Double-Barreled Side-by-Side Tube-Lock Shotgun with Case
ca. 1819–20
Medium
Steel, wood (walnut, mahogany), horn, brass, silver
Dimensions
L. 43 5/8 in. (110.8 cm); L. of barrel 28 1/8 in. (71.4 cm); Cal. of left barrel .709 in. (18 mm); Cal. of right barrel .701 in. (17.8 mm); Wt. 7 lb. 2 oz. (3232 g)
Classification
Firearms-Guns
Culture
British, London
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Charles M. Schott Jr., 1917
Accession Number
37.29.4
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Double-Barreled Side-Side Tube-Lockgun, crafted around 1819–20 by renowned London gunmakers Charles Lancaster Joseph Manton, exemplifies pinnacle of early 19th-century British artistry. Joseph Manton, often hailed as the "father of the modern shotgun," pioneered the-lock mechanism—a transitional innovation between flintlocks and percussion caps—that offered greater reliability in damp conditions, making it ideal for British hunters pursuing game birds. Produced in London's prestigious gun quarter, this fowling piece reflects the Regency era's blend of sporting tradition and mech...
About the Artist
Charles Lancaster|Joseph Manton (British|British) · |1766 –1847 |1835
British, d. 1847|British, Grantham, Lincolnshire 1766–1835 London