Wheel-Lock Spanners ca. 1520-1620

[Matchlock]

A few more of my spanners, the latest one with adjustable priming powder measure, ca. 1620 (in the background).

Michael

[cornelistromp]

Michael,

I did not expect it to be that early I bought it together with a Nurnberg Puffer (1570), however thought that the spanner was later, around 1600.

the reason for my dating is a sword in my collection with a crosshilt with kind of similar decoration (the small o shaped opening) at the end of the guards, I learned from a hilt in the solingen klingen museum book that this decoration stands for a horse mouth showing its teeth.
The sword in the museum is also dated 1550 so maybe my sword is also older than I thought?

what is your opinion?

thanks for the correct info of the spanner!

kind regards

[Matchlock]

Thanks a lot, Cornelis.

Here is a link to my former post of a highly rare and unusual combination of a North Italian all steel powder flask, two size swivel wheel-lock spanner and screwdriver, ca. 1550:


http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=7540

Michael

[Matchlock]

More details of my small North Italian spanner, ca. 1530, the ornamentally pierced swivel handle made in the style of Late Gothic candlesticks of ca. 1500.

Michael

[cornelistromp]

Originally Posted by Matchlock

Thanks a lot, Cornelis.

Here is a link to my former post of a highly rare and unusual combination of a North Italian all steel powder flask, two size swivel wheel-lock spanner and screwdriver, ca. 1550:


http://www.vikingsword.com/vb/showthread.php?t=7540

Michael

Hi Michael,

Beautiful piece, It seams that you are collecting longer then I do.
The quality you have achieved in your collection is almost impossible to reach now a days.
I listed 2 swords in this thread with the same decoration as our spanners.
Im looking forward to your reaction

thanks+regards

[Pukka Bundook]

Hello Michael,

Thank you for showing these wonderful examples!
To me it seems quite incredible that such small items have managed to 'live' such a long time! I would have thought that thy would long ago have been discarded when their working life was over. Not only have they survived, but have done so in a beautifully preserved manner.

The detail of the hilt and spanner are very compelling evidence of being contemporary.

Congratulations Michael!

Richard.

[Matchlock]

Originally Posted by cornelistromp

Hi Michael,

Beautiful piece, It seams that you are collecting longer then I do.
The quality you have achieved in your collection is almost impossible to reach now a days.
I listed 2 swords in this thread with the same decoration as our spanners.
Im looking forward to your reaction

thanks+regards

Hi Cornelis,

Please forgive me for not replying any earlier to that interesting comparison.

It is obvious that both the sword at the Klingenmusem Solingen and the one in your collection have almost identical zoomorphic quillons which still reflect the Romanesque and Gothic styles. The stylized animal heads which are also found in the gargoyles of cathedrals actually had an apotropaic function, meaning that they were meant to fend off evil superstitiously.

You are also exactly right in pointing out the stylistic relationship between those quillons and the decoration on our combined spanners and priming flasks, which actually is the basic criterion of my dating of them.

The Solingen catalog text states that the quillons may be earlier than the rest of the sword, and this is most probably true for your sword as well because the pommel should not be datable to any earlier than ca. 1580.

It is very demanding to observe and recognize such stylistic criteria which applied to all contemporary arts and crafts alike.

Michael

[cornelistromp]

Hi Michael,

thank you for your very interesting reply.

the Pommel of my sword is of Norman type 46, which Norman dates possibly about 1600-30. As all parts of this sword seem to belong to each other. I think this type of pommel can be seen as a Sub type of the South European pommel Norman Type 47 (1545-1640) and came a bit later in Fashion in the Northern European countries. (second part of the 16thC.)

kind regards

[Matchlock]

Those were the predecessors of - amongst others - Late Gothic to Early Renaissance sword quillons and later matchlock serpentines. In a superstitious medieval world, they were traditionally regarded as fencing off evil.

Some of them are from the world famous Notre Dame cathedral in Paris - remember the stunning 1939 movie The Hunchback of Notre Dame starring the unique Charles Laughton?

Michael