Spanish Blunderbuss Questions

dana_w · 6th December 2016, 08:08 PM

A friend of mine recently purchased this blunderbuss at auction. It was identified as being made for the Ottoman-Turkish market, but I have my doubts. It is 30 ½ inches long overall. The barrel is decorated with silver wire inlays with a inlaid double-headed crowned bird near the muzzle. The lock is marked JOAN.BOP.Y.SALA. The silver barrel band may be a later addition.

I’d guess the blunderbuss could date from as early as the mid 18th Century, but it might be much newer.

Several Joan Salsa are listed in Diccionario Biografico de Artistas de Cataluna, desde la epoca romana hasta nuestros dias (Biographical Dictionary of Artists of Catalonia, from Roman times to the present day) by J. F. Rafols, (1951), see attached images. I don’t speak Spanish and have yet to pass these listing by Google Translate.

Can anyone help me identify the makers of this weapon? Comments are welcome.

All images are copyright (c) 2016 Dana K. Williams. All rights are reserved.

fernando · 6th December 2016, 09:29 PM

Hi Dana,
The three persons listed in the diccionario are not relative to arms making; the first had a profession hard to translate from catalan 'slang' but is rather early (1533) for the subject in question, the second was a glazier and the last was a sculptor of nativity scenes.
On the other hand, you can not discard the probability that the name in the lock plate was 'invented' to give the blunderbuss a Spanish taste. Also the barrel indeed transpires an Otoman/Tuekish look. Further, the letters on the maker's seal don't seem to match with the name in the lock.
You might as well don't pay any notice to what i am saying

.

dana_w · 7th December 2016, 01:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fernando

Hi Dana,
The three persons listed in the diccionario are not relative to arms making; the first had a profession hard to translate from catalan 'slang' but is rather early (1533) for the subject in question, the second was a glazier and the last was a sculptor of nativity scenes.
On the other hand, you can not discard the probability that the name in the lock plate was 'invented' to give the blunderbuss a Spanish taste. Also the barrel indeed transpires an Otoman/Tuekish look. Further, the letters on the maker's seal don't seem to match with the name in the lock.
You might as well don't pay any notice to what i am saying

.

Thanks for your explanation of the listings in the diccionario.

I didn't find anything for JOAN.BOP.Y.SALA in Dr. James Lavin's or Keith Neal's books. The barrel band adds to the Ottoman-Turkish look, but I am not sure it is original. In any case, I always value your opinion, Fernando.

rickystl · 8th December 2016, 08:17 PM

Hi Dana.

That is a beautiful blunderbuss. And, a most interesting one. Myself, I can't detect any evidence that this was made for the Ottoman market. While it's true that the blunderbuss remained popular in the Ottomans well into the mid-19th Century, it also remained popular in Spain as a private purchase, personal protection gun up to the mid-1800's. There are many examples of Spanish blunderbuss made with latter percussion locks, even after the gun started to fall out of favor throughout the rest of Europe. A lot of Spanish private purchase long arms seem to have a single reinforcing band somewhere along the fore stock. Even though the barrel is pin fastened to the stock. Might be just for decoration (?). And the barrel on this one looks pin fastened. Also note the single sling swival for a shoulder sling to hang vertically down the side and hidden under a cloak. The ramrod grooves and ferrels look as though the gun may have originally come with a wood ramrod, with an iron one added later. The butt stock style and trigger guard scream Spanish to me. Even the carvings on the stock look very European. Nothing like you see on the Ottoman/Turkish exports. The lock looks a little similar to the 1757 Spanish musket lock. But it has a more straight (vs banana shape) lockplate and a brass pan. Brass pans were normally associated with the last part of the 18th Century onward. But with a private purchase gun, who knows. Also, the engraving on the lock with the boar's head and flags look decidedly European. Even with the silver inlay on the barrel, the engravings don't look generic Ottoman. They look European of some sort.

It's interesting to note that the Spanish military utilized the miquelet lock up until about 1750, where they changed to the French style of flintlock. Then, changed back to the miquelet style of lock around 1790. But in the case of private purchase guns it could have gone either way at the customer's descretion. So, in dating this piece: Hmmmm. Tough call. I would guess this was a private purchase piece from around 1800. Maybe a bit before or after. It sure is a nice looking blunderbuss. Would not mind having it in my collection. LOL

Rick

dana_w · 9th December 2016, 01:11 AM

Thanks Rick. You make some very good points, many of which support my own doubts about the Ottoman-Turkish connection.

I am hoping that someone here will recognize the maker. That would certainly help date the weapon. I want it to be mid 18th Century, but it could easily date to the early 19th Century.

fernando · 9th December 2016, 01:35 PM

Rather pertinent points raised by Rick. I took some time to search for the name in the lock, which postponed my additional post in that i was going to comment on the swivel sling hook and the stock profile, the first very much the European style (Spanish and Portuguese as i recall) and the second also Iberian style ... that not the typical 'boot shaped' often seen in Catalonian 'trabucos'. However the name JOAN in the lock has a Catalonian spell; Castillian would be JUAN. I can find no name or tanslation for BOP; it just sounds strange.
I am not enough within this subject but, my doubts would remain about the general decoration. Is it a crescent moon on the barrel band ? In all this band doesn't seem to me a typical Spanish addition; but i wouldn't stand to oppose Rick's impressions. However i tend to be influenced by a determined taste that Turkish/Ottoman (and not only) have to give an European touch to (imported) guns.
Back to the name in the lock, i have found a personality (born 1592 executed 1634) called Joan Sala, later added Serrallonga (after his wife's name), a famous Catalonian bandolero (burglar, highwayman, gang leader) who became a mythical figure, so that still in the XIX century a dramatic play of his life was staged.
Giving wings to imagination, if the name in that lock is not that of a smith but an allusion to a romanticized hero, here you have one

.

.

6th December 2016, 08:08 PM	#1
dana_w Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Southeast Florida, USA Posts: 429	Spanish Blunderbuss Questions A friend of mine recently purchased this blunderbuss at auction. It was identified as being made for the Ottoman-Turkish market, but I have my doubts. It is 30 ½ inches long overall. The barrel is decorated with silver wire inlays with a inlaid double-headed crowned bird near the muzzle. The lock is marked JOAN.BOP.Y.SALA. The silver barrel band may be a later addition. I’d guess the blunderbuss could date from as early as the mid 18th Century, but it might be much newer. Several Joan Salsa are listed in Diccionario Biografico de Artistas de Cataluna, desde la epoca romana hasta nuestros dias (Biographical Dictionary of Artists of Catalonia, from Roman times to the present day) by J. F. Rafols, (1951), see attached images. I don’t speak Spanish and have yet to pass these listing by Google Translate. Can anyone help me identify the makers of this weapon? Comments are welcome. All images are copyright (c) 2016 Dana K. Williams. All rights are reserved. Attached Images

9th December 2016, 01:35 PM	#6
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	Rather pertinent points raised by Rick. I took some time to search for the name in the lock, which postponed my additional post in that i was going to comment on the swivel sling hook and the stock profile, the first very much the European style (Spanish and Portuguese as i recall) and the second also Iberian style ... that not the typical 'boot shaped' often seen in Catalonian 'trabucos'. However the name JOAN in the lock has a Catalonian spell; Castillian would be JUAN. I can find no name or tanslation for BOP; it just sounds strange. I am not enough within this subject but, my doubts would remain about the general decoration. Is it a crescent moon on the barrel band ? In all this band doesn't seem to me a typical Spanish addition; but i wouldn't stand to oppose Rick's impressions. However i tend to be influenced by a determined taste that Turkish/Ottoman (and not only) have to give an European touch to (imported) guns. Back to the name in the lock, i have found a personality (born 1592 executed 1634) called Joan Sala, later added Serrallonga (after his wife's name), a famous Catalonian bandolero (burglar, highwayman, gang leader) who became a mythical figure, so that still in the XIX century a dramatic play of his life was staged. Giving wings to imagination, if the name in that lock is not that of a smith but an allusion to a romanticized hero, here you have one . . Last edited by fernando; 9th December 2016 at 09:31 PM. Reason: spell

6th December 2016, 09:29 PM	#2
fernando (deceased) Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Portugal Posts: 9,694	Hi Dana, The three persons listed in the diccionario are not relative to arms making; the first had a profession hard to translate from catalan 'slang' but is rather early (1533) for the subject in question, the second was a glazier and the last was a sculptor of nativity scenes. On the other hand, you can not discard the probability that the name in the lock plate was 'invented' to give the blunderbuss a Spanish taste. Also the barrel indeed transpires an Otoman/Tuekish look. Further, the letters on the maker's seal don't seem to match with the name in the lock. You might as well don't pay any notice to what i am saying .

8th December 2016, 08:17 PM	#4
rickystl Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: St. Louis, MO area. Posts: 1,623	Hi Dana. That is a beautiful blunderbuss. And, a most interesting one. Myself, I can't detect any evidence that this was made for the Ottoman market. While it's true that the blunderbuss remained popular in the Ottomans well into the mid-19th Century, it also remained popular in Spain as a private purchase, personal protection gun up to the mid-1800's. There are many examples of Spanish blunderbuss made with latter percussion locks, even after the gun started to fall out of favor throughout the rest of Europe. A lot of Spanish private purchase long arms seem to have a single reinforcing band somewhere along the fore stock. Even though the barrel is pin fastened to the stock. Might be just for decoration (?). And the barrel on this one looks pin fastened. Also note the single sling swival for a shoulder sling to hang vertically down the side and hidden under a cloak. The ramrod grooves and ferrels look as though the gun may have originally come with a wood ramrod, with an iron one added later. The butt stock style and trigger guard scream Spanish to me. Even the carvings on the stock look very European. Nothing like you see on the Ottoman/Turkish exports. The lock looks a little similar to the 1757 Spanish musket lock. But it has a more straight (vs banana shape) lockplate and a brass pan. Brass pans were normally associated with the last part of the 18th Century onward. But with a private purchase gun, who knows. Also, the engraving on the lock with the boar's head and flags look decidedly European. Even with the silver inlay on the barrel, the engravings don't look generic Ottoman. They look European of some sort. It's interesting to note that the Spanish military utilized the miquelet lock up until about 1750, where they changed to the French style of flintlock. Then, changed back to the miquelet style of lock around 1790. But in the case of private purchase guns it could have gone either way at the customer's descretion. So, in dating this piece: Hmmmm. Tough call. I would guess this was a private purchase piece from around 1800. Maybe a bit before or after. It sure is a nice looking blunderbuss. Would not mind having it in my collection. LOL Rick

9th December 2016, 01:11 AM	#5
dana_w Member Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: Southeast Florida, USA Posts: 429	Thanks Rick. You make some very good points, many of which support my own doubts about the Ottoman-Turkish connection. I am hoping that someone here will recognize the maker. That would certainly help date the weapon. I want it to be mid 18th Century, but it could easily date to the early 19th Century.