A very fine Tusco-Emilian snap matchlock Landsknecht's harquebus, ca. 1525

Matchlock · 17th November 2008, 06:02 PM

Hi, Jim,

Thank you so much! Your words are so much rewarding indeed.

I have come to love sharing my pieces with you guys, and believe it or not: it has doubled my fun of them. Most collectors seem to keep their treasures hidden from the eyes of others. Well, what they actually gain from their behavior is - loneliness, and no feedback at all. The fun of others has always added greatly to my own pleasure.

As you have been pressing me (thanks a lot) you will be glad to learn that I have been planning to write a book on my collection and on earliest arsenal firearms and accouterments of ca. 1330-1700 in general, with tons of photos and setting up new, exact and transferable dating criteria - which really would be something never tried by anyone before. 30 years of experience, some 3,000 books and more than 280,000 photos taken in museums all over Europe, including England, and a lot of help from my friends should really suffice to make it a good book. Let's wait and see. A whole lot of work lies before me.

You and Ed, please keep me going!

Michael

Matchlock · 17th November 2008, 07:11 PM

Richard,

My honest congratulations, man! You got a very, very rare and finely decorated Dutch matchlock musket, ca. 1600-20, probably for a guardsman of a town guard, possibly that of Amsterdam!

I collect only rather plain arsenal pieces but yours is a real beauty!

You are a very lucky guy, no doubt about that. Keep a good eye on your piece.

If you don't mind I would love to see more of it, and I am sure so would the rest of us. If it retains its original length it should measure about 160-162 cm overall, the barrel ca. 123-125 cm. Any marks?!

I attach scans of very similiar Dutch matchlock muskets preserved in the Livrustkammaren in Stockholm.

Have fun, you have deserved to be proud.

Michael

Pukka Bundook · 18th November 2008, 05:35 AM

Michael,

The trouble is, my matchlock isn't original, but homemade.

This forum is for original pieces, not new ones......but I'm glad you reccognised it for what it was meant to represent!
(has Dutch and maybe English characteristics, but isn't a copy of anything particular,...just a "for fun" gun!)
The overall length is a bit short for an original, as the barrel I had on hand was only 92cm or so.
Sorry for confusing you, it was not intentional.

If you send me a PM with your e-mail, I could send you a few additional pictures if you would still like to see them.

The latest pictures you have just added are fantastic! beautiful work indeed, and Very inspirational!!

Thank you!

Very best wishes,

Richard.

Matchlock · 19th November 2008, 04:34 PM

Richard,

That should proove to all of us how easily we can be fooled by a photo showing good work!

Very well done indeed, telling from that photo

I have sent you a PM with my email, looking forward to seeing more of your piece.

Very best wishes,
Michael

Matchlock · 22nd November 2008, 07:23 PM

Note the staged barrels and the unstocked elongated muzzle sections, all corresponding closely to my harquebus.

The snap tinder locks illustrated in these tapestries are of slightly obsolete type in having only a small lockplate for the serpentine and the long spring still nailed to the forestock. This kind of lock is yet found on guns up to ca. 1530.

Michael

Matchlock · 22nd November 2008, 07:30 PM

For an original snap tinderlock gun of ca. 1530, with a small brass lockplate only for the matchholder and the spring nailed to the forestock, please go to

http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=7138

Michael

Matchlock · 7th December 2008, 03:00 PM

The buttstocks, locks and acorn shaped triggers very similar to my 1520's piece but of longer form throughout and mounted with more modern octagonal barrels.

Both preserved at the collections of the Tower of London and The Royal Armouries Leeds respectively. The lock of the gun at Leeds a modern replacement.

I was given the chance of taking these photos in 1990 when the harquebuses were still in the reserve collection at what was then just "The Tower".

Fragments of similar harquebuses were found in the wreck of the Mary Rose that had sunken in Spithead Harbour in 1545.

Michael

17th November 2008, 07:11 PM	#2
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	A very fine and rare Dutch matchlock musket, ca. 1600-20 Richard, My honest congratulations, man! You got a very, very rare and finely decorated Dutch matchlock musket, ca. 1600-20, probably for a guardsman of a town guard, possibly that of Amsterdam! I collect only rather plain arsenal pieces but yours is a real beauty! You are a very lucky guy, no doubt about that. Keep a good eye on your piece. If you don't mind I would love to see more of it, and I am sure so would the rest of us. If it retains its original length it should measure about 160-162 cm overall, the barrel ca. 123-125 cm. Any marks?! I attach scans of very similiar Dutch matchlock muskets preserved in the Livrustkammaren in Stockholm. Have fun, you have deserved to be proud. Michael Attached Images

18th November 2008, 05:35 AM	#3
Pukka Bundook Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 803	Michael, The trouble is, my matchlock isn't original, but homemade. This forum is for original pieces, not new ones......but I'm glad you reccognised it for what it was meant to represent! (has Dutch and maybe English characteristics, but isn't a copy of anything particular,...just a "for fun" gun!) The overall length is a bit short for an original, as the barrel I had on hand was only 92cm or so. Sorry for confusing you, it was not intentional. If you send me a PM with your e-mail, I could send you a few additional pictures if you would still like to see them. The latest pictures you have just added are fantastic! beautiful work indeed, and Very inspirational!! Thank you! Very best wishes, Richard. Last edited by Pukka Bundook; 18th November 2008 at 01:59 PM.

22nd November 2008, 07:23 PM	#5
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Historic illustrations from the Battle of Pavia, 1525 Note the staged barrels and the unstocked elongated muzzle sections, all corresponding closely to my harquebus. The snap tinder locks illustrated in these tapestries are of slightly obsolete type in having only a small lockplate for the serpentine and the long spring still nailed to the forestock. This kind of lock is yet found on guns up to ca. 1530. Michael Attached Images

7th December 2008, 03:00 PM	#7
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Two Brescian snap matchlock harquebuses for Henry VIII's army, ca. 1540 The buttstocks, locks and acorn shaped triggers very similar to my 1520's piece but of longer form throughout and mounted with more modern octagonal barrels. Both preserved at the collections of the Tower of London and The Royal Armouries Leeds respectively. The lock of the gun at Leeds a modern replacement. I was given the chance of taking these photos in 1990 when the harquebuses were still in the reserve collection at what was then just "The Tower". Fragments of similar harquebuses were found in the wreck of the Mary Rose that had sunken in Spithead Harbour in 1545. Michael Attached Images

17th November 2008, 06:02 PM	#1
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Hi, Jim, Thank you so much! Your words are so much rewarding indeed. I have come to love sharing my pieces with you guys, and believe it or not: it has doubled my fun of them. Most collectors seem to keep their treasures hidden from the eyes of others. Well, what they actually gain from their behavior is - loneliness, and no feedback at all. The fun of others has always added greatly to my own pleasure. As you have been pressing me (thanks a lot) you will be glad to learn that I have been planning to write a book on my collection and on earliest arsenal firearms and accouterments of ca. 1330-1700 in general, with tons of photos and setting up new, exact and transferable dating criteria - which really would be something never tried by anyone before. 30 years of experience, some 3,000 books and more than 280,000 photos taken in museums all over Europe, including England, and a lot of help from my friends should really suffice to make it a good book. Let's wait and see. A whole lot of work lies before me. You and Ed, please keep me going! Michael

19th November 2008, 04:34 PM	#4
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	Richard, That should proove to all of us how easily we can be fooled by a photo showing good work! Very well done indeed, telling from that photo I have sent you a PM with my email, looking forward to seeing more of your piece. Very best wishes, Michael

22nd November 2008, 07:30 PM	#6
Matchlock (deceased) Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Bavaria, Germany - the center of 15th and 16th century gunmaking Posts: 4,310	For an original snap tinderlock gun of ca. 1530, with a small brass lockplate only for the matchholder and the spring nailed to the forestock, please go to http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=7138 Michael