Going to release some Old World art analysis posts in the future...

Update on this...

1650 Fireworks/Electricity Depiction from Nuremburg Germany (Full Resolution)

Captions...

A) Die Hauptbaracke
B) Neben Baracke zur rechten Hand
C) Neben Baracke zur linken Hand
D) Credenza zur Hauptbaracke
E) Musikanten Chor
F) Zwei Buttellerien (?) oder Schenkstelle, der neben Baracke B
G) Trompeten und Heerpauken Stand
H) Des Herrn Generalissimi und Platzgraben durchleucht, so das erste Feuer dem Feuerwerk gegeben
I) Cupido so vom Herrn Platzgraben bis zum Friedenssäulen fliegt und dieselbe anzündet
K) Die Säule, worauf das Friedensbild gestanden
L) In schwarz und weiß gekleidete Männer so mit FeierwerksSchlachtSchwertern gegeneinander gestanden
M) 24 Cannenrobe (?) so um die Friedenssäule gestanden
N) Eine Säule mit einem großem Feuerrad
O) Noch 8 andere Säulen auch mit Feuerrädern und 7 dazwischen in der erdenverborgenen Feuerkuglen
P) 12 große Feuerpompen (Pumpen?)
Q) Vom Feuerwerk preparierte Spanische Reuther(?) Reiter? (There is a noticable distinction between the lower case b and h, took me a bit to see it when reading)
mit ihren zwischenstehenden Pfosten und darauf ruhenden Kugeln
R) Portæ des Feuerwerkschlosses, auf welcher das Bild Discordinæ und darunter das Bild Martis gestanden
S) Die vier Eckthürn (Eckturme, corner towers) des Schlosses so mit guldenden Knöpfen gemahlten eisernen Fahnen, auch mit schwarz und weißen seidernen Flaggen geziert gewesen
T) Das Innengebäu des Schlosses mit der darauf stehenden Rundung und Koppel
U/V) Geschmeidige Geschreg (Geschräg? schräg › beveled) worauf Raketen gehangen

W) Messinge Böller ("Böller" common word for small to mid explosives, but who tf knows what they considered small to mid)
(Messinge meaning from Messingen? That's up near Friesland, 5.5hr drive)
X) 500 Musketenlauf (500 muskets), so in schöner Ordnung zugleich Salva geben
Y) Hölzerne Böller
Z) Batterie zunächst beim Schloss auf welcher 12 Falkaunen (?) 2 Stein und 11 vierpfündige Stück gestanden
a) Batteriarien (batteries) seit des Wassers worauf 6 Ganze, 8 Halbe und 8 Viertel Cartarinen (?) gestanden
b) Ein vierpfündiges Stücklein (I love the -lein, it sounds like old Grimms fairy tales German) welches nebst einer Raketen 'iedesmals'(?);
so oft eine Gesundheit getrunken worden;
Losung geben worauf dann die oben gesetzte Stück auf beiden Seiten zugleich in geburenden (geborenen? angefangen/gezündet?) Ordnung geantwortet
c) Schranken um die Baracke bis zum Feuerwerk
d) Spanische Reuther (Reiter?) so das Feuerwerk vor dem Anlauf des Volkes beachirmt
e) Ein Teil der Stadt Nürnberg
f) Die Bärenschanze
g) Schueshaus (Schießhaus?) zu St Johannes

NÜRNBERG
bei Jeremia Dumlern zu finden
Michael Herz, delinearit
Peter Troschel, soulpsit (?)

Did this before and didn't have much time for a translation, but this is all essentially what it says in modern German

Did this before work I meant. Will provide translations tomorrow, but essentiallly this entire scene is crazy af. Also, even though it says fireworks swords, I am with you that what they are showing probably isn't just normal fireworks, it does indeed look like electricity (I have never seen any fireworks swords that look like that, either, nor would I imagine them to look as depicted)

Ok so I think I got the rest

A) Main pavilion/grandstand
B) To the right hand of
C) To the left hand of
D) "Credenza" meaning side board or buffet table, VIP provisions for main pavilion
E) Musical choir
F) Two small cannons or refreshment stands (either the engraver Perer Troschel wasn't sure which, or both could be there in that spot - people shooting off stuff while having a drink)
G) Timpani/ Kettledrum and trumpet stands
H) "His Excellency The Generalissimo and Count Palatine" who gave the first fire to the fireworks
I/J) "Cupido" (possibly a rocket or some mechanical device) flies from His Lordship the Count Palatine to the Peace Column (center, surrounded by the 24 cannons[M]) and ignites them
K) The column, on which the peace figure stands (supposedly typical barroque symbolism, peace in the middle surrounded by military power, an allegory for having won a war or completed a peace treaty but my knowledge is limited on that)
L) Men dressed in black and white who stood against each other with the fireworks battle swords in question
M) 24 cannon barrels that stood around the peace column
N) A column with a large fire wheel
O) Another 8 columns also with fire wheels and 7 fire balls buried in the ground between them (for a surprise effect?)
P) 12 large fire pumps

Q) Spanish riders prepared for the fireworks with intervening posts and balls resting on them ("Spanish riders" being the star-shaped wooden constructions with spikes - used both as military obstacles and for crowd control at events)
R) Gate of the fireworks castle, on which stood the image of Discord and below it the image of Mars (Discord (Discordia) being Roman goddess of strife, conflict, and civil war, and Mars obv the Roman god of war)
S) The four corner towers of the castle which were adorned with golden knobs, painted iron banners, and also decorated with black and white silk flags
T) The inner structure of the castle with the rotunda and cupola standing on it
U) Flexible/supple slanted structures on which rockets were hung (adjustable rocket launchers?)
W) Brass cannons
X) 500 muskets that fire a salvo simultaneously in beautiful order
Y) Wooden cannons
Z) Battery positioned next to the castle on which stood 12 falconets, 2 stone [cannons], and 11 four-pounder pieces
("Stein" could refer to stone-throwing cannons or cannons of a specific caliber measured in stone weight)
a) Batteries by the water on which stood 6 whole, 8 half, and 8 quarter cartarines [heavy cannons]
b) A small four-pounder which, together with a rocket, each time a toast was drunk, would give the signal whereupon the above-mentioned pieces on both sides would respond simultaneously in proper order
This gave me a bit of crosseyed headache but it seems to describe a toast ceremony, where every time the VIPs in the pavilions raised a toast (to the Kaiser, peace, etc) a small signal cannon and rocket would fire. This was the cue for ALL the other cannons and fireworks around the area to fire in coordinated volleys.
So the drinking toasts triggered the fireworks displays where each toast resulted in a spectacular coordinated artillery show. Very baroque
d) Spanish riders that protected the fireworks from the rush of the crowd
c) Barriers around the pavilion extending to the fireworks
e) A part of the city of Nuremberg
f) The Bear Bastion/Fortification (Bärenschanze in Nuremburg)
g) The shooting house/guild hall of St. John
(The shooting guild hall of St. Johannes, where the marksmen's guild would practice and meet. Very common in German cities)

The last part is the publisher info:
NUREMBERG
Available from Jeremia Dümlern/ Jeremias Dümmler, German publisher and bookprint
Michael Herz, delineated (drew, designed [delineavit]
Peter Troschel, sculpsit [engraved it]

Next subject...

I will be back to discuss the details of this artwork. If you guys find anything interesting in it (besides the unreal-looking "fireworks") please let me know.

The Text on The Main Structure
(According to Google Translate)

Top Left
"of the Turks"

Top Right
"of the Tatars"

Bottom Left
"Nor are there any shortages of wealth"

Bottom Right
"Nor are there any shortages of strength"

Middle Arch
"And new successes" "increases with success"

The text on this structure does not appear to be original to the illustration, evident by how off-center "DE TURCIS" is. The illustrator, which clearly has great attention to detail and symmetry given how well-drawn this structure is, would not have lazily added block text so poorly like this. The only text on this structure that appears to be original to the illustration is the text on the middle arch given how it actually looks like it is engraved into the building itself.