Wheellock Pistol
Unknown Artist
ca. 1590
Medium
Steel, wood (cherry), staghorn
Dimensions
L. 25 7/8 in. (65.7 cm); L. of barrel 15 5/8 in. (39.7 cm); Cal. .58 in. (14.7 mm); Wt. 4 lb. 2 oz. (1871.1 g)
Classification
Firearms-Pistols-Wheellock
Culture
German
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1904
Accession Number
04.3.159
Art Historical Context
Step into the Arms and Armor gallery at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where this exquisite wheellock pistol from around 1590 transports visitors to the turbulent world of late Renaissance Europe. Crafted by an unknown German artisan, this firearm measures an imposing 25⅞ inches in length, with a 15⅝-inch steel barrel chambered for a .58-caliber shot. Weighing over four pounds, its sturdy build of steel, cherry wood, and staghorn reflects the era's masterful gunsmithing, blending functionality with fine materials for both battlefield reliability and aesthetic appeal. The wheellock mechanism,...