Percussion Longrifle 1820 - 1875

This is a Percussion Longrifle, made by Benjamin J. Kough, a young American gunsmith, sometime before his untimely death in 1850. The rifle presents a fascinating study in contrasts: a tool of lethal force adorned with delicate, almost whimsical embellishments. Notice how Kough has integrated silver and gold inlays into the dark wood of the stock. The flowing arabesques and geometric starbursts, set against the rifle's dark metal components, create a tension between the functional and the decorative. This tension destabilizes the conventional understanding of firearms as purely utilitarian objects, suggesting a dialogue between power and artistry. One might even interpret the rifle as a semiotic system, where the visual components—the dark wood, the gleaming metal, and the intricate inlays—act as signs, communicating cultural values related to craftsmanship, status, and perhaps even violence. The rifle prompts us to reconsider fixed categories and engage with new ways of thinking about representation.