Flintlock Pistol (2 of 2)
Unknown Artist
early 1700s
Medium
steel with gold inlay, gilt-brass mounts; walnut burl stock; chiseled high-relief decoration
Dimensions
l. 49.5 cm · barrel: l. 32.1 cm
Classification
Arms and Armor
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance
Accession Number
1916.50.2
About this artwork
The barrel of this pistol is signed G. MASSIN, a gunsmith apparently working in eastern France or French-speaking Flanders, possibly the city of Liège. The exquisite ornament along the breech of the barrel is chiseled and engraved. The gilded lock-plate and mounts may be compared to the finest contemporary work in other media, such as furniture with ormolu mounts.