Wheellock-Matchlock Musket
c. 1600-c. 1630
Medium
Steel, iron, brass, gilding, walnut, mother-of-pearl, staghorn, leather, and pyrite
Dimensions
H.: 164 cm (64 5/8 in.)
Classification
arms
Department
Applied Arts of Europe
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
237129
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
Unlike most heavy muskets, the weapon of the common soldier, this elaborate example is filled with gilt brass and mother-of-pearl inlay. Even the firing mechanism makes use of the more expensive wheellock rather than just a simple matchlock. It was formerly kept in the gun room of Castle Tetschen (Děčín), today in the Czech Republic, together with a few others by the same workshop. As a group, they were used by the barons Thun und Hohenstein for the sport of target shooting; courtly competitions...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...