Pistola rivoltella

Erwin Schwabe

c. 1936

Pistola rivoltella by Erwin Schwabe, c. 1936

Though titled 'Revolving Pistol', this 1936 drawing by Erwin Schwabe depicts a specific antique style known as a 'pepperbox'—a multi-barreled firearm that looks suspiciously like a kitchen spice shaker. Schwabe meticulously rendered the cluster of steel tubes, the elegant scrollwork engraved on the metal frame, and the warm grain of the wooden grip with soft, realistic shading. Rendered on aged paper, the piece transforms a deadly 19th-century weapon into a quiet, nostalgic study of mechanical craftsmanship, signed subtly in the bottom corner.

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