Lot Essay
James 1 Barbar (d. 1773) was apprenticed to his father Lewis in 1714, was free of the Gunmakers' Company in 1722, and Master in 1742. He was appointed Gentleman Armourer to King George II in 1741
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BY JAMES BARBAR, LONDON, CIRCA 1750
Details
A 25-Bore Flintlock Sporting Gun
By James Barbar, London, circa 1750
With earlier tapering octagonal Turkish twist barrel encrusted at intervals with silver arabesques and with three applied silver bands between lines of silver beadwork, at the breech a gold-lined maker's mark in Arabic characters (indecipherable) and a band of gold rosettes, silver fore-sight, engraved grooved tang, signed rounded lock with moulded border, moulded figured walnut full stock (minor bruising) carved in relief with a shell behind the barrel tang, engraved iron mounts, trigger-guard with first pattern acorn finial, pierced finely chiselled side-plate, chiselled rococo escutcheon, and later horn-tipped ramrod, London proof marks
42¼in. (107.3cm.) barrel
By James Barbar, London, circa 1750
With earlier tapering octagonal Turkish twist barrel encrusted at intervals with silver arabesques and with three applied silver bands between lines of silver beadwork, at the breech a gold-lined maker's mark in Arabic characters (indecipherable) and a band of gold rosettes, silver fore-sight, engraved grooved tang, signed rounded lock with moulded border, moulded figured walnut full stock (minor bruising) carved in relief with a shell behind the barrel tang, engraved iron mounts, trigger-guard with first pattern acorn finial, pierced finely chiselled side-plate, chiselled rococo escutcheon, and later horn-tipped ramrod, London proof marks
42¼in. (107.3cm.) barrel
Literature
W. Keith Neal and D.H.L. Back, Great British Gunmakers 1740-1790, plate 526 (side-plate only)
Special notice
VAT rate of 5% is payable on hammer price plus buyer's premium.