Wheellock Rifle

Wheellock Rifle

Master of the Animal-Head Scroll (Meister der Tierkopfranke)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

A masterpiece of German baroque gunmaking, this luxurious wheellock rifle is one of the finest examples produced by the anonymous gunstocker called the Master of the Animal-Head Scroll, after the eponymous design motif that appears throughout his work. Probably employed by the imperial court in Vienna, he was active between 1624 and 1659, the dates recorded on his earliest and latest-known firearms. Characteristic of this master's work is the carving of the stock, with leafy tendrils ending in animal or bird heads, and the recessed background, which is either stippled or matted for contrast and, often, engraved with foliage. This rifle is among the most elaborately decorated works in the master's oeuvre, particularly the barrel, lock, and other metal parts––all intricately worked, chiseled, gilt, and encrusted with high-relief silver ornament––as well as the stock, which is extensively carved and inlaid with mother-of-pearl plaques. The silver escutcheon engraved with a crozier, which is set into the stock behind the barrel, suggests that the rifle might have once belonged to a prince-bishop of Eichstätt in Bavaria, perhaps Johann Christoph von Westerstetten (1563–1637, prince-bishop from 1603) or his successor, Marquard II, Count Schenk von Castell (1605–1685, prince-bishop from 1637).

Arms and Armor

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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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.