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Object analysis report of a flintlock pistol from the Wallace Collection in London. Academic collections report example.
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Object Status Report:
Flint-lock pistol with ramrod
by Nicole Wellman22 Feb 2011
1
..........................................................................................................................................Stage 1 3
...........................................................................................................................................Present Location 3
..............................................................................................................Name or artist/designer/maker 4
...................................................................................................................................................Title of Work 4
................................................................................................................................Generic name of object 4
........................................................................................................................Accepted stylistic grouping 4
.........................................................................................................................................Place where made 4
...........................................................................................................................................Site where found 4
.............................................................................................................................Full Description of Work 4
...................................................................................................................................................Date of Work 5
.............................................................................................................................................Dating Evidence 5
.....................................................................................................................................................................Size 5
....................................................................................................................Media, Materials, Techniques 5
...........................................................................................................................................Signature/Marks 6
.....................................................................................................................................................Inscriptions 6
..................................................................................................................................Condition Assessment 6
......................................................................................................................................................Provenance 6
.................................................................................................................................................Related works 7
.................................................................................................................Literature and Documentation 7
..........................................................................................................................................Stage 2 8
..............................................................................................................................Comparative Evaluation 8
.......................................................................................................................................Stage 3 10
...................................................................................................................Historical Contextualization 10
.......................................................................................................................................Stage 4 13
................................................................................................................................................Status Report 13
............................................................................................................................Bibliography 15
...................................................................................................................................Appendix 16
.....................................................................................................................................List of Illustrations 16
.........................................................................................................................................General Glossary 17
2
Stage 1
Present Location
The Wallace Collection, European Armoury III Gallery, Case 4Collection No. A1216
3
Fig. 1. Jean-‐Baptiste La Roche. Flint-‐lock pistol, 1738-‐44, (side-‐plate view), The Wallace Collection, London, no. A1216.
Fig. 2. Jean-‐Baptiste La Roche. Flint-‐lock pistol, 1738-‐44, (inside view), The Wallace Collection, London, no. A1216.
Name or artist/designer/maker
Jean Baptiste La Roche (unknown -‐ 1769)i
Title of Work
Flint-‐lock pistol with ramrod
Generic name of object
Arms
Accepted stylistic grouping
French Rococo
Place where made
Paris, France
Site where found
N/A
Full Description of Work
A Rlint-‐lock pistol blued, damascened, and gilt with rococo ornamentation including cherub’s heads, foliage, serpents, caryatid Rigures, dragons, and classical warrior busts, complete with a whalebone ramrod with horn tip and steel ferrule.ii
The barrel featuring two allegorical Rigures of amorini supporting a trophy of arms, and cornucopaie low-‐relief ornamentation on a matte gold ground, the underside of which is a blued ground with a gold damascened maker’s inscription Rlanked by caryatid Rigures, trophies and scrollwork, and surmounted by the royal monogram of entwined L’s.iii The gilt ground stock with silver scrollwork, carved foliage, and low relief ornamental mounts, bears an oval portrait medallion of King Louis XV centered on the butt-‐cap Rlanked by Rigures of Mars, a river god, and lion’s masks.iv “The arms of France-‐Dauphine on a shield surmounted by the Dauphin’s coronet decorate the scutcheon-‐plate.”v The lock features a blued mythological scene of Neptune drawn by seahorses on a gilt matte ground with a trophy of a trident, rudder, and anchor and an engraving of the maker’s name. The cock is
ring-‐necked with a dragon, crested helmet ornamentation, and rococo scrollwork.vi
4
i A. V. B. Norman, Wallace Collection Catalogues: European Arms and Armour Supplement, (London, 1986), 248.ii Sir J. G. Mann, Wallace Collection Catalogues: European Arms and Armour Volume II, (London, 1962), 579-‐80.iii Mann, Wallace Collection Catalogues, 579-‐80.iv Ibid.v Ibid.vi Ibid.
Date of Work
1738 -‐ 1744
Dating Evidence
A small silver mark of a fox’s head is present on the rear pillar of the weapon. This mark is probably the poincon de decharge of Paris, the fermier Louis Robin, which was used for small works of gold or silver during the period of 1738 to 1744 in Paris.vii During this period the maker, Jean Baptiste La Roche, was the Arquebusier du Roi, gunmaker to the king.viii Furthermore, the ornamentation on the pistol suggests it was made for the Dauphin of France, and the portrait medallion of Louis XV suggests it was made for his son, Louis, who was Dauphin from 1729-‐1765, suggesting it could be no earlier than 1729 and no later than 1765.ix
Size
Length: 53.5 cm overallLength: 35.6 cm, barrelWidth: 1.6 cm, caliberWidth: 1.165 cm
Media, Materials, Techniques
• Steel, gold, silver, whalebone, and horn
• Chiseled, gilded, blued, chased, engraved, and damascened
• Blued-‐ “artiRicially induced oxidation of iron or steel by any one of many different chemical processes resulting in a blue color ranging from light blue to darker purple or black shades of blue”x
• Chased-‐ “chasing is the tooling of a metal surface by denting or hammering”xi
• Chiseled-‐ carved into metal such as gold or silver
5
vii Mann, Wallace Collection Catalogues, 579.viii Norman, Wallace Collection Arms and Armour Supplement, 278. La Roche also served as Jurand of the Paris Gunmakers’ Guild from 1740 to 1742.ix Mann, Wallace Collection Catalogues, 580.x Harold L. Peterson, Encyclopedia of Firearms, (New York, 1964), 312.Bluing has twofold purpose of decoration and offering a chemical barrier to corrosionxiMichael Clarke, ‘Chasing.’ Oxford Dictionary of Art Terms, (London, 2001), 54.
• Damascened-‐ “the decoration of a base metal, usually iron, with applied gold or silver wire or foil”xii
• Engraved -‐ “incising a design onto the surface by cutting grooves into it”; “involves the removal of metal with a sharp tool”xiii
• Gilded-‐ technique of applying gold to surface of metal; also known as Rire-‐gilt “gold powder is mixed with mercury and applied to metal surface to be gilt then heated to sufRiciently high temperature to drive off mercury in the form of vapor, gold left on surface as a deposit and burnished.”xiv
Signature/Marks
Maker’s Mark: Signed in Gold Damascening on the barrel towards the nozzle ‘LA ROCHE A PARIS’xv
Maker’s Mark: NP in an oval on underside of muzzlexvi
Silver Mark: Fox’s head on rear pillarxvii
Inscriptions
A maker’s inscription engraved on the lock of the pistol reads ‘LA ROCHE A PARIS’
Condition Assessment
The pistol is in remarkable conditions for its age. The blueing has faded to a steely gray from the bright blue color it would have been initially, however all the ornamentation remains intact and it is Ritted with the original ramrod. These types of arms designed by La Roche were for presentation which probably accounts for the remarkable condition of the item.
Provenance
The pistol was probably originally made for Louis, the Dauphin of France (1729-‐1765), son of Louis XV, and likely was commissioned as a gift from his father. The provenance thereafter is unknown
6
xii Peterson, Encyclopedia of Firearms, 96.in true damascening channels were cut into the base metal corresponding to the pattern and precious metal as hammered into them and the surface was then polished smooth”; also known as inlaid when referring to inlay on metal rather than woodenxiii Ian Cox, ‘Materials and Techniques: Silver.’ Handout for lecture on 02/11/10, 3; ʻEngravedʼ,Dictionary.com, http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/engraved, accessed 10/02/11.xiv Peterson, Encyclopedia of Firearms, 98.xv A. N. Kennard, French Pistols and Sporting Guns (London, 1972), 25.From 1640 on it became usual practice for the maker’s name and town where he worked to be engraved on the lockplate and inlaid in gold on the barrel to “harmonize with the decoration at the breech.” The maker’s name that appears on the barrel is often just an assembler and Rinisher, although they may have been the locksmith as well. Barrel maker’s marks are usually on the top or underside of the breech, while marks of the decorator or stocker are comparatively rare.xvi Mann, Wallace Collection Catalogues, 579.xvii Norman, Wallace Collection Arms and Armour Supplement, 278.Symbol of fox’s head is (poincon de decharge of Paris) the fermier Louis Robin (1738-‐1744)
until it was added to the current collection, bequeathed by Lady Wallace to the British nation in 1897 and currently housed in the Wallace Collection museum.xviii
Related works
There is no known companion to this pistol. Most pistols during this time were made in pairs, however since this was a presentation arm, it is likely that it was not made as part of a set. The decoration of the lock and cock are reminiscent of designs of De Lacollombe, published in a pattern book in 1730.xix
Literature and Documentation • Mann, Sir J. G., Wallace Collection Catalogues: European Arms and Armour Volume II,
London: The Trustees of the Wallace Collection, 1962.• Norman, A. V. B., Wallace Collection Catalogues: European Arms and Armour Supplement,
London: The Trustees of the Wallace Collection, 1986.
7
xviii ‘The Collection,’ Wallace Collection, http://www.wallacecollection.org/thecollection, accessed 14/02/11. xix Norman, Wallace Collection Arms and Armour Supplement, 278.
Stage 2
Comparative Evaluation
A pair of Rlintlock pistols, shown below, are held by the Victoria and Albert Museum. They were made by
La Roche approximately 5 to 10 years later and make for a good stylistic comparison. (To avoid
confusion and maintain consistency, the pistol in the Wallace Collection will be referred to as the
Dauphin’s pistol, while the pair in the V&A
will be referred to as the Royal pistols.)
The Royal pistols feature walnut stocks
that are “slightly carved with scrollwork
and profusely inlaid with symmetrically
arranged scrollwork in gold wire. On the
upper side of the butt is inlaid on one
pistol a Rleur-‐de-‐lis, and on the other, the
cypher of Louis XV, King of France. The
escutcheon plates of gold bear the royal
arms of France. The steel mounts are
chiseled in unusually high relief against a
gold-‐plated ground, the ornament differing on each pistol.”xx
Despite having the same maker and similar dating, there are major differences among the Royal pistols
and the Dauphin’s pistol (shown right.) There was not much change in ‘fashion’ in arms during this period
and having the same maker reduces
differences strictly due to style and/or
craftsmanship, providing a good source
of comparison on how the
ornamentation and materials used may
relate to the use of the Rirearm. First, the
Dauphin’s pistol is entirely made of
metal, whereas the Royal pistols have
walnut stocks. Furthermore, the
ornamentation has been restrained on the Royal pistols and the primary iconographic scheme reRlects
that of the royal family through the coat of arms and Rleur-‐de-‐lis decoration. The Dauphin’s pistol is
highly decorated in comparison, featuring royal, mythological, and classic ornamental decoration. The
rococo ornamental scheme is more fashionable than in the Royal pistols, which may be primarily due to
8
xx Pair of Rlint-‐lock pistols by La Roche, Museum No. 2433A-‐1855, ‘V&A Collections,’ Victoria and Albert Museum, http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O97163/pair-‐of-‐Rlintlock/, accessed 10/02/11.
Fig. 4. Detail La Roche Rlint-‐lock pistol.
Fig. 3. Jean-‐Baptiste La Roche. Pair of Slint-‐lock pistols for Louis XV, 1750-‐60, The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, no. 2433A-‐1855.
the differences in use, rather than purely stylistic changes. The Royal pistols could have been used as
presentation arms by Louis XVI to foreign dignitaries or favored ofRicials, but likely would have been for
his private use, whereas the Dauphin’s pistol is deRinitely a very grand presentation arm made especially
for him, possibly to commemorate a special occasion, such as the signing of his wedding contract in
1744. Differences in use may also help clarify the singularity of the Dauphin’s pistol. “Until the advent of
practical repeating and breech-‐loading mechanisms in the second quarter of the nineteenth century,
pistols were almost invariably made in pairs” referred to as a garniture.xxixxii If the Dauphin’s pistol was
strictly a presentation arm then it had no functional need for a companion, whereas the Royal pistols
were intended for personal use and therefore were made in a pair as was the common practice during
this period.
The operation of early Rirearms required several other pieces of equipment, therefore, another good
source of comparison lies in the accessories necessary to Rire the pistol. These include primers, powder
Rlasks, and cartridge boxes and were usually made by the same
artists, decorated to match the weapon to which they
belonged.xxiii A powder Rlask (shown right,) also in the Wallace
Collection is a good example of the type of accessories that
accompanied Rirearms. It is possibly from the same period,
dated 18th or 19th century and is made of antelope horn with
mother of pearl, copper alloy, and silver inlaid
ornamentation.xxiv Stylistically, it is obviously very different from
the Dauphin’s pistol, not necessarily because it is German or
Scandinavian in origin, but more likely because it was made for
a more simply ornamented Rirearm designed for regular use.
There are no known companion pieces of equipment for the
Dauphin’s pistol in particular. There are two possible
explanations for this: (1) that either the original companion
pieces did not survive or are simply not known, or (2) that there
were no accessories made speciRically for the Dauphin’s pistol
because it was a presentation arm rather than for personal use.
9
xxi C. Blair, Pistols of the World, (New York, 1968), 8.xxii J.F. Hayward, The Art of the Gunmaker, Vol. II, (London, 1962), 22.xxiii Wallace Collection Gallery Guide. European Armour III Gallery at the Wallace Collection. (2010), 32-‐33.xxiv Powder Flask, Museum no. A1270, ‘Wallace Collection Live,’ Wallace Collection, http://wallacelive.wallacecollection.org/eMuseumPlus?service=direct/1/ResultLightboxView/result.t1.collection_lightbox$TspTitleImageLink.link&sp=10&sp=Scollection&sp=SRieldValue&sp=0&sp=1&sp=2&sp=Slightbox_3x4&sp=12&sp=Sdetail&sp=0&sp=F&sp=T&sp=22, accessed 18/02/11.
Fig. 5. Unknown; German or Scandinavian, Powder Flask, 18th-‐19th century, The Wallace Collection, London, no. A1270.
Stage 3
Historical Contextualization
Louis of France was the Dauphin from 1729 until his death in 1765. From a young age he was greatly
interested in the military arts. “The King had a very close relationship with his son, although they seem
to have become estranged after several acts of disobedience on the part of the Dauphin, probably
originating with the King’s refusal to allow the Dauphin to participate in the 1744 campaign in the War
of the Austrian Succession.”xxv In this same year, Louis XV
negotiated a marriage contract between Louis and Maria
Teresa Rafaela of Spain.
“The Dauphin’s status as the heir to the French throne
demanded that he have the very best of everything, from
clothes and jewels to furniture, horses and weapons.”xxvi
(see portrait on the left) “This weapon is certainly of royal
quality and its power as a status symbol can only have been
enhanced by the fact that Louis was still a child when it was
given to him.”xxvii The Dauphin’s pistol was made by the
royal French gunsmith, Jean-‐Baptiste La Roche of Paris,
who also made personal Rirearms for the English King
George III as well as Louis XV and Charles X of France.xxviii
With the adoption of Rirearms as personal weapons by the
upper classes in the early 16th century, there was a
complete change in attitude and henceforth guns and
pistols were richly decorated.xxix The development of the
Rlint-‐lock in the 17th century simpliRied and improved the
Riring mechanism and French Rirearm design became the
most fashionable both technically and decoratively.xxx The rococo fashion “was to determine the design
10
xxv ‘Treasure of the Month -‐ September 2009,’ Wallace Collection, http://www.wallacecollection.org/whatson/treasure/86, accessed 19/02/11.xxvi Ibid.xxvii IbidNote: Louis could have been as old as 15, if the later dating of 1744 is usedxxviii Ibid.xxix Blair, Pistols of the World, 81.xxx Kennard, French Pistols and Sporting Guns, 21.
Fig. 6. Studio of Alexandre Roslin, c. 1765, Portrait of Louis Dauphin of France in the uniform of Colonel General of the Dragoons, National Gallery, London.
and decoration of the most luxurious arms ever made.”xxxi Methods of decorating Rirearms were universal
in the 18th century due to use of the same techniques, vocabulary, and even patterns, where the rococo
system of asymmetrical scrollwork “displaced local and national idioms in decorative style.”xxxii Pattern
books were produced by several different artists at various dates over the 17th and 18th century and
were sold throughout Europe.
The design on the Dauphin’s pistol is reminiscent of a design published by LaCollombe in 1730,
indicating the iconography does not entirely reRlect the bespoke tastes of the King or Dauphin but rather
the fashion at the time.xxxiii The 1730‘s marks the introduction of the rococo style ornamentation on
French Rirearms, which remains fashionable until the introduction of dueling pistols in the 1770’s and
even then still used until well after the French Revolution.xxxiv The barrels of good quality guns of this
period almost always feature gilding on a blued ground.xxxv In the case of Rine Rirearms, such as those
made by La Roche, the cock often featured a dragon or eagle on the neck of the cock, which served the
dual purpose of decoration and strengthening the cock at it’s weakest point.xxxvi Around 1640 it became
fashionable for the butt to be bronze or silver gilt, and cast and chased in the shape
of a human, animal, or bird’s head.xxxvii At the beginning of the 18th century this
was often replaced with a silver medallion in the centre, in the form of a lion’s mask
or classical head, but in the case of the Dauphin’s pistol, as illustrated on the left, an
oval portrait medallion of King Louis XV is shown as the classical head. Other
unique features of this particular pistol are also associated with the royalty, for
instance the arms and coronet of the Dauphin, as well as the two interlocking L’s.
11
xxxiHayward, The Art of the Gunmaker, 9.xxxii Ibid.xxxiii Norman, Wallace Collection Arms and Armour Supplement, 278.xxxiv Hayward, The Art of the Gunmaker, 48.xxxv Ibid., 49.xxxvi Ibid.xxxvii Kennard, French Pistols and Sporting Guns, 26.
Fig. 7 & 8. Details of the Rlint-‐lock pistol by La Roche. Above a detail of the arms and coronet of the Dauphin. Right, a detail of the side-‐plate which features a mythological scene of Neptune.
It was the ‘fashion’ to feature a mythological scene on the sideplate or lock during this period and the
choice of Neptune may be a reRlection of this. (see on Dauphin’s pistol above) Neptune was a popular
subject with the royal family, displayed in various fountains and sculptures throughout Versaille.
However, another possible interpretation exists. Dauphin literally means dolphin in French. The title is
derived from Dauphin de Viennois and refers to the animal in the crest. In the myth of Neptune and
Amphitrite, Neptune sends his servants, dolphins, to Rind Amphitrite and persuade her to marry him. In
reward, Neptune immortalized the dolphins in the constellation of the heavens.xxxviii If this presentation
arm was in fact to commemorate the signing of the Dauphin’s wedding contract, then the Neptune
iconographical scheme would seem
appropriate under this
interpretation.
Besides commemorating events and
promoting status, presentation
arms were also often given to
foreign rulers, dignitaries, and
favored ofRicials, similarly to how
diplomatic gifts are still given today.
12
xxxviii ‘Neptune and Amphitrite,’ Museo Thyssen-‐Bornemisza, http://www.museothyssen.org/en/thyssen/Richa_obra/185, accessed: 18/02/11.
Fig. 9. Sebastiano Ricci, Neptune and Amphitrite, 1691-‐94, oil on canvas, 94 x 75 cm, Museo Thyssen-‐Bornemisza, Madrid, INV. Nr. 340 (1982.33) Neptune and Amphitrite was a popular mythological scene during the rococo period. The Neptune iconography on the pistol shown above, could hint at this particular myth since Dauphin translates to dolphin, and the dolphins are the heroes of this myth.
Stage 4
Status Report
The pistol is appropriately displayed within the Wallace Collection’s European Armor Gallery III,
alongside similar Rirearms and Rirearm furniture. However, it is also only shown from the side, which
blocks from view a signiRicant portion of the decorative scheme. There is also not much information
about the object in the gallery, online, and in the collection’s catalogues. In fact, the only mention of its’
signiRicance is a small plaque below the pistol that reads ‘Flint-‐lock pistol by La Roche a Paris probably
for Louis, Dauphin of France, son of Louis XV.’ This is not the only signiRicant item within the Armor
Galleries that lacks information in the display, however given the size and diversity of the collection and
the various restrictions placed with the bequeathal of its contents the display is quite adequate. Probably
also due to these constraints, it has never been exhibited and very little research exists. In fact the only
literature that relates directly to this pistol is supplementary information regarding the decorative
scheme, maker’s marks, and La Roche listed in the Wallace Collection’s supplementary catalogues for
European Arms and Armor. In relation to other Rirearms in the Wallace Collection, it is more prominently
displayed and is also featured in a small guide that is kept in the gallery, showing it’s signiRicance.
Compared to other museums and collections, the Wallace does an exceptional job displaying their arms
collection. For instance, the pair of Rlint-‐lock pistols by La Roche previously used in the comparative
analysis are in-‐store at the V&A, which seems to be a similar trend for most of the Rirearms in their
collection. This is often the case with museums, especially those that lack a strong interest in and/or
collection of arms and armor.
Arms and armor are typically not well researched or highly regarded areas of the arts, overshadowed by
their Rine and decorative counterparts. However, the production of Rirearms during the 18th century was
very much an art form that relied on the skills of several craftsmen, some of whom were experienced
artisans in other areas aside from manufacturing Rirearms. From the mid-‐16th century on usually at least
three craftsmen were involved in the manufacture of Rirearms: barrel-‐maker, locksmith, and stockman.
Additional specialists were also used for decoration. The manufacturing process in general is the same
for all other types of metalworking except for the barrel, which requires special techniques. involved in
manufacture of a gun plus specialists used for decoration. Not only were the Rirearms of this period
‘works of art’ they were technically complex. This information provides several opportunities for
displaying Rirearms in new and interesting ways. For example, curating a display that shows Rirearms
alongside their decorative art counterparts, that utilize the same manufacturing techniques and often
the same craftsmen and patterns. Another option would be focusing on the evolution of the Rirearm,
technical components, and use.
13
The current market status of this object is difRicult to determine because Rirearms of this provenance and
signiRicance rarely come on the market. The pair of Royal pistols by La Roche were purchased by South
Kensington Museum of Science and Art for £107 back in 1855, which amounts to approximately
£9,000xxxix today. The most recent, relevant result was a pair of pistols by Napoleon’s gunmaker Nicolas-‐
Noel Boutet, that Bonham’s sold last year for £162,000.xl Given the special nature of the Dauphin’s pistol
and esteemed provenance, it seems its value would more closely resemble the price realized by
Bonham’s than the inRlation adjusted purchase price for the Royal pistols at the V&A.
14
xxxix‘InRlation Calculator,’ Bank of England, http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/education/inRlation/calculator/Rlash/index.htm, accessed 20/02/11.Note: The site uses 2.8% inRlation rate for the dates 1855-‐2010.xl ‘Lot No. 203, Sale 17948, Antique Arms and Armour, 24 Nov. 2010,’ Bonhams, http://www.bonhams.com/eur/auction/17948/lot/203/, accessed 19/02/11.
Bibliography 1. Blackmore, Howard L., Firearms, (London: Studio Vista, 1964)2. Blair, C., Pistols of the World, (New York: Viking Press, 1968) 3. Blair, Pollard, A History of Firearms, (New York: Franklin, 1973)4. Hayward, J.F., The Art of the Gunmaker, Vol. II, (London: Barrie and Rockcliff, 1962)5. Kennard, A. N., French Pistols and Sporting Guns, (London: Hamlyn, 1972)6. Peterson, Harold L., Encyclopedia of Firearms, (New York: Dutton, 1965)7. Peterson, Harold L. and Howard L. Blackmore, The Book of the Gun, (London: Hamlyn, 1969)8. Mann, Sir J. G., Wallace Collection Catalogues: European Arms and Armour Volume II,
(London: The Trustees of the Wallace Collection, 1962)9. Norman, A. V. B., Wallace Collection Catalogues: European Arms and Armour Supplement,
(London: The Trustees of the Wallace Collection, 1986)
15
Appendix List of Illustrations• Fig. 1. Jean-‐Baptiste La Roche. Flint-‐lock pistol, 1738-‐44, (side-‐plate view), The Wallace Collection, London, no. A1216.
• Fig. 2. Jean-‐Baptiste La Roche. Flint-‐lock pistol, 1738-‐44, (inside view), The Wallace Collection, London, no. A1216.
• Fig. 3. Jean-‐Baptiste La Roche. Pair of Slint-‐lock pistols for Louis XV, 1750-‐60, The Victoria and Albert Museum, London, no. 2433A-‐1855.
• Fig .4. Detail of Rigure 1.• Fig. 5. Unknown; German or Scandinavian, Powder Flask, 18th-‐19th century, The Wallace Collection, London, no. A1270.
• Fig. 6. Studio of Alexandre Roslin, c. 1765, Portrait of Louis Dauphin of France in the uniform of Colonel General of the Dragoons, National Gallery, London, A17.
• Fig. 7. Detail of Side-‐plate from Figure 1.• Fig. 8. Sebastiano Ricci, Neptune and Amphitrite, 1691-‐94, oil on canvas, 94 x 75 cm, Museo Thyssen-‐Bornemisza, Madrid, INV. Nr. 340 (1982.33)
16
General Glossary
• amorini-‐ Italian term for winged cupids• barrel-‐ refers to the metal tube through which the ammunition is propelled• lock-‐ the system used to ignite the propellant• poincon de decharge-‐ refers to the French silver standard mark• scutcheon-‐plate-‐ ornamental and protective plate on the stock• sideplate-‐ suggests all the Riring parts are contained within the body instead of externally• stock-‐ frame of the gun, normally made of wood
Illustration of Rlintlock componentsSource: Kennard, French Pistols and Sporting Guns.
17
