DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.23985#0007
PREFACE
Between the sporting nobleman of the past centuries and his inseparable
companion, his favourite gun, which accompanied him on all his shooting expeditions
there existed an intimate personal friendship.
If a master in the craft of gunmaking wanted to satisfy the spoiled taste and
exigencies of his noble client his work had to be perfection as a work of art, as well
as a masterpiece from the technical point of view. Under these conditions only,
after having been used, was a gun considered worthy of being placed in the gun
collection of the house to be carefully kept there. Only a small number of these
princely collections has been preserved up to our time, and one of the most precious
of them, the one described in this catalogue, is going to be dispersed.
The present collection is formed by the principal pieces of the famous gun
gallery of the Dukes of Saxony-Weimar and was till lately exhibited in the
halls of the Ettersburg castle. And with how much loving care was this collection
preserved and guarded for 4 centuries! The barrels and locks of the guns are shining
like mirrors, the carved stocks with their incrustations in ivory, mother of pearl,
tortoise-shell, gold and silver, their etchings, engravings and chiselings are as well
preserved and as fresh as if they had left the master’s workshop but a short time ago.
On many of the principal pieces the names and marks of the most famous
masters of the craft of gunmaking are to be seen. A description of the pieces would
take more room than is possible in this short preface. The interesting constructions,
such as repeating guns, automatic and air guns are described in the catalogue. Very
often the former owners, members of the house of Saxony-Weimar had their coat
of arms and initials engraved on the guns, down to Carl August, the Maecenas of
Schiller and Goethe, the poets. His used to be the beautifully silver-mounted guns
Nos. 25, 70 and 91, which bear his initials on the stock.
Berlin, May, 1927.
Dr. M. J. BINDER
Director of the State Armory.
Between the sporting nobleman of the past centuries and his inseparable
companion, his favourite gun, which accompanied him on all his shooting expeditions
there existed an intimate personal friendship.
If a master in the craft of gunmaking wanted to satisfy the spoiled taste and
exigencies of his noble client his work had to be perfection as a work of art, as well
as a masterpiece from the technical point of view. Under these conditions only,
after having been used, was a gun considered worthy of being placed in the gun
collection of the house to be carefully kept there. Only a small number of these
princely collections has been preserved up to our time, and one of the most precious
of them, the one described in this catalogue, is going to be dispersed.
The present collection is formed by the principal pieces of the famous gun
gallery of the Dukes of Saxony-Weimar and was till lately exhibited in the
halls of the Ettersburg castle. And with how much loving care was this collection
preserved and guarded for 4 centuries! The barrels and locks of the guns are shining
like mirrors, the carved stocks with their incrustations in ivory, mother of pearl,
tortoise-shell, gold and silver, their etchings, engravings and chiselings are as well
preserved and as fresh as if they had left the master’s workshop but a short time ago.
On many of the principal pieces the names and marks of the most famous
masters of the craft of gunmaking are to be seen. A description of the pieces would
take more room than is possible in this short preface. The interesting constructions,
such as repeating guns, automatic and air guns are described in the catalogue. Very
often the former owners, members of the house of Saxony-Weimar had their coat
of arms and initials engraved on the guns, down to Carl August, the Maecenas of
Schiller and Goethe, the poets. His used to be the beautifully silver-mounted guns
Nos. 25, 70 and 91, which bear his initials on the stock.
Berlin, May, 1927.
Dr. M. J. BINDER
Director of the State Armory.
