Pair of Wheel-lock Petronels
Georg Kurland (Polish)
c. 1630
Medium
steel, gilding, and wood inlaid with elk horn, ivory, and mother-of-pearl
Dimensions
l. 70.5 cm
Classification
Arms and Armor
Department
Medieval Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Dudley P. Allen Fund
Accession Number
2012.97
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
male
About this artwork
A petronel was a type of long pistol made with a wheel-lock ignition. Despite its length, the petronel was fired at the wrist like a pistol and not at the shoulder like a rifle. They were generally made in pairs during the early 1600s. Civilian versions were elaborately decorated for aristocratic clients.