The Battle of Pavia 1525 revisited

Matchlock · 17th September 2008, 03:20 PM

More of the tapestries in the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples.

Please note that the harquebuses are mounted with either blued wrought-iron or yellowish cast brass/bronze barrels. Some of the stocks are painted while others are left in their natural unaltered surfaces. One has to bear in mind that in those days, stocks got very easily damaged or broken in battle and had to be renewed. So painting them was an extra feature. This also applies to the wooden tillers of Gothic crossbows as is proved by many contemporary paintings.

Strikingly colorful are the mercenaries' (German: Landsknechte) costumes, characteristic of the end of the 15th and the early decades of the 16th century, and reflecting the mercenaries' both rebellious and self-conscious attitude against nobility and clergy. Up to then, colorful garments had been the privilege of the latter two.

The tinder snap-locks on the harquebuses are clearly depicted, as well as the accouterments such as bullet pouches, powder horns, bandeliers with small powder measures of tinned iron matching the relatively small calibre barrels of that period (ca. 11-16 mm), compared to ca. 18-20 mm 100 years later, and lengths of thick match cord wound around the arm and kept slowly smoldering all the time. These matches were used to alight the small pieces of nitrated tinder stuck in the heads of the harquebuses' serpentines which actually ignited the priming powder in the pans.

The single parts of the lock mechanism are not yet united on a lock plate here, although this was in use at least 10 years ago - cf. the woodcut by Hans Schäufelein of ca. 1515 in one of my former posts; there you can also see the push button trigger behind the serpentines. The serpentine holding the smoldering tinder had to be cocked against the pressure of the long external steel main spring nailed separately to the right side of the stock in front of the ignition pan and had to be released by pushing that button against the stock.

Extremely few 500 year-old firearms retaining this kind of mechanism have actually survived later modernizations. This why I enclose two views of such a tinder snap-lock mechanism of ca. 1515 in my collection: note both the outer and inner functional parts on the lock plate and especially the push button release on the outside, to the left of the serpentine.

Back to the tapestries: Also note that some of the mercenaries' garments are marked with a cross on their backs - the only way to tell a brother-in-arms from an enemy in the heat of the battle (!) and in those days before different uniforms had been conceived.

There is whole lot of unique details in these tapestries - have fun studying!

Matchlock

Jim McDougall · 18th September 2008, 07:03 AM

Again, this material is really fascinating, and its great to have so much historical detail shared here, Matchlock! Its like having a personal museum tour and with these great pieces...as you note, amazing to have them in static condition of the period without later alterations.

It is also extremely interesting to see the context with these formidable weapons and the almost bizarre costume of the Landsknecht forces carrying them. It seems that Maxmilian I gave these mercenary troops free license to elaborate and most colorful attire...it would seem actually a sort of early psychological warfare. The 'X' s n their backs are interesting as preuniform identification!
I found mention of 'slashing' which apparantly was originally patching tears in clothing with whatever material was at hand, and with fanfare became popular as an application representing battle damaged cloth.

I guess the word 'alterations' set me off on the fashion tangent

!

All the best,
Jim

Matchlock · 3rd April 2012, 08:08 PM

Another of the very rare period depictions of a Landsknecht bandolier, the small powder containers of tinned iron, ca. 1530-40, together with a matchlock arquebus being loaded, and an early form of a powder horn plus the the unusually thick early 16th c. matchcord.
From Johann von Schwarzenberg's illuminated book in the Kantonsbibliothek Appenzell, MC ms 13.

Best,
Michael

17th September 2008, 03:20 PM	#1
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	The Battle of Pavia 1525 revisited More of the tapestries in the Museo di Capodimonte in Naples. Please note that the harquebuses are mounted with either blued wrought-iron or yellowish cast brass/bronze barrels. Some of the stocks are painted while others are left in their natural unaltered surfaces. One has to bear in mind that in those days, stocks got very easily damaged or broken in battle and had to be renewed. So painting them was an extra feature. This also applies to the wooden tillers of Gothic crossbows as is proved by many contemporary paintings. Strikingly colorful are the mercenaries' (German: Landsknechte) costumes, characteristic of the end of the 15th and the early decades of the 16th century, and reflecting the mercenaries' both rebellious and self-conscious attitude against nobility and clergy. Up to then, colorful garments had been the privilege of the latter two. The tinder snap-locks on the harquebuses are clearly depicted, as well as the accouterments such as bullet pouches, powder horns, bandeliers with small powder measures of tinned iron matching the relatively small calibre barrels of that period (ca. 11-16 mm), compared to ca. 18-20 mm 100 years later, and lengths of thick match cord wound around the arm and kept slowly smoldering all the time. These matches were used to alight the small pieces of nitrated tinder stuck in the heads of the harquebuses' serpentines which actually ignited the priming powder in the pans. The single parts of the lock mechanism are not yet united on a lock plate here, although this was in use at least 10 years ago - cf. the woodcut by Hans Schäufelein of ca. 1515 in one of my former posts; there you can also see the push button trigger behind the serpentines. The serpentine holding the smoldering tinder had to be cocked against the pressure of the long external steel main spring nailed separately to the right side of the stock in front of the ignition pan and had to be released by pushing that button against the stock. Extremely few 500 year-old firearms retaining this kind of mechanism have actually survived later modernizations. This why I enclose two views of such a tinder snap-lock mechanism of ca. 1515 in my collection: note both the outer and inner functional parts on the lock plate and especially the push button release on the outside, to the left of the serpentine. Back to the tapestries: Also note that some of the mercenaries' garments are marked with a cross on their backs - the only way to tell a brother-in-arms from an enemy in the heat of the battle (!) and in those days before different uniforms had been conceived. There is whole lot of unique details in these tapestries - have fun studying! Matchlock Attached Images

3rd April 2012, 08:08 PM	#3
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Another of the very rare period depictions of a Landsknecht bandolier, the small powder containers of tinned iron, ca. 1530-40, together with a matchlock arquebus being loaded, and an early form of a powder horn plus the the unusually thick early 16th c. matchcord. From Johann von Schwarzenberg's illuminated book in the Kantonsbibliothek Appenzell, MC ms 13. Best, Michael Attached Images

18th September 2008, 07:03 AM	#2
Jim McDougall Arms Historian Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Route 66 Posts: 9,951	Again, this material is really fascinating, and its great to have so much historical detail shared here, Matchlock! Its like having a personal museum tour and with these great pieces...as you note, amazing to have them in static condition of the period without later alterations. It is also extremely interesting to see the context with these formidable weapons and the almost bizarre costume of the Landsknecht forces carrying them. It seems that Maxmilian I gave these mercenary troops free license to elaborate and most colorful attire...it would seem actually a sort of early psychological warfare. The 'X' s n their backs are interesting as preuniform identification! I found mention of 'slashing' which apparantly was originally patching tears in clothing with whatever material was at hand, and with fanfare became popular as an application representing battle damaged cloth. I guess the word 'alterations' set me off on the fashion tangent ! All the best, Jim