Ethnographic Arms & Armour - View Single Post - Finest 16th to 18th Century German Powder Flasks

Matchlock · 18th December 2014, 12:59 PM

A very fine caliverman's combined flask and ball holder for a high-ranking officer of the bodyguard of a nobleman, most probably Augsburg, ca. 1580-1600, the wooden body covered with green velvet and cast and fire-gilt copper mounts; the style of decoration is characteristic of Augsburg workshops.
The round recess on the top mount is NOT, as the description states, a provision for quick refills - in that case the top mount had to be removed as usual; in fact, it is a ball compartment.

There very few high quality flasks known to have been combined with a ball holder; this is usually integral of the basal mount und will not take more than two or three balls.
In The Michael Trömner Collection are two flasks with ball compartments: a forkerd staghorn flask to go with a matchlock or wheellock petronel, Nuremberg, dated 1565, and a finely wrought military caliverman's flask, most probably for a guardsman, Nuremberg, c. 1570-80:
see bottom atts.

Please note that the hook at the reverse is NOT a belt hook but actually a frog hook, for attaching the flask to the caliverman's typical leather frog - which, in this case, most certainly was also covered with green velvet.
This specimen is preserved in optimum, near mint condition throughout, with the nozzle and spring loaded horizontal cut-off lever retaining their original blackened surface.
This flask even retained its original tassels consisting of raw silk and wool.

Please cf. author's threads:
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...man%27s+flasks
http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...man%27s+flasks

The photos at bottom copyrighted by the author.

18th December 2014, 12:59 PM	#3
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	A very fine caliverman's combined flask and ball holder for a high-ranking officer of the bodyguard of a nobleman, most probably Augsburg, ca. 1580-1600, the wooden body covered with green velvet and cast and fire-gilt copper mounts; the style of decoration is characteristic of Augsburg workshops. The round recess on the top mount is NOT, as the description states, a provision for quick refills - in that case the top mount had to be removed as usual; in fact, it is a ball compartment. There very few high quality flasks known to have been combined with a ball holder; this is usually integral of the basal mount und will not take more than two or three balls. In The Michael Trömner Collection are two flasks with ball compartments: a forkerd staghorn flask to go with a matchlock or wheellock petronel, Nuremberg, dated 1565, and a finely wrought military caliverman's flask, most probably for a guardsman, Nuremberg, c. 1570-80: see bottom atts. Please note that the hook at the reverse is NOT a belt hook but actually a frog hook, for attaching the flask to the caliverman's typical leather frog - which, in this case, most certainly was also covered with green velvet. This specimen is preserved in optimum, near mint condition throughout, with the nozzle and spring loaded horizontal cut-off lever retaining their original blackened surface. This flask even retained its original tassels consisting of raw silk and wool. Please cf. author's threads: http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...man%27s+flasks http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showth...man%27s+flasks The photos at bottom copyrighted by the author. Attached Images Last edited by Matchlock; 19th December 2014 at 12:48 AM.