Flintlock Sporting Gun of Empress Margarita Teresa of Spain (1651–1673)

Jacques Lamarre

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This flintlock sporting gun was made in Vienna for Empress Margarita Teresa (reigned 1666–73), Infante of Spain and wife of Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I (reigned 1658–1705). The empress's crowned monogram in silver is inlaid on each side of the butt, and her arms, an imperial double-headed eagle bearing the shields of Austria and Spain, are engraved on the silver escutcheon on the grip of the stock. The gun's august ownership is matched by the quality of manufacture. It is a work by Jacques (Jacob) Lamarre, a Parisian gunmaker who sought his forture at the imperial court about 1670. This superb weapon is probably one of Lamarre's earliest Viennese works. It still retains a French character, notably the barrel, with its changing faceted and round sections; the lock, with its chiseled, pierced, and engraved ornament; a burlwood stock with distinctive marbled grain; and a classically inspired profile head in the style of Jean Berain the Younger (1640–1711) on the silver trigger guard. It compares to the finest French firearms of the period, examples of which were sought out by royalty and nobility throughout Europe.

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