Vuursteenzakpistool 1765 - 1775

These flintlock pocket pistols were made by Johan George Ertel around the late 18th century. Note the floral motifs at the base of the wooden handles, and the leafy, flowing engravings on the steel of the barrel and firing mechanism. These botanical ornamentations, common during the period, evoke the abundance and vitality of nature. Consider how similar patterns appear in Renaissance paintings, adorning the clothing of mythological figures, or even reaching back to ancient Greek and Roman friezes. But here, the life-affirming imagery is juxtaposed with an object of death. It's a peculiar tension that reflects the complex psyche of humanity; our simultaneous fascination with creation and destruction, our dance between Eros and Thanatos. The weapon, a phallic symbol, becomes a canvas for the perennial themes of life, death, and rebirth, all intertwined in our collective consciousness.