Artwork Page for Wheel-Lock Hunting Rifle

Details / Information for Wheel-Lock Hunting Rifle

Wheel-Lock Hunting Rifle

mid-1600s
made by

Hans Schmidt

(Austrian, 1669)
Culture
Austria, Ferlach, mid 17th Century
Medium
steel, varnished wood (walnut) stock decorated with inlaid silver wire and appliqués
Measurements
Overall: 110.2 cm (43 3/8 in.); Butt: 8.6 cm (3 3/8 in.); Barrel: 83.2 cm (32 3/4 in.); Bore: 1.3 cm (1/2 in.)
Weight: 3.68 kg (8.11 lbs.)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Lewis R. Schilling 1959.127
Public Domain
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Location
210A Armor Court
Print
?

Did You Know?

A similar rifle made for another member of the Order of the Golden Fleece, Graf Sigmund von Dietrichstein, is preserved in Vienna.

Description

The barrel of this hunting piece is marked with the letters "GS" within a shield, the likely initials of the owner, who was probably a member of the Order of the Golden Fleece as indicated by the escutcheon on the stock.
A walnut wood rifle stretches horizontally, its long steel barrel gleaming. Intricate silver wire patterns and metal plates punctuate the dark stock, which features three silver deer in varied poses upon the wide butt. Fine etchings and a diminutive horseman adorn the metal firing mechanism. Beneath the grip, a metal guard is shaped into three finger-sized loops. Polished metal and dark wood combine to create a highly decorative, elongated silhouette.

Wheel-Lock Hunting Rifle

mid-1600s

Hans Schmidt

(Austrian, 1669)
Austria, Ferlach, mid 17th Century

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