Ask the Scholar

This gun case contains accoutrements, bullet mold (Walter 51.85), screwdriver (Walters 51.86), and belt and flasks (Walters 51.83) that make up the so called "Turkish Hunting Set." The corners of the case are embellished with carved ribbing and the top of the case is decorated with cooper alloy inlay of scrolling leaf designs. There is a keyhole located in the front of the case with an opening mechanism near the end of the front. The interior of the box is lined with silk velvet padding to support the hunting objects. The underside of the lid is covered in leather and contains a label printed in gold lettering that reads, "26 BOULEVART DES ITALIENS / DEVISME / ARQUEBUSIER BREVETE." This tells us that the original maker of the case was Louis-Francois Devisme. At some point the case was reconfigured to fit the Ottoman musket (Walters 51.84).