A Fine ca. 1460 South German Haquebut Retaining Its Working Time Painted Stock

[Matchlock]

Preserved in the Deutsches Historisches Museum Berlin.

Barrel wrought iron, ca. 1460, hexagonal, touchhole on top edge, remnants of original minium (red lead) paint, socket for tiller stock switching edges; length 89 cm, cal. 24 mm.

Tiller stock of down curved, relatively modern form, a ca. 1500 working addition, painted black and with white owner's Gothic minuscule initial h and a cross.

Color photos copyrighted by the author, 1988.

Best,
Michael

[fernando]

What a Superb haquebut
If i were a richman
... i'd buy the Berlin Museum ... with such contents ... and staff, to ensure the painter
... not excluding the stock maker; quite an advanced artist, for his time.

[Spiridonov]

Michael, it is so beautiful barrel that i will try to calculate proportions and made a 3d model. Especially the most important fact that it has original paint.

[Matchlock]

Hi Alexender,

I knew you'd like it right away.

Attached please find two very similar but slightly 'younger' Nuremberg haquebut barrel of ca. 1470-80, (because the touchhole has moved a bit more to the right), also hexagonal, with tiller sockets, and retaining much of its original minium paint.

The first is preserved in the Bavarian Army Museum Ingolstadt, and the only date I have is the overall length: 86 cm, inv.no. W363.

Best,
Michael

[Matchlock]

Almost the pair to the foregoing piece, preserved in the Germanisches Nationalmuseum Nuremberg.
Length ca. 80-85 cm, inv.no. W 497.

m

[fernando]

Fascinating.
Looks like the paint is rather thick. I can't beleive that, at such period, they already used a primer before the final layer.

[Spiridonov]

Originally Posted by fernando

Fascinating.
Looks like the paint is rather thick. I can't beleive that, at such period, they already used a primer before the final layer.

Chennino Chennini mentioned a primer before the final layer in 14 century.

[Matchlock]

Hi 'Nando,

This is indeed a very thick paint of minium. Though it was not primarily used as a rust inhibitor, it was the final layer, apart from a later black coat of paint that was sometimes applied in arsenals in centuries to follow.

As I have tried to point out several times, red and green were the basic colors of the Gothic period, used for stone as well as for iron and wood. It actually was a very colorful period.

I attach two photos of the interior and the ceiling of the cathedral of Brixen, The South Tyrol, as well as a display of arquebuses in a Maximilian armory, ca. 1507, in order to convey the prevailing impact of red and green in Gothic everyday life.

Best,
Michl

[Spiridonov]

The length of these barrel is 894 mm, Dm. is 65mm, calibre is 23 mm, Haken length is 90 mm. I saw these beautiful barrel this summer in Nernberg.

[Matchlock]

Thank you, Alexender,

I knew you saw it - after seeing my collection ...

Best and good night,
Michael

[Matchlock]

Originally Posted by fernando

What a Superb haquebut
If i were a richman
... i'd buy the Berlin Museum ... with such contents ... and staff, to ensure the painter

'Nando, my dear friend,

Had you been in the Berlin museum (Altes Zeughaus) and its reserve collection, I'm quite sure, as a freak of early cannon, you would at least think twice about buying their whole ensemble ...

Good night (or rather good morning)
from your dead tired Bavarian friend
Michl

P.S. Could you please share some good images of that extremely rare 14th/early 15th c. lime stone cannon ball I was informed by the highest authority that you were lucky enough to acquire these days - as soon as you received it, of course?

[fernando]

Originally Posted by Matchlock

... Could you please share some good images of that extremely rare 14th/early 15th c. lime stone cannon ball I was informed by the highest authority that you were lucky enough to acquire these days - as soon as you received it, of course?

Sure thing, Herr Trömner
You can bet on that

[Matchlock]

We're looking for to see it!

m