Artwork Page for Wheel-lock Petronel

Details / Information for Wheel-lock Petronel

Wheel-lock Petronel

c. 1630
gunmaker

Georg Kurland

(Polish)
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Culture
Silesia (Southwestern Poland), Teschen, 17th century
Medium
steel, gilding, and wood inlaid with elk horn, ivory, and mother-of-pearl
Measurements
Overall: 13 x 73 x 6 cm (5 1/8 x 28 3/4 x 2 3/8 in.)
Weight: 1.34 kg (2.95 lbs.)
Credit Line
Dudley P. Allen Fund 2012.97.1
Public Domain
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Location
210B Firearms
Print

Description

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.
A wheel-lock firearm features a long, dark metal barrel etched with golden foliage. Its polished wood stock is decorated with dense cream-colored floral and vine patterns. At the center, a complex steel mechanism houses a circular wheel and small hammer. The stock curves downward into a wide, flared end, while a wavy metal guard protects the trigger. Intricate bone inlays frame the edges and run the length of the wooden body.

Wheel-lock Petronel

c. 1630

Georg Kurland

(Polish)
Silesia (Southwestern Poland), Teschen, 17th century

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