Ca. 1500 to 1650: Bandeliers for Arquebusiers and Musketeers

[Marcus den toom]

Originally Posted by Matchlock

Many good musketeer's bandeliers of Dutch type are preserved in the Emden armory, Northwest Germany. I took the following photos when attending that armory in 1987 and 1992.
As stated before, all these Emden bandeliers have a sturdy, pleated lether pouch with draw strings, an oval piece of felt for resting the heavy musket, and either a brass ring or a leather loop for a portion of matchcord.

In my collection there are three bandeliers from the Emden Armory, ca. 1600-20. One of them has attached a powder measure that is much heavier than the others made of wood; it consists of lead and has a removable leaden cap, both covered with black leather. I cannot think of any practical reason except a better prevention against moisture, but I know that at least the caps of such measures were sometimes made of lead in England, and I attached a few samples. But even then: a complete bandelier consisting of leaden chargers would have been simply too heavy, so what?
Please see also
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=18290

Hi Michael,

I posted a possible answer to your question about the lead powder flask, but i am afraid i was a bit to early since you where still posting more images (etc).

Could the lead powder flask be some sort of weight to keep the bandelier in place?

best,
Marcus

[Matchlock]

Originally Posted by Marcus den toom

Hi Michael,

I posted a possible answer to your question about the lead powder flask, but i am afraid i was a bit to early since you where still posting more images (etc).

Could the lead powder flask be some sort of weight to keep the bandelier in place?

best,
Marcus

Hi Marcus,

Please forgive me, I overlooked your query indeed being too busy taking and loading up tons of photos.
I do not think that that leaden flask was an apt means to keep the bandelier hanging straight.

Best,
Michael

[Martin Moser]

The lead flask could perhaps have been used for the priming powder. Dpeneding on the actual size of the flask, this would stay longer in the flask than a single charge. So if resistance to moisture played a role, this might be a reason.

Michael, again great details, your pictures are invaluable!

[Matchlock]

Hi Martin,


That's basically an interesting point.

On the other hand: all known priming flasks on bandeliers have characteristic nozzles, and one of my three Emden samples is actually the only one of about 25 samples I did research on to feature a leaden flask.

And thanks for appreciating my photos; good photos are the most important thing; you cannot tell in a whole book what everybody can see and grasp when looking at a good picture!


Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

More detailed studies on those Swedish (?) bandeliers, the main belt consisting of seal hide.

m

[Matchlock]

A very spacious but delicate leather pouch on an arquebusier's bandelier of Swiss type, 1st half to mid-16th century, in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum (NM) Nuremberg; the small powder measures are of tinned iron. This enormous pouch certainly not only answered the purpose of holding balls but had other small accouterments as well: e.g. for wadding and cleaning tools like scourers etc. that were screwed to the threaded finial of the ramrod.
A bandelier of the same type is preserved in the reserve collection of the Historisches Museum Basel, Switzerland; the straight edges of the trapezoid powder flask denote that it is early 16th c., the leather is tooled with an episcopal staff, the city arms of Basel.
The six small iron flasks are tinned and covered with thin leather (now mostly missing). Cf. my earliest bandelier, posts #1 and 2. I believe the powder measures on my bandelier were originally covered with leather as well, just to keep them from rattling; also, the tannin acid of the leather may account for their being heavily rusted. Today, only the leather cover of the match hider lid is still present.

Author's photos, 1993.


To Martin Moser:
The small round, brown priming flask with the integral stand is also early 16th c. and exactly the type to go perfectly with your snap-tinderlock arquebus! Sadly, some of the photos are out of focus.


Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

Contemporary illustrations of a musketeer equiped with his bandelier, from Jacob de Gheyn's Wapenhandelinghe Van Roers, Mvsqvetten Ende Spiessen. Achtervolgende De Ordre Van Syn Excellentie Maurits, Prince Van Orangie, Graue Van Nassau, Etc, Gouverneur Ende Capiteyn Generael Ouer Gelderlant, Hollant, Zeelant, Vtrecht, Overyssel, Etc., S. Graven Hague, 1607 (somtimes given as 1608).

An incomplete but colored copy was sold at Bonhams.

m

[Matchlock]

Lately I found this anachronistic illustration of soldiers of the Royal Danish Army 1675-79, depicting the latest stage of development of a matchlock musket and - the musketeer wearing a bandelier...

m