Miquelet Gun Made for Charles IV of Spain (reigned 1788–1808)
dated 1796
Medium
Steel, gold, silver, wood (walnut)
Dimensions
L. 48 1/2 in. (123.2 cm); L. of barrel 34 in. (86.4 cm); Cal. .68 in. (17.3 mm); Wt. 5 lb. 6 oz. (2438 g)
Classification
Firearms-Guns-Miquelet
Culture
Spanish, Eibar
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1916
Accession Number
16.135
Rights
Public Domain
Art Historical Context
This exquisite Miquelet gun, in 1796 by Eibar gunsmiths Antonio Guisasola and Juanaro, was specially made for King Charles IV of Spain during his reign (1788–1808). Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Arms Armor Department, it exemplifies the pinnacle of Spanish firearms artistry from Eibar, a historic Basque center of gunmaking renowned for its precision and innovation. The Miquelet lock—a distinctive Spanish flintlock mechanism with an external serpentine and mainspring—powers this steel-barreled firearm, measuring an imposing 48½ inches long with a .68-caliber bore and weighing over 5 pounds. Adorned with lavish gold and silver inlays on a walnut stock, it transcends mere weaponry, serving as a royal presentation piece that blended deadly functionality with opulent decoration. Such embellishments highlighted the owner's status amid Spain's turbulent late-18th-century politics. Today, this Rogers Fund acquisition of 1916 invites visitors to appreciate the fusion of engineering and aesthetics in European arms, revealing how firearms doubled as symbols of power and craftsmanship in the Age of Enlightenment.
About the Artist
Antonio Guisasola|Juan Navaro (Spanish|Spanish) · 1796 |1775 –1833 |1825
Spanish, Eibar, recorded 1796–1833|Spanish, Eibar, active ca. 1800