Soldier blowing powder from his musket (no. 20), ca. 1600

A soldier, full-length, holding a musket (a specific type of firearm) to his mouth with both hands and blowing over it to remove any powder that may have fallen out of the pan (the powder reservoir) (no. 20), ca. 1600. In his left hand, besides the barrel of the musket, he holds a fork (musket fork) and a lit match. Plate 20 in the instructions for handling the musket: Brief enseignement, sur les pourtraitz figurez, touchant le droit maniement du Mousquet. Part of the illustrations in a French edition of J. de Gheyn's Wapenhandelinghe: J. de Gheyn, Maniement d'armes, d'arquebuses, mousquetz et piques : en conformité de l'ordre de Mour le Prince Maurice, Prince d'Orange, Amsterdam 1608. Military affairs around 1600.