Barrel maker:
Lazaro
Gunsmith:
Acqua Fresca, Matteo
(Probably)
Flint-lock pistol with dagger blade, Italian (Bargi, Emilia), dated 1690. Barrel maker's name: 'LAZARO'. Pistol: 'ACQVA FRESCA', probably Matteo (1651-1738).
Steel, the wood stock inlaid with silver. Barrel octagonal at the breech than polygonal for half an inch then round, chiselled at the breech and mid-length with acanthus foliage. The top flat of the breech section is inscribed with the barrel maker's name 'LAZARO', the breech strap being engraved '38'. The lock is engraved with foliage, masks and a terminal figure and with the name of the maker 'ACQVA FRESCA', the inner side of the lockplate being engraved with the date '1690'. The cock is secured to the tumbler by a bolt and nut, the head of the bolt chiselled with a cherub's head. The frizzen incorporates a safety device: on pressing a catch on the back of the steel it may be hinged back leaving a separate cover over the pan. The stock has steel mounts engraved with animals, birds and insects; the buttcap is chiselled with a grotesque mask, another mask forming the escutcheon plate. The stock is inlaid with scroll work in silver, there is no counterplate, the space being filled with silver foliage incorporating a terminal figure threatening a monster with a spear. Pressure on the trigger-guard releases a catch allowing the pistol to be separated into two halves, the butt then serving for the grip of a dagger blade of stiff square section which is concealed below the barrel in the fore-end. The pistol when acquired had a steel ramrod tipped with the figure of a monkey in silver. This was replaced by a wooden rod with plain steel tip (A & B respectively).
History note: Purchased at Puttick & Simpson, London, 1945. Details of sale not recorded; it was bought by the testator's wife on his behalf
Bequeathed by Arthur Norris Kennard in memory of his late wife, Mrs Helen Lee Washington Kennard
Length: 25.8 cm
Weight: 600 g
Method of acquisition: Bequeathed (1996-01-22) by Kennard, Arthur Norris
17th Century, Late
Production date:
AD 1690
: dated 1690
This very rare and unusual pistol was made to come apart revealing a dagger - if the pistol failed or there was no time to reload, then the dagger made a very effective backup. It was made by the renowned Italian gunmaker, Matteo Acqvafresca, using a barrel made by the famous Italian barrel makers, the Cominazzo family.
Ramrod B
composed of
wood (plant material)
steel
Length 14.4 cm
Stock
composed of
wood (plant material)
Ramrod A
composed of
silver
steel
Length 14.9 cm
Stock Inlay
composed of
silver
Pistol
composed of
steel
Stock Mounts
composed of
steel
Barrel
Length 16.7 cm
Decoration
Inscription present: the pistol bears a circular steel medallion engraved with the number '129', its number in the Catalogue of the testator's collection
Inscription present: barrel maker's name
Inscription present: maker's name
Inscription present: date
Accession number: M.1 & A & B-1996
Primary reference Number: 19616
Old object number: 129
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Applied Arts
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Flint-lock pistol" Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/19616 Accessed: 2024-12-22 21:32:58
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/object/19616
|title=Flint-lock pistol
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-12-22 21:32:58|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
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