Seven photos of M/L ordnance at an Austrian museum

[Cannoneer]

There are some interesting pieces here, I particularly like the cascabel/handle image of Neptune, or a merman of some kind on the cannon shown in the forefront of the first photo.

Heeresgeschichtliches

[Max Caliber]

Appears to be riding a sea monster here.

[Bob Smith]

It's by Martin (or Marten) Hilger (or Hilgifer) of Freiburg (or Graz). The Vienna gun is dated 1579. He used the same figure in the breech in a number of other guns.

Bob Smith

[cannonmn]

Nice photos, thanks for posting.  There are some photos from there and many others, as well as lots of prints and drawings in the big heavy coffee table book called simply GUNS, that can usually be picked up quite cheaply since "normal" folks aren't much interested in that stuff, just us cannon nuts.

[Cannoneer]

Thanks for the information, Bob, and Cannonmn. Max, now that you mention it, I can see that you are definitely right, the figure is riding on the back of some type of sea serpent. When I first saw the photo, I didn't save and enlarge the pic because it was already pretty clear, but I kept trying to figure out why Poseidon was holding a bouquet of flowers on his belly; what did this symbolism mean? Well, now I know that that isn't a bunch of flowers, it's the sea creatures head.

[Max Caliber]

One would think that the figure should be facing to the front like dolphins do.  Sort of looks like old Poseidon is getting out of Dodge.

[Cannoneer]

Here are a few more examples of historic artillery pieces at this museum.

This 15th century wrought iron bombard is known as "Pumhart von Steyr."




"The famous "mortar of Belgrade". Allegedly, a shot from this cannon ignited the Turkish ammunition stores -- killing thousands."
This mortar was used by the Christian forces in the siege, and eventual defeat of the Turkish army occupying Belgrade in 1717. It is supposedly the piece responsible for firing a shell that ignited the Ottoman black powder storehouse. The Turk's recaptured the city at a later date.






Some bronze barrels on display along an outside wall.




An interesting bronze breech loading howitzer.