A cute old anvil

[Matchlock]

Originally Posted by Ed

The decoration is useless for identification, it is a very common motif. In fact I have a Dolaie\r axe with some very similar designs.

Hi, Ed,

I think you got a really cute little anvil and it perfectly matches your collection; it may well be as early as 16th to 17th century. Originally it was meant to be put into the recess of a bigger anvil for concentrating on detailed work.

I do not believe, though, that the decoration is useless for identification. It symbolizes the ancient tree of life (Lebensbaum), though mostly - as in the case of your anvil - crudely depicted. Although probably originating in at least the Celtic period, it is most common to ironwork of the Romanic, Gothic and Renaissance periods when it is often crowned by a either a cross or a stylized trefoil, the latter mostly reduced to three dots or pellets. Actually it is also common to plain everyday ironwork through the ages and up to the Historismus period of the 19th century.

I attach two examples of early Renaissance gun barrels bearing this crowned tree of life symbol:

- a Nuremberg bronze haquebut barrel, ca. 1515-20, the pan now missing, the touch hole blocked up and a crude percussion piston applied; obviously due this 'modernization' and the more powerful 19th century black powder, the barrel is burst. The piece is in the museum of Gerolzhofen/Franconia and applied with the spurious date 1474

- a Suhl wrought iron haquebut barrel mounted in a fine gun that I posted in my thread A tinder snap matchlock haquebut, 1530's

Michael