The Industrial Arts in Spain Part 22
"A knife.
"An excellent artificer worked formerly in Italy called Lazari Cominaz, but many bad cannons have been attributed to him.
"The best Spanish masters were--
"Maestre Simon, el viejo.
"Maestre Pedro, his brother, who made at Madrid excellent cannon and locks.
"They came over with the Emperor Charles V., and worked also for the Kings Philip II. and III., and marked the pieces they made with three sickles.
"Maestre Simon had four sons; all of them followed his profession.
Felipe and Simon Marcuarte have worked for Philip III. and IV. Simon Marcuarte is still alive. They mark with a sickle in a shield, and make also excellent hunting-knives, archers' knives, halberds, and other things. Pedro, their brother, is also an excellent artificer.
"Juan Salado worked in several localities, and died at Salamanca. He was an excellent arquebuse maker. His mark was the letter of his name and a horse.
"Sanchez de Mirvena, his son-in-law, followed him. He marked with a lion and his initials.
"Gaspar Fernandez was brought by King Ferdinand from Salamanca, and the arms he makes are the best in Spain.
"Pedro Munoz worked at Seville. He was surnamed El Toledano, and marked with all the letters of his name.
"Juan de Metola did the same.
"Leguizamo worked at Seville. He marked with his name and two stags.
"Francisco Hernandez used his full name.
"Andres Herraez was a native of Cuenca. He made every sort of arm, and marked with an eagle and his initials.
"Maestre Cristoval de Ricla marked with an X.
"Pedro Palacios with P P."
A fine musket exists by Palacios at the Royal Armoury of Madrid--No.
427. By Cristoval de Ricla there is a cannon of worked iron, No. 2319, mounted on its gun-carriage, with the following inscription, "Hizome en Ricla Cristoval Frisleva ano, 1565." A fine gun, also at the Armeria, is by the same artist.
Juan de Espinar does not mention the following artists, who lived at his time at Madrid. I find their names given in original doc.u.ments in the Library of the Academia de San Fernando.
Bartolome de Orgaz 1643
Juan de la Cruz 1629
Juan de Mazo 1613
Juan de Pozo 1625
Juan de Zuazo, armourer of his Majesty 1645
Lucas de Ros, armourer of his Majesty 1623-1628
Matias Suezo, was arquebusier of the guards of Seville in 1625
Rafael Villato in 1625
Pero Matia appears in doc.u.ments of the archives of Simancas as musket-maker living at the Alhambra at the end of the 16th century.
By extracting the information on this subject which is given in the introduction to the Catalogue of the Armoury, we find this list can be brought down to our time:--
Gaspar Hernandez had two excellent pupils.
Domingo Garcia and Juan Belen, who marked with a lion with a lifted paw.
He was appointed gunsmith to King Charles II. in 1699.
Alonso Martinez was an excellent artist; he marked his work with the letters of his name.
Luis Santos, 1739.
Nicolas Bis.
Matias Baeza, gunsmith of King Philip V., 1739.
Alonso Martinez, 1732.
Diego Esquivel.
Juan Fernandez, appointed in 1726.
Diego Ventura, appointed gunsmith to Charles III., 1760.
Luis Santos.
Matias Baeza, 1740.
Francis...o...b..s.
Ignacio Barcina.
Sebastian Santos, 1752.
Gabriel de Algora, appointed gunsmith to Ferdinand VI., 1746.
Juan Fernandez.
Manuel Sutil, an excellent artist.
Jose Cano, 1740.
Joaquin Celaya, 1749.