BY GRIFFIN & TOW, LONDON, CIRCA 1775

Details

An Unusual 17-Bore Flintlock Gun
By Griffin & Tow, London, circa 1775
With swamped sighted brass barrel signed within an engraved loop on the top flat of the breech and engraved with a band of beadwork at the rear, engraved grooved iron tang, signed lightly engraved flat bevelled lock (some pitting, mainly in the pan, top jaw and screw associated), figured walnut full stock (minor cracks, fore-end repaired) carved in relief with shells at the barrel tang, take-down fore-end, finely engraved brass mounts including trigger-guard with second pattern acorn finial, and shaped solid side-plate, cast and chased rococo escutcheon, and iron-tipped ramrod, London proof marks
29½in. (74.9cm.) barrel

Provenance

Arthur Rosling of Chelmsford, Essex

Literature

W. Keith Neal and D.H.L. Back, Messrs Griffin & Tow and W. Bailes, pp. 79-80, plates 27 a-c

Exhibited

The British Sporting Exhibition at the Imperial Institute, South Kensington, 14-30 January 1938, cat. no. 14

Special notice

VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium.

Lot Essay

Arthur Rosling was a motor engineer by trade, but in common with other notable collectors, he was interested in antique firearms as well as automobiles. The family business - Rosling Limited - was established in Chelmsford by 1905 and remained in their ownership until the late 1930s. Keith Neal recalled that Rosling used to display pairs of pistols on the walls of the billiard room in his home. The collection was sold to Keith Neal after Rosling's death, and some time later his widow found a number of pistol cases in the attic. In due course some of the pistols were reunited with their original cases

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