Flintlock Rifle with Case and Bullet Mould Made for Colonel Jacob Bates (1746–1836)

Flintlock Rifle with Case and Bullet Mould Made for Colonel Jacob Bates (1746–1836)

Silas Allen Jr.

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Silas Allen produced a large number of muskets for the state militia in addition to custom-made hunting and target rifles for private customers. This rifle is possibly his finest work and ranks among the best New England rifles of the early nineteenth century. Its original owner, Jacob Bates, was a distinguished veteran of the American Revolution. The rifle was acquired for the Metropolitan Museum in 1938 directly from his great granddaughter Ethel C. Morse.

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Flintlock Rifle with Case and Bullet Mould Made for Colonel Jacob Bates (1746–1836)Flintlock Rifle with Case and Bullet Mould Made for Colonel Jacob Bates (1746–1836)Flintlock Rifle with Case and Bullet Mould Made for Colonel Jacob Bates (1746–1836)Flintlock Rifle with Case and Bullet Mould Made for Colonel Jacob Bates (1746–1836)Flintlock Rifle with Case and Bullet Mould Made for Colonel Jacob Bates (1746–1836)

The principal goals of the Arms and Armor Department are to collect, preserve, research, publish, and exhibit distinguished examples representing the art of the armorer, swordsmith, and gunmaker. Arms and armor have been a vital part of virtually all cultures for thousands of years, pivotal not only in conquest and defense, but also in court pageantry and ceremonial events. Throughout time the best armor and weapons have represented the highest artistic and technical capabilities of the society and period in which they were made, forming a unique aspect of both art history and material culture.