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Source Description
This is a rare, experimental combination of body armor (shield) and a weapon (matchlock gun). The gunsmith Giovanni Battista of Ravenna proposed this gun shield to King Henry VIII of England in 1544. Interested in technology, the king had 100 made for his bodyguards.As a firearm, it was too heavy to aim unless rested on a support and was rejected for use. However, in the late 1600s, 66 were still kept in the royal armory, perhaps as curiosities. Technological hybrids were appreciated as attempts to do two things at once.Lock mechanisms for firing guns were made by smiths who made locks for doors or chests. A door lock by Henry VIII's master locksmith is in the Collector's Study.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
29199
label
Gun Shield
core
obj
dtoType
object
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
29199
sourceUrl
contentType
object
stage
normalized
title
Gun Shield
description
This is a rare, experimental combination of body armor (shield) and a weapon (matchlock gun). The gunsmith Giovanni Battista of Ravenna proposed this gun shield to King Henry VIII of England in 1544. Interested in technology, the king had 100 made for his bodyguards.As a firearm, it was too heavy to aim unless rested on a support and was rejected for use. However, in the late 1600s, 66 were still kept in the royal armory, perhaps as curiosities. Technological hybrids were appreciated as attempts to do two things at once.Lock mechanisms for firing guns were made by smiths who made locks for doors or chests. A door lock by Henry VIII's master locksmith is in the Collector's Study.
provenance
Armory at the Tower of London; John Beardmore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Beardmore Sale, London, 1921, lot 17; Walters Art Museum, 1981, by gift [purchased through a fund donated by Joseph Kindig, Jr.'s three children].
date
1545-1550 (Renaissance)
citationUrl
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
genreSpecific
Arms & Armor
shields
guns
imageCount
1
pageCount
1
source
import
dimensions
units
cm
width
30.1
height
46.5
dimensionsRaw
11 7/8 x 18 5/16 in. (30.1 x 46.5 cm) (d. x diam.)
Source extras
med
steel, iron, wood, leather, fabric
creator_ids
4186
6197
collection_ids
ARM
BAR
exhibition_ids
none
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
0d2f5b4aa859aa96