Pair of Snaphaunce Pistols

Matteo Cecchi, called Acquafresca

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Acquafresca was one of the most talented Italian gunmakers of all time. His mastery of relief-chiseled and engraved steel was unsurpassed. Although he worked in the isolated hamlet of Bargi, near Bologna, he was well aware of international firearms fashion, including gunmakers' pattern books published in Paris. He had a sophisticated clientele, among them the ruling Medici family of Florence. These pistols are among Acquafresca's best preserved and most original works. The black ebony stocks contrast with the bright steel mounts and silver wire inlay. The facing male and female heads on chiseled steel plaques set into the grips, behind the barrel, perhaps allude to the gunmaker's noble patrons. The silver wire ornament on each pistol is distinctly different. The barrels are inscribed prominently with Acquafresca's name.

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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.

Metropolitan Museum of Art