<<

ing from the early eighteenth century (inv. nos. 38p-J3), and 100 Anton Klein (act. 1753-82) by a pair of fowling pieces dating from about 1760 (inv. nos. 206-7). Johann Lobinger (act. TWO GUNCASES 1745-88), court gunmaker to Prince Joseph Wenzel, made an­ Austrian (Vienna), mid-z8th century other pair of guns dating about 1770 mounted with Italian bar­ Wood, velvet, iron, gold; length 5831,. in. (z4g.2 em.); width zo in. (25.3 em.); height g?/s in. (25 em.) rels by Beretta (inv. nos. 426, 430). The in this panoply are generally similar in appear­ The boxes are constructed of wood and are covered with red velvet with gold ance, with blued barrels, walnut stocks, and gilt-brass mounts, borders and bands. The hinges, locks, and carrying handles are gilded iron. including escutcheons engraved with the Liechtenstein coat of The interior of each is fitted with compartments for three guns (which traveled arms. The guns by Klein and Lobinger have wooden ­ upside down), lined with green velvet with gold .bands and equipped with a guards, a feature frequently found on Central European stuffed and tufted cushion of green velvet with gold tassels to cover the guns. of the eighteenth century. SWP SWP 100

102

PANOPLY OF FIREARMS

This panoply, composed of fifty-two wheellock and pistols, represents a cross-section of the great collection of wheellock arms in the Liechtenstein Gewehrkammer. The majority are hunt­ ing rifles made by gunmakers in Austria, Bohemia, Moravia, and Silesia, where the Liechtensteins had their estates. The most distinctive of these is the type of wheellock birding known as the Tschinke (or Teschinke), a name derived from the Silesian town of Teschen in which many of the gunmakers worked. Characteristic of the Tschinke are the small caliber barrel, a 101 with external mainspring and push-button operated sear, and a "hind's foot"-shaped butt. The of the Tschinke is typically PANOPLY OF VIENNESE FIREARMS decorated with a colorful mix of staghorn, mother-of-pearl, and brass in an exuberant and decidedly folkloristic style. Perhaps This panoply is composed of fourteen flintlock guns or rifles also Silesian in origin are the enormously long (over eight feet) and ten flintlock holster pistols made by Viennese gunrr.akers Karrenbuchsen (cart guns), also known as duck or swan guns active during the eighteenth century. The majority of them (nos. 1-2), whose decoration, including pierced brass plaques were made by the prolific master Georg Keiser (1647-ca. backed by red felt, recalls that of a small group of Tschinke-style 1740/ 41), who was employed by various Princes of Liechtenstein firearms. As the name Karrenbiichsen implies, these cumbersome (see cat. no. 89). Keiser's work is represented here by a pair of guns were mounted on carts rolled into the fields. Exceeding Iy fowling pieces (inv. nos. 3828, 3869), three pair of rare firearms, these cart guns may be compared to very similar rifles (inv. nos. 3910-11, 3914-15, 4024-25), and five pair of examples in the Bayerisches Nationalmuseum, Munich (inv. nos. pistols (inv. nos. 254-55, 256-57, 3447-48, 4062-63, 4077-78). 996-97), and in the Odescalchi collection, Rome (inv. no. 145). As this long-lived gunmaker grew ever more venerable, he Austrian gunmakers are well represented ., especially those of proudly inscribed his age on the barrels of his guns, a practice Vienna Qacob Koch, Caspar Zeiner, and his nephew Marcus that allows them to be accurately dated. Several examples in Zeiner) and Salzburg (Matthias and Michael Matl and Johann this panoply were made by Keiser in 1734/35 when he was Neyreiter). The earliest of the Austrian guns, a carbine (no. eighty-seven years old (inv. nos. 3914-15), in 1735/36 when he 52), is one of a series of identical weapons carried by the guard was eighty-eight (inv. nos. 3828, 3869), and in 1738/39 when of Wolf Dietrich von Raitenau (15 59-1617), Prince-Archbishop he was ninety-one (inv. nos. 4062-63). Most of these are listed of Salzburg from 1587 to 1612. This short gun makes an inter­ in the inventories of Prince Joseph Wenzel (1696-1772). Simon esting comparison to another example in the Liechtenstein Penzneter(act. 1695-1724) is represented by a pair of rifles dat- collection, the carbine made for Archduke Matthias (cat. no. 78).

147