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Combined Priming Flask and Wheel-Lock Spanner
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Early firearms required many tools and accessories for their proper use and maintenance. This clever design fulfilled a dual purpose as a spanner and priming flask. Small containers like this one would hold fine-grain gunpowder used to set off (or prime) the main charge in the barrel. A spanner would be used to operate a wheel-lock mechanism that enabled a gun to fire. On the gun, the jaws of the lock clamped a piece of flint or pyrites designed to rub against the rough edge of the wheel projecting into the pan. The wheel was revolved by a tightly coiled spring wound by the spanner and released when the gun's trigger was pulled causing sparks to ignite the gunpowder in the breech.
| Artist / Maker | Anonymous, first half of 17th Century |
|---|---|
| Date | c. 1600–1650 |
| Culture / Origin | Germany or Austria, first half of 17th Century |
| Medium | horn with brass and steel mounts |
| Dimensions | Overall: 18.1 x 5.7 cm (7 1/8 x 2 1/4 in.) |
| Department | Medieval Art |
| Type | Arms and Armor |
About the Artist
Provenance & Source
Image & data: Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0 / Public Domain.
Condition
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