BY B. COSTE À MARSEILLE, CIRCA 1650
Details
A FINE PAIR OF 50-BORE FRENCH FLINTLOCK TURN-OVER PISTOLS
BY B. COSTE à MARSEILLE, CIRCA 1650
WITH SHORTENED THREE-STAGE BARRELS, THE BREECHES OCTAGONAL THEN POLYGONAL AND EACH WITH GILT INSCRIPTION 'A MARSEILLE' AND ETCHED AND GILT FLORAL AND FOLIATE DECORATION INVOLVING STANDING FIGURES AND SATYR-BUSTS, LONG ETCHED AND GILT TANGS, FINELY ENGRAVED FLAT BACK-ACTION LOCKS EACH SIGNED ON A RIBBON ISSUING FROM THE MOUTH OF A MARINE MONSTER AND HELD BY A SATYR RIDING ON ITS BACK, PIERCED FINELY ENGRAVED COCKS, CHISELLED DETAILS ON THE COCK RETAINING SCREWS, STEELS AND STEEL-SPRINGS, MOULDED FIGURED WALNUT STOCKS INLAID WITH EBONY AND WHITE HORN BEHIND THE BARREL TANGS, EBONY POMMELS EACH HOUSING A FOLDING IRON RAMROD, FLAT IRON SIDE-PLATES EACH PIERCED AND ENGRAVED WITH A MARINE MONSTER, AND FLAT IRON TRIGGER-GUARDS FORMING THE BARREL RELEASE AND ETCHED AND GILT ON THE BOW AND REAR FINIAL (SOME WEAR THROUGHOUT)
19IN. (48.2CM.)
THE DECORATION IS BASED ON THE ENGRAVED DESIGNS IN THE PATTERN-BOOK BY JEAN BéRAIN PUBLISHED IN PARIS IN 1659 (2)
BY B. COSTE à MARSEILLE, CIRCA 1650
WITH SHORTENED THREE-STAGE BARRELS, THE BREECHES OCTAGONAL THEN POLYGONAL AND EACH WITH GILT INSCRIPTION 'A MARSEILLE' AND ETCHED AND GILT FLORAL AND FOLIATE DECORATION INVOLVING STANDING FIGURES AND SATYR-BUSTS, LONG ETCHED AND GILT TANGS, FINELY ENGRAVED FLAT BACK-ACTION LOCKS EACH SIGNED ON A RIBBON ISSUING FROM THE MOUTH OF A MARINE MONSTER AND HELD BY A SATYR RIDING ON ITS BACK, PIERCED FINELY ENGRAVED COCKS, CHISELLED DETAILS ON THE COCK RETAINING SCREWS, STEELS AND STEEL-SPRINGS, MOULDED FIGURED WALNUT STOCKS INLAID WITH EBONY AND WHITE HORN BEHIND THE BARREL TANGS, EBONY POMMELS EACH HOUSING A FOLDING IRON RAMROD, FLAT IRON SIDE-PLATES EACH PIERCED AND ENGRAVED WITH A MARINE MONSTER, AND FLAT IRON TRIGGER-GUARDS FORMING THE BARREL RELEASE AND ETCHED AND GILT ON THE BOW AND REAR FINIAL (SOME WEAR THROUGHOUT)
19IN. (48.2CM.)
THE DECORATION IS BASED ON THE ENGRAVED DESIGNS IN THE PATTERN-BOOK BY JEAN BéRAIN PUBLISHED IN PARIS IN 1659 (2)