Cranequin with Arms of Elector Augustus I of Saxony (c. 1553–73): Art, History and Details

Cranequin with Arms of Elector Augustus I of Saxony (c. 1553–73) is in the Cleveland Museum of Art collection.

The work and its context

The museum's open-access catalogue describes the work:

This winder or cranequin was for Prince Elector Augustus I, a member of the ruling elite in the Holy Roman Empire. Augustus, powerful and wealthy, had even the most practical instruments ornately decorated, including this cranequin.

Object facts

• Title: Cranequin with Arms of Elector Augustus I of Saxony
• Date: c. 1553–73
• Culture: Germany, Saxony, 16th century
• Type: Arms and Armor
• Technique: steel; etched, chased and gilded
• Dimensions: Rack: 34.4 cm (13 9/16 in.); Crank: 27 cm (10 5/8 in.); Gear housing: 14.2 cm (5 9/16 in.)
• Collection: MED - Arms & Armor
• Department: Medieval Art
• Accession number: 1916.1723.b

A detail from the museum

Augustus was a marksman who took part in crossbow competitions. He had a large collection and often gave them to friends.

Collection credit

Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John L. Severance

Further reading listed by the museum

• Gilchrist, Helen Ives. A Catalogue of the Collection of Arms & Armor Presented to the Cleveland Museum of Art by Mr. and Mrs. John Long Severance; 1916-1923. Cleveland: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1924.
• Fliegel, Stephen N. Arms and Armor: The Cleveland Museum of Art. [Cleveland, Ohio]: The Museum, 1998.
• Cleveland Museum of Art, and Holger A. Klein. Sacred Gifts and Worldly Treasures: Medieval Masterworks from the Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Museum of Art, 2007.

View the collection record

See the museum's photographs and full catalogue entry. Catalogue text is reproduced from the Cleveland Museum of Art's open-access data, with HTML formatting removed. This object and its supplied image are designated CC0.