomber], 1900.
page_number
Cat. no. 416
citation
Gilchrist, Helen Ives. <em>A Catalogue of the Collection of Arms & Armor Presented to the Cleveland Museum of Art by Mr. and Mrs. John Long Severance; 1916-1923.</em> Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1924.
page_number
Mention: p. 144, F3; Reproduced: Plate XXXIV, F3
citation
Cleveland Museum of Art, and Helen Ives Gilchrist. <em>Handbook of the Severance Collection of Arms and Armor</em>. 2d ed., 1948.
page_number
Reproduction: p. 41
citation
Fliegel, Stephen N. <em>Arms and Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art</em>. [Cleveland, Ohio]: The Museum, 1998.
page_number
141, 174
citation
Olsen, Kirstin. <em>All Things Shakespeare: An Encyclopedia of Shakespeare's World</em>. Westport, Conn: Greenwood Press, 2002.
page_number
268
citation
Fliegel, Stephen N.<em> Arms & Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art.</em> [Cleveland, Ohio]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2007.
page_number
193
creditline
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance
updatedAt
2026-05-29 05:13:33.117000
sourceId
97025
dept
Medieval Art
coll
MED - Arms & Armor
med
steel, walnut stock with engraved stag horn; ball butt
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
b7754295c229c328