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Wheel-lock Sporting Rifle (Tschinke)

Culture
Silesian
Date
probably third quarter 17th century
Classification
Arms & armor, metalwork
Current Location
On View, Gallery 138
Dimensions
44 x 5 1/4 x 3 1/2 in. (111.8 x 13.3 x 8.9 cm)
weight: 6 lb. 4 oz. (2.8 kg)
Credit Line
Museum Purchase
Rights
Public Domain
Object Number
73:1939
NOTES
The name Tschinke derives from the city of Teschen (now Cieszyn in present-day Poland) where the rifles were produced. This light rifle for hunting birds and small game has a very distinctive form of wheel-lock ignition whose mechanism was mounted on the outside. The highly ornate decoration on this gun indicates that it was intended for a wealthy hunter.
William Randolph Hearst (1863-1951), Beverly Hills, CA, USA

- 1939
Parish-Watson & Co. Inc., New York, NY

1939 -
Saint Louis Art Museum, purchased from Parish-Watson & Co., Inc. [1]


Notes:
The main source for this provenance is the Parish-Watson invoice dated June 30, 1939. It lists twenty-one objects (including 73:1939) and identifies them as previously belonging to the William Randolph Hearst collection. The relationship between Hearst and Parish-Watson is unknown. 73:1939 is designated on the invoice as lot 1064 art. 184 [SLAM document files].

[1] Minutes of the Administrative Board of Control of the City Art Museum, June 8, 1939.

We regularly update records, which may be incomplete. If you have additional information, please contact us at provenance@slam.org.