c. 1590–1600
Steel, wood (walnut) inlaid with staghorn
On Loan from the Collection of Justin Kohn and Family 55.2000
Raitenau had a fierce dispute with his neighbor Duke Maximilian I of Bavaria; he was eventually captured and imprisoned for life.
At the beginning of the 1500s the handfire weapon began to change the face of European warfare. a new type of ignition system was invented: the wheel-lock, the first self-igniting mechanism for guns. This new technology was particularly attractive to rich nobleman who commissioned such guns for hunting. Gunmakers lavished all form of embellishment on these firearms: chiseling, engraving, and gilding of the metal parts as well as the use of rare woods for the stock and inlays of horn, bone, and ivory.
The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.
To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.
All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.