BY NICOLAS VINCENT À TOUL, CIRCA 1650
Details
A FINE PAIR OF 32-BORE FRENCH FLINTLOCK TURN-OVER PISTOLS
BY NICOLAS VINCENT à TOUL, CIRCA 1650
WITH SHORTENED BARRELS EACH WITH SIGHTING FLAT AND INLAID WITH A PANEL OF SCROLLS AND STRAPWORK IN COPPER AND BRASS AT THE REAR, ENGRAVED LONG TANGS RETAINING TRACES OF GILDING, SIGNED BEVELLED BACK-ACTION LOCKS FINELY ENGRAVED WITH FLOWERS, FOLIAGE, A SEATED FIGURE AND A MONSTER, ALL ON A HATCHED GROUND, THE TAILS EACH WITH APPLIED GILT-BRONZE MONSTER-HEAD, THE BASES OF THE COCKS EACH CHISELLED IN THE FORM OF A SERPENT COILED AROUND THE GILT SCREW-HEAD, FRUITWOOD STOCKS (ONE FORE-STOCK CRACKED, THE OTHER WITH OLD INSET REPAIRS), THE BUTTS FINELY INLAID WITH BRASS PINS AND FOLIATE DESIGNS IN SILVER WIRE MOSTLY OUTLINING DARK MASTIC INLAYS, AND TWO PARROTS IN ENGRAVED SILVER SHEET, GILT-BRONZE MOUNTS FINELY ENGRAVED WITH FLOWERS AND FOLIAGE, SOME PIERCED, FLAT SIDE-PLATES EACH PIERCED AND ENGRAVED WITH A MARINE MONSTER, THE POMMELS EACH INSET WITH FOUR FINELY ENGRAVED SILVER PANELS, IRON TRIGGER-GUARDS WITH PIERCED AND ENGRAVED BOWS EACH WITH TRACES OF GILDING, IRON BARREL RELEASE CATCHES (ONE REPLACED), AND WOODEN RAMRODS EACH WITH PIERCED AND ENGRAVED GILT-BRONZE TIP
16¾IN. (42.5CM.)
THE DECORATION ON THE STOCKS IS DERIVED FROM DESIGNS PUBLISHED IN PARIS BY THOMAS PICQUOT IN 1638, WHILST THE REMAINING DECORATION IS OF A TYPE PUBLISHED BY THE PARISIAN GUNMAKER FRANOIS MARCOU IN 1657 (2)
BY NICOLAS VINCENT à TOUL, CIRCA 1650
WITH SHORTENED BARRELS EACH WITH SIGHTING FLAT AND INLAID WITH A PANEL OF SCROLLS AND STRAPWORK IN COPPER AND BRASS AT THE REAR, ENGRAVED LONG TANGS RETAINING TRACES OF GILDING, SIGNED BEVELLED BACK-ACTION LOCKS FINELY ENGRAVED WITH FLOWERS, FOLIAGE, A SEATED FIGURE AND A MONSTER, ALL ON A HATCHED GROUND, THE TAILS EACH WITH APPLIED GILT-BRONZE MONSTER-HEAD, THE BASES OF THE COCKS EACH CHISELLED IN THE FORM OF A SERPENT COILED AROUND THE GILT SCREW-HEAD, FRUITWOOD STOCKS (ONE FORE-STOCK CRACKED, THE OTHER WITH OLD INSET REPAIRS), THE BUTTS FINELY INLAID WITH BRASS PINS AND FOLIATE DESIGNS IN SILVER WIRE MOSTLY OUTLINING DARK MASTIC INLAYS, AND TWO PARROTS IN ENGRAVED SILVER SHEET, GILT-BRONZE MOUNTS FINELY ENGRAVED WITH FLOWERS AND FOLIAGE, SOME PIERCED, FLAT SIDE-PLATES EACH PIERCED AND ENGRAVED WITH A MARINE MONSTER, THE POMMELS EACH INSET WITH FOUR FINELY ENGRAVED SILVER PANELS, IRON TRIGGER-GUARDS WITH PIERCED AND ENGRAVED BOWS EACH WITH TRACES OF GILDING, IRON BARREL RELEASE CATCHES (ONE REPLACED), AND WOODEN RAMRODS EACH WITH PIERCED AND ENGRAVED GILT-BRONZE TIP
16¾IN. (42.5CM.)
THE DECORATION ON THE STOCKS IS DERIVED FROM DESIGNS PUBLISHED IN PARIS BY THOMAS PICQUOT IN 1638, WHILST THE REMAINING DECORATION IS OF A TYPE PUBLISHED BY THE PARISIAN GUNMAKER FRANOIS MARCOU IN 1657 (2)
Provenance
HôTEL DROUOT, PARIS, 5 DECEMBER 1966, LOT 170
CLAY P. BEDFORD, PHOENIX, ARIZONA
CLAY P. BEDFORD, PHOENIX, ARIZONA
Exhibited
DECORATED FIREARMS 1540-1870 FROM THE COLLECTION OF CLAY P. BEDFORD, THE COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG FOUNDATION, 1977, NO. 7, PP.24-5