Pair of Wheel-lock Petronels
Georg Kurland (Polish)
c. 1630
Medium
steel, gilding, and wood inlaid with elk horn, ivory, and mother-of-pearl
Dimensions
l. 70.5 cm
Classification
Arms and Armor
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Dudley P. Allen Fund
Accession Number
2012.97
Tags
male
About this artwork
A petronel was a type of long pistol made with a wheel-lock ignition. Despite its length, the petronel was fired at the wrist like a pistol and not at the shoulder like a rifle. They were generally made in pairs during the early 1600s. Civilian versions were elaborately decorated for aristocratic clients.