Soldier on guard covering the pan of his musket with two fingers against sparks (no. 43), ca. 1600

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) on which the barrel rests (no. 43), ca. 1600. On the hammer (part of the ignition mechanism) of his musket lies the burning slow match. With his index and middle finger of his right hand he covers the pan (the powder reservoir) of his musket to protect the powder from sparks of the slow match. Plate 43 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.