Soldier blowing his match clean while covering the pan of his musket with two fingers against sparks (no. 10), ca. 1600
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A soldier, full-length, holding a musket (a specific type of firearm) with his left hand (no. 10), ca. 1600. The lit match lies on the hammer (part of the ignition mechanism) of his musket. He blows over it, while covering the pan (the powder reservoir) of his musket with the index and middle finger of his right hand, to protect the powder from sparks from the match. Plate 10 in the instructions for handling the musket: Shorte instruction for the figures, so much concerneth the right use of muskett. Part of the illustrations in an English edition of J. de Gheyn's Wapenhandelinghe: J. de Gheyn, The exercise of armes for calivres, muskettes and pikes after the ordre of Maurits Prince of Orange, 's-Gravenhage 1608. Military affairs around 1600.
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam’s own descriptionSimilar works
Soldier blowing his match clean while covering the pan of his musket with two fingers to prevent sparks (no. 10), ca. 1600
Soldier blowing the match clean while covering the pan of his musket with two fingers against sparks (no. 10), ca. 1600
Soldier blowing sparks from the pan of his musket (no. 16), ca. 1600
Soldier with a musket bringing his match to his mouth to blow it clean (no. 7), ca. 1600
Soldier blowing sparks away from the pan of his musket (no. 16), ca. 1600
Soldier on guard covering the pan of his musket with two fingers against sparks (no. 43), ca. 1600