Pair of Snaphaunce Pistols
Giovan Battista Francino|Matteo Cecchi, called Acquafresca
ca. 1690 · Steel, silver, wood (ebony) · Arms and Armor
Acquafresca was one of the most talented Italian gunmakers of all time. His mastery of relief-chiseled and engraved steel was unsurpassed. Although he worked in the isolated hamlet of Bargi, near Bologna, he was well aware of international firearms fashion, including gunmakers' pattern books published in Paris. He had a sophisticated clientele, among them the ruling Medici family of Florence. These pistols are among Acquafresca's best preserved and most original works. The black ebony stocks contrast with the bright steel mounts and silver wire inlay. The facing male and female heads on chiseled steel plaques set into the grips, behind the barrel, perhaps allude to the gunmaker's noble patrons. The silver wire ornament on each pistol is distinctly different. The barrels are inscribed prominently with Acquafresca's name.
- Artist
- Giovan Battista Francino|Matteo Cecchi, called Acquafresca
- Date
- ca. 1690
- Medium
- Steel, silver, wood (ebony)
- Culture
- Italian, Bargi
- Department
- Arms and Armor
- Credit line
- Purchase, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Gift, 2006
