BY JOHN HARMAN, LONDON, CIRCA 1730

Details

A Rare 16-Bore Break-Action Breech-Loading Flintlock Gun
By John Harman, London, circa 1730
With swamped barrel retaining traces of the signature and engraved decoration at the breech and with silver fore-sight, released by upward pressure on the trigger-guard, reloadable iron cartridge with attached pan and steel, pointed tang engraved with a grotesque mask, back-action lock retaining some engraved decoration (top jaw and screw associated), moulded figured walnut butt and fore-stock (some bruising), the former carved in relief with acanthus foliage at the barrel tang, and shaped iron mounts including pierced foliate side-plate and shaped butt-plate with long tang, retaining three spare cartridges (iron parts surface pitted, some screws replaced), London proof marks
32in. (81.3cm.) barrel (4)

Provenance

Charles Whitehouse, Birmingham

Literature

W. Keith Neal and D.H.L. Back, Great British Gunmakers 1540-1740, p. 435, plates 193 a, b

Special notice

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

Lot Essay

Charles Whitehouse was a gun collector who came from a gunmaking family, and whose grandfather had specialised in the production of gunmakers' tools. The Whitehouse Collection was purchased from Charles' widow by Charles Greener, and divided equally with Keith Neal. It included a number of pieces from the 4th Earl of Aylesford's
gun-cabinet at Packington Hall (see Great British Gunmakers 1740-1790, pp. 29-30, and footnote to lot 103)
John Harman was free of the London Gunmakers' Company in 1714 and gunmaker to Frederick, Prince of Wales in 1729. The last reference to him is in 1760

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