Wheellock Pistol 1630

This Wheellock Pistol was crafted by Felix Werder, a German gunsmith, around the 17th century. Look at the engravings: hunting scenes, dogs, and fantastic beasts cover the metal. These images speak of mastery of nature and the thrill of the hunt, yet also something deeper. Consider the image of the wheel – a motif which, since antiquity, has been a symbol of cyclical time, destiny, and power. Here, it sits at the heart of the firing mechanism, linking these ancient ideas to the very act of violence. This is no mere weapon but a complex object charged with symbolic meaning, connecting the hunt, death, and time. It echoes through history. The wheel reappears in countless forms—from the simple chariot wheel to the complex mandalas of Eastern spiritual traditions. Each iteration carries a piece of our collective memory, of our fascination with the forces that shape our lives. These objects are more than mere tools; they are a cultural memory, a way of connecting to our primal instincts and the archetypes that shape our world.