Soldier on guard pressing his match onto the cock of his musket (no. 41), ca. 1600
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A soldier on guard, full-length, facing right, holding a musket (a specific type of firearm) with his left hand at the fork of the fork (musket fork) upon which the barrel rests (no. 41), ca. 1600. With his right hand he presses a lit match onto the hammer (part of the ignition mechanism) of his musket. Plate 41 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 on guard with a musket taking hold of his match (no. 39), ca. 1600
Soldier on guard pressing the match to the cock of his musket (no. 41), ca. 1600
Soldier on guard holding his musket diagonally upward at his right side, finger on the trigger (no. 37), ca. 1600
Soldier on guard pressing the match onto the hammer of his musket (no. 41), ca. 1600
Soldier taking his ramrod from the holder under the barrel of his musket (no. 25), ca. 1600
Soldier on guard with a musket bringing his match to his mouth to blow it clean (no. 40), ca. 1600