A unique bronze barrel wall gun (doppelter Doppelhaken), Nuremberg, ca. 1515-20

[Matchlock]

As the following definition is basic for the subject of this thread, here is what I have often pointed out since 2008.




Re: BRASS or "BRONZE" barrels?


Material type: Copper alloy

This term should be used for any alloy which appears to include copper. It is only if you know for sure that the item is a particular alloy (e.g. bronze, brass, gun metal, speculum) that you can correctly identify, and term, the item in question.

Most of the time, though, you will be able to identify the alloy only from the appearance, weight and type of object (e.g. leaded bronze for Medieval and post-Medieval cooking vessels, or brass for Byzantine buckets, or bronze for Bronze Age objects, bell-metal for bells, speculum for Roman mirrors, etc etc) and so the identification will not be certain.


Therefore if you do certainly know the type of alloy because you have had a compositional analysis, then it is very important to say this.


Also, keep in mind that the historic and contemporary term for cast-copper alloy barrels was BRASS.




Michael Trömner

[estcrh]

Michael I hope you are able to work out a solution to this problem, I and many other people will be reading your various posts here for years to come trying to glean as much of the incredibly valuable information you have very generously shared with all of us here, I personally can not thank you enough, years of reading books on the subjects you have discussed here would not replace what you have written.

[Micke D]

Hello Michael!

Nice to see you back on the forum!

I have a question for you: Do you have any more info on the black steel bow crossbow in post #65? It looks like an auction crossbow.

And thank you for the Hermannstadt crossbow in post #68! Lovely printed design on the bow!

[Matchlock]

As you may have noticed I have been having quite some hard times, and they are not over yet .

I promise you and all the others that I will be back right soon, and as quickly as possible.
Just do let me and my computer take another time-out for about 10 days or so.


Best,
Michael

[fernando]

Michael, you have an email ... and now a PM

[cornelistromp]

The Armoury of the Princely House of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, removed from Schloss Langenburg
the doppelhaken of #6, recently sold at Thomas del mar, 3/12 lot 255
best,
Jasper

[cornelistromp]

some more

[cornelistromp]

The Armoury of the Princely House of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, removed from Schloss Langenburg
Thomas del mar 3/12 lot 256 iron doppelhaken 1537.
small detail there was a big nail hammered inside the pan?!?
best,
Jasper

[cornelistromp]

The Armoury of the Princely House of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, removed from Schloss Langenburg
Thomas del mar 3/12 lot 257, Iron doppelhaken, dated second half of the 16th century.
however due to its simple barrel shape and hook construction is probably earlier. around 1500?

best,
Jasper

[Matchlock]

Originally Posted by cornelistromp

The Armoury of the Princely House of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, removed from Schloss Langenburg
Thomas del mar 3/12 lot 256 iron doppelhaken 1537.
small detail there was a big nail hammered inside the pan?!?
best,
Jasper

Hi Jasper,


Thanks for posting these!


I will have more on them soon.


The nail to the rear end of the pan on the wall gun dated 1537 you are refrerring to actually is the head of a rivet, the pivot for the swiveling pan cover.

The stock of the brass barel dated 1525 was a bad modern reconstruction. The upper flat of all period stocks was on the same level as the top flat of the barrel; only the rear sight was above that level.
Cf. attachment #4 marked for comparison with the shape of the stock on the piece in the author's collection.
So all that really was actually valuable was the barrel.
The wall piece in the author's collection, which came from that same Hohenlohe-Langenburg provenance, still is the only one retaining both its original stock AND ramrod. In the catalog description attached below, Nicholas McCullough refers to "a Bavarian private collection", mentioning this thread as "Trömner 2009" for the numbering on the hook.


Best for tonight,
Michael

[fernando]

Originally Posted by cornelistromp

The Armoury of the Princely House of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, removed from Schloss Langenburg
the doppelhaken of #6, recently sold at Thomas del mar, 3/12 lot 255
best,
Jasper

Magnificent. The right example for anyone's wishing list

[cornelistromp]

yes, this was a unique opportunity for a unique weapon.
from 3 december onwards , I still regret that I did not bid a bit longer on one of the three.

[Matchlock]

Originally Posted by cornelistromp

The Armoury of the Princely House of Hohenlohe-Langenburg ... recently sold at Thomas del mar
best,
Jasper

Hi Jasper,


There is no need to worry about the Princes' armory because many items are still there at the Schloss.

Actually, just like many other noble houses, monetary reasons have forced them to sell off weapons and other stuff from time to time. The difference is only that up to now, they consigned their goods with a local auction house in Bayreuth, and anonymously, since at least the 1960's; all the catalog description would say was "property from a noble house".

In their last sale, about 12 years ago, another of those wrought iron haquebut/wall gun barrels dated 1537 was sold. It did not retain its original stock, though, but was just crudely nailed to a large and heavy kind of beam by two iron rings and some huge nails; this may have been done out of sheer need, in the Thirty Years War or at some later time. That monstrous piece is on display in the museum of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Franconia now.


Best,
Michael