The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of September 26, 2023

Powder Flask

c. 1570

Germany, 16th century

Staghorn (two branches) carved with relief scene of Judith and Holofernes; mounts missing

Overall: 15.9 x 12.1 cm (6 1/4 x 4 3/4 in.)

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance 1916.452

Location

210B Firearms

Description

Powder flasks are small, portable containers designed to hold gunpowder. From the 1400s to the 1800s, powder flasks were indispensable for charging and priming firearms of all types. Without powder flasks firearms were of little use to their owners. Many highly decorated flasks rank as works of art. During the 1500s, they were frequently decorated with images of famous historical figures. Here the figures of Judith and Holofernes derive from the Old Testament.

Provenance
Frank Gair Macomber; Boston; cat. #334.
Citations
Gilchrist, Helen Ives. A Catalogue of the Collection of Arms & Armor Presented to the Cleveland Museum of Art by Mr. and Mrs. John Long Severance; 1916-1923. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1924. Mention: p. 152, F25 archive.org
Fliegel, Stephen N. Arms and Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art. [Cleveland, Ohio]: The Museum, 1998. p. 175, cat. no. 247
Fliegel, Stephen N. Arms & Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art. [Cleveland, Ohio]: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2007. p. 195, cat. no. 248
Exhibition history

The Cleveland Museum of Art (09/10/1998); "Armor Court Reinstallation"

Armor Court Reinstallation. The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer).

Source URL: https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1916.452