24-pound Prussian cannon Side view

This bronze 24-pound cannon was part of a series of twelve pieces of artillery commissioned in 1708 by the first King of Prussia, Frederick I of Hohenzollern (1657–1713).
This series of cannons, each of which is made in the image of the twelve electors of Brandenburg from the House of Hohenzollern, was part of Prussia's rising to the status of kingdom, in a line of historical continuity. Despite being dedicated to different electors, the cannons in this collection all follow the same iconographic formula. The tailpieces and handles are made up of crowned eagles with interlaced wings, with one Brandenburg eagle wearing the electoral cap, and one Prussian eagle wearing the royal crown. The first reinforce has a cartridge in which Frederick I pays tribute to his ancestors. This cartridge is topped with the coat of arms of the elector to whom the cannon is dedicated. The full-length portrait of the elector is sculpted in the center of the barrage, here Frederick I (1372–1411). In the upper section of the barrage, there are the coat of arms and the title of the Grand Master of the Artillery.