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

Gunsmith Pierre Le Bourgeois French
Gunsmith Marin Le Bourgeois French

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 375

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.

#4434. Flintlock Gun

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Flintlock Gun of Louis XIII (1601–1643), King of France, Pierre Le Bourgeois (French, Lisieux, died 1627), Steel, brass, silver, gold, wood (walnut), mother-of-pearl, French, Lisieux

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