Miquelet Sporting Gun for the Prince Regent of Portugal, João VI (1767–1826)

Jacintho Xavier

dated 1802 · Steel, gold, wood, horn · Arms and Armor

This miquelet sporting gun was made for the Prince Regent of Portugal, John/João VI (1767–1826), who reigned from 1816 to 1826 as King of Portugal and Algarve and from 1816 to 1822 as King of the United Kingdom of Portugal, Brazil, and Algarve. Made in 1802 by Jacintho Xavier, master of the Royal Military Arsenal in Lisbon from 1794 to 1808 and therefore Portugal’s leading gunmaker, it was intended as one of the Regent’s personal hunting arms. The superb gold-inlaid decoration of the metal parts, contrasted by the blued steel ground, attest to the care and luxury of manufacture, while the presence of the Portuguese arms on the stock and trigger guard confirm the royal ownership.

Artist

Jacintho Xavier

Date

dated 1802

Medium

Steel, gold, wood, horn

Culture

Portuguese, Lisbon

Department

Arms and Armor

Credit line

Purchase, Arthur Ochs Sulzberger Gift, 2017