Rare authentic antique, half of the 17th-century, Russian enameled bronze, priming flask for a flintlock or wheel lock gun. The shape and the form of decoration are very distinctive for the 17th century work of the Kremlin armory.
Those types of bronze priming flasks were cast in two pieces then joined together on the edges. This particular piece was excavated in the 19th century, on the former territory of eastern Poland, in broken condition. The broken part has been removed and the good part was mounted in the display case. The object has been taken, by the owner, out of Poland in 1939 during WWII. He served in the Polish Army II Corps. After the war he settled in Canada.
Small Priming flasks contained fine-grain powder for priming the pans of wheel-lock firearms.
The main charge of coarse gunpowder, placed in the barrel with the shot, was carried in the large powder flask.
Flasks were attached to a bandolier, a type of sling worn over the shoulder or around the waist, from which hung the various accessories required for a weapon, including spanners for the mechanism, measured charges, powder flasks, and priming flasks.
REFERENCES: Masterpieces of Russian Hunting Arms from the State Hermitage Museum St. Petersburg, P21,
For Similar priming flasks from the former “Collections of Mikhail and Sergei Botkin†naw in “The State Russian Museum†please see the link below.
http://www.rusmuseum.ru/eng/exhib/lenta/exhibitions_2011/collections_of_mikhail_and_sergei_botkin/
To see other examples of 17th century Russian enamel work on bronze please view the links below;
http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O102271/priming-flask-unknown/
http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/html_En/03/hm3_6_1b.html
DIMENSIONS: 8 cm x 6 cm (3 1/8 in x 2 3/8 in).
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