Another fascinating wheel lock.
Made in the XVII century, signed by Neuriter of Prague, a city belonging at the time to the Roman Holly Empire of Germany.
A pity the original picture is too bright and i could not get a better scan; still we can see Neptuno inciting his sea horses to pull his charriot.

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Hi Fernando. A lock that tells a story. Thanks for posting. Imagine how long it must have taken to do all the engraving and chisel work on this lock.
I've read where the Germans were so fasinated with the Wheellock, that they continued to use them well into the 18th Century on sporting arms. Rick.

Hi 'Nando and Rick,

Now this was originally the mechanism of a hunting rifle, ca. 1670-80. Caspar Neureiter (aka Neireiter) was a reputed Prague gunmaker.

Actually the Germans seem to have been so fond of the wheellock that it was generally called 'the German lock' (das deutsche Schloss). It was very common with target rifles up to the end of the 18th c. and its last known historic speciman was used in a pair of early 19th pistols, much advanced by then but still employing the wheel.

Best,
Michl/Michael