An Extremely Rare 17th Century German Military Match Hider

[Matchlock]

This is the only known detached late 16th or early 17th century match hider, except for a handful of them retained on some of the bandoliers of the Guard of the Electors of Saxony.

It is made of thin tinned and brazed iron with a cap and four rings for a suspension cord. In its lower section and in the bottom there are a few irregular holes for ventilation and a thick piece of hemp matchcord is preserved inside. The overall length of the piece is 17 cm.

Match hiders are recorded to have been carried by only one musketeer out of a group of 15 or 20 in order to enable the others to light their matches in case of emergency. As smoldering match would not only produce a visible glow and smoke but a traitorous smell as well, match hiders are believed to have been used especially on night marches.

The item in discussion was sold Hermann Historica, Munich, on October 5, 2009, at a hammer price of 1,700 euro.

In addition to images of this rarissimum, I enclose a few photos of similar match hiders on late 16th century Saxon bandoliers that I photographed in museums over decades.

Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

... in the Bavarian Army Museum Ingolstadt, the Imperial Castle Nuremberg, and the Royal Armouries Leeds.

Michael

[Jim McDougall]

These are incredibly interesting Michael! Yet another element of the many items and accoutrements that were required in the use of the weapons themselves. While of course the weapons are typically presented in displays in collections etc. it is interesting to see these items along with them.

I honestly had never thought of the burning match that of course would have been used to ignite these matchlock guns. Actually I had not thought much on nightime activity such as combat or marching, assuming that most commonly such things would take place during some degree of daylight.

Obviously my perception of military history of these times is somewhat impaired especially when it comes to firearms. It seems though that Rembrandt's famed painting, commonly referred to as "The Night Watch" was actually a daylight rendering, but darkened over time as the paint became imbued with the usual contaminants and darkened accordingly.

It would seem that carrying a lit match would certainly be a dangerous proposition, especially if it became too close to supplies of gunpowder.
The individual carrying this essential item, as noted, would likely have been not only an identifiable target, but I wonder if they would have been kept away from the main body of the force because of that and the danger element of accidental ignition.

Best regards,
Jim

[Matchlock]

Originally Posted by Jim McDougall

These are incredibly interesting Michael! Yet another element of the many items and accoutrements that were required in the use of the weapons themselves. While of course the weapons are typically presented in displays in collections etc. it is interesting to see these items along with them.

I honestly had never thought of the burning match that of course would have been used to ignite these matchlock guns. Actually I had not thought much on nightime activity such as combat or marching, assuming that most commonly such things would take place during some degree of daylight.

Obviously my perception of military history of these times is somewhat impaired especially when it comes to firearms. It seems though that Rembrandt's famed painting, commonly referred to as "The Night Watch" was actually a daylight rendering, but darkened over time as the paint became imbued with the usual contaminants and darkened accordingly.

It would seem that carrying a lit match would certainly be a dangerous proposition, especially if it became too close to supplies of gunpowder.
The individual carrying this essential item, as noted, would likely have been not only an identifiable target, but I wonder if they would have been kept away from the main body of the force because of that and the danger element of accidental ignition.

Best regards,
Jim

Exactly, Jim,

Especially when considering that these match hiders were carried on a bandolier together with ten or twelve other containers filled with finely granulated gun powder - and of course with inevidable remnants of powder all over the musketeer's clothes!

I am afraid you are not the only one whose imagination of warfare in olden times will become somewhat impaired (or maybe even impaled ) when studying the actual accouterments.

Best wishes,
Michael

[Matchlock]

Image on top:
close-up of the cast-bronze lion heads and the top of a match hider (center of image) and a powder container, on a bandolier for a guardsman of the Leibgarde (bodyguard) of the Elector Christian I of Saxony, ca. 1590.
Detail on the extreme right:
tapering nozzle of the flask containing the priming powder.

Image from Peter Finer's site, with compliments.


Please note that the original covering consisting of rep / repp (German Rips), which is perfectly retained on the speciman in the Royal Armouries Leeds (see images in my post #2 above, plus close-up following below), is missing from the tin surface of the containers on this bandolier.
Rep is defined by Wikipedia as a fabric made of silk or wool, or of silk and wool, and having a transversely corded or ribbed surface.


Best,
Michael

[fernando]

HURRAY !!!
... He is back

[Matchlock]

Thanks a lot for hooraying like that, 'Nando,
my dear friend!!!!

I guess that's the best welcome I've ever experienced!


Best wishes as always to you and everybody out there,
Michl/Michael/Miguel/Mikhail/Michel/Michele ...

[estcrh]

Originally Posted by Matchlock

This is the only known detached late 16th or early 17th century match hider, except for a handful of them retained on some of the bandoliers of the Guard of the Electors of Saxony.

Thanks for showing us another rare item. The Japanese also used a similar item for the same purpose and they are also very rare, here is an example.


Hinawa-ire, container to transport a burning cord. It was designed to keep a match cord burning. It also dimmed or hid the glow at night so the enemy could not see the massed enemy matches.

[Matchlock]

As the match was not actually kept 'burning' I prefer the term smoldering.

m

[fernando]

I never knew the precise function of this Indian system.
A match keeper ? Something to compare with the earlier 'smolderer' addressed in this thread ?
... Obviously the match cord in this one is a mediocre solution (a shoe lace, if i remember)

.

[Matchlock]

Hi 'Nando,

If you mean the brass tube, that's just a lead for the matchcord.

Best,
m

[fernando]

But what is the lower perforated tube for ?

[Matchlock]

For keeping the cord smoldering at both ends, I suppose.

m

[Raf]

Joseph Furtenbach , inventor 1626.
"..that prince or general who ... will first supply my invention to all his troops will surely conquer the Turks- yeo the world, for with them his army will be invincible."
School of the art of gunnery. Augsburg 1643.

[Matchlock]

For early 16th c. arquebusier's bandeliers with small powder measures of tinned iron and brass, please see

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...940#post167940


m