Skip to Content
Today Open today 10–11 members | 11–5 public

  • Mon 11–5
  • Tue–Wed Closed
  • Thu 11–8
  • Fri–Sun 11–5
  • The first hour of every day, 10–11 a.m., is reserved for member-only viewing.

Wheellock Rifle

A work made of steel, silver, walnut, horn, staghorn, and mother-of-pearl.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

Image actions

  • A work made of steel, silver, walnut, horn, staghorn, and mother-of-pearl.

Date:

c. 1720

Artist:

Gunsmith: Johan Carl Öfner
(Austrian, 1717-1724)
Stock Decorator: Josef Haller of Eger (Cheb)
Austrian, Innsbruck

Austrian, 18th century

About this artwork

Despite the invention of the simpler flintlock, the wheellock remained in use for hunting well into the 18th century, as the ignition was a split second faster. This could make a difference when hunting deer, sensitive enough to react to the sound of the ignition before the bullet left the gun.

On later wheellocks, such as this example, the wheel is concealed under the lock plate. The decorative inlay of engraved mother-of-pearl, silver, and staghorn, with its florid designs of S- and C scrolls, reflects the newly developing Rococo style.

Status

On View, Gallery 239

Department

Applied Arts of Europe

Artist

Josef Haller (Decorator)

Title

Wheellock Rifle

Place

Austria (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

1715–1725

Medium

Steel, silver, walnut, horn, staghorn, and mother-of-pearl

Dimensions

L. 117 cm (46 1/4 in.) Barrel L. 85.7 cm (33 3/4 in.) Wt. 11 lb. 4 oz. Caliber .47

Credit Line

George F. Harding Collection

Reference Number

1982.2273

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/108758/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.
Learn more

Image actions

Share

Suggested Terms