Wheellock gun
mid-17th century
Medium
Steel, wood (walnut)
Dimensions
L. 45 1/2 in. (115.6 cm); L. of barrel 32 3/4 in. (83.2 cm); Cal. .58 in. (14.7 mm); Wt. 9 lb. 6 oz. (4250 g)
Classification
Firearms-Guns-Wheellock
Culture
Italian, Brescia
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1904
Accession Number
04.3.162
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
Step into the riveting world of 17th-century armament with this exquisite wheellock gun from renowned Cominazzo workshop in, Italy—a hub of Renaissance and Baroque gunmaking excellence. Crafted around the mid-1600s, this firearm measures an imposing 45½ inches in length, with a ¾-inch steel barrel of .58 caliber, weighing a hefty 9 pounds ounces. Its walnut wood, elegantly shaped for balance and handling, exemplifies the fusion of functionality and fine artistry typical of Italian masters. The wheellock mechanism, a technological marvel of its era, ignited gunpowder via a spinning steel wheel striking a spark from pyrite, offering reliable firing without the open flame of earlier matchlocks. Prized by nobility and cavalry for its speed and weather resistance, such guns were status symbols during turbulent times like the Thirty Years' War, blending deadly precision with ornate metalworking—though this example's subtle steel craftsmanship speaks to practical elegance over lavish decoration. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Arms and Armor Department (acquired via the Rogers Fund in 1904), this piece highlights Brescia's pivotal role in firearms evolution, bridging warfare innovation and sculptural woodworking. A testament to human ingenuity, it invites reflection on how beauty and lethality coexisted in history's forge.