Flintlock Gun of Louis XIII (1601–1643), King of France

Marin Le Bourgeois|Pierre Le Bourgeois

ca. 1620 · Steel, brass, silver, gold, wood (walnut), mother-of-pearl · Arms and Armor

This fowling piece is one of the earliest firearms equiped with the flintlock of French construction. It was made for Louis XIII (reigned 1610–43) in the workshop directed by Pierre Le Bourgeois' brother, Marin (about 1550–1634), to whom the invention of the flintlock mechanism is traditionally ascribed. The decoration of the gun includes the crowned monogram of the king. The scroll-shaped end of the gunstock is an unusual and especially graceful feature of this gun's design.

Artist

Marin Le Bourgeois|Pierre Le Bourgeois

Date

ca. 1620

Medium

Steel, brass, silver, gold, wood (walnut), mother-of-pearl

Culture

French, Lisieux

Department

Arms and Armor

Credit line

Rogers Fund and Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1972