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Dutch, possibly German

Wheellock-Matchlock Musket

c. 1600-c. 1630
Steel, iron, brass, gilding, walnut, mother-of-pearl, staghorn, leather, and pyrite

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● On view now — Gallery 239

Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago · verified July 2026

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FROM THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO’S CATALOG

Unlike most heavy muskets, the weapon of the common soldier, this elaborate example is filled with gilt brass and mother-of-pearl inlay. Even the firing mechanism makes use of the more expensive wheellock rather than just a simple matchlock. It was formerly kept in the gun room of Castle Tetschen (Děčín), today in the Czech Republic, together with a few others by the same workshop. As a group, they were used by the barons Thun und Hohenstein for the sport of target shooting; courtly competitions developed in emulation of civic shooting matches held by guilds and militias to practice their military skills.

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