Gun barrel from the Burgundian Booty

Description

Not only did the Swiss defeat Charles the Bold of Burgundy at the battles of Grandson and Murten in 1476, but they also seized a vast hoard of priceless jewels and weapons. As an ally of the Swiss Confederacy, Basel received its share of the booty. While most of the treasures have since been lost, a few items have been preserved, among them two enormous gun barrels. This muzzle-loading gun is a tour de force of wrought-iron work. The triangular plate mounted in front of the fuse shows the coat of arms of the d’Auxy family of Flanders. Charles the Bold lost his artillery at the battle of Grandson in the Vaud, whereupon Jean IV d’Auxy supplied him with new weapons sent straight from Flanders.