Pair of Wheellock Pistols Made for the Bodyguard of the Prince-Elector of Saxony
ca. 1590
Medium
Steel, wood, silver, gold, brass
Dimensions
14.25.1399a; L. 24 3/16 in. (61.4 cm); L. of barrel 15 1/16 in. (38.3 cm); Cal. .502 in. (12.8 mm); Wt. 4 lb. 3 oz. (1899 g) 14.25.1399b; L. 24 3/4 in. (62.9 cm); L. of barrel 15 3/8 in. (39.1 cm); Cal. .507 in. (12.88 mm); Wt. 4 lb. 1 oz. (1850 g)
Classification
Firearms-Pistols-Wheellock
Culture
German, Dresden
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of William H. Riggs, 1913
Accession Number
14.25.1399a, b
Art Historical Context
Step into the opulent world of late Renaissance Europe with this exquisite pair of wheellock, crafted around 1590 by the renowned Dresden gunsmith Zacharias Herold. Commissioned for the bodyguard of the Prince-Elector Saxony—one of the most powerful electors in the Holy Roman Empirese firearms exemplify the fusion of deadly function and princely splendor. Measuring about 24 inches in length with hefty barrels chambered for .50 caliber shot, they weigh over four pounds each, balancing power and portability for elite protection. Wheellock technology, a German innovation predating the flintlock,...