Flintlock Pistol

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This pistol is one of a small group of flintlock guns and holster pistols with high relief chiseling on the barrels, locks, and mounts. The decoration includes military scenes with figures in seventeenth-century costume, trophies of arms, and Classical figures. Not signed or marked, these firearms are thought to have been made in eastern France of The Netherlands, perhaps in Liege (in modern Belgium). This pistol, one of a pair, belonged to the famous Swedish general Carl Gustaf, Count Wrangel, who acquired several firearms of this type in Liege in 1651. Wrangel's armory, largely intact, is preserved in Skokloster Castle, Sweden.

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