BY JEAN BAPTISTE LA ROCHE, PARIS, CIRCA 1740

细节

A Very Fine 22-Bore Silver-Mounted French Flintlock Holster Pistol
By Jean Baptiste La Roche, Paris, circa 1740
With swamped barrel and silver fore-sight, the breech section chiselled in low relief on a punched and gilt ground with a Classical trophy of arms, cornucopiae, putti, and an allegorical figure, the forward section decorated on either side of the signature with strapwork and garlands of flowers and foliage interspersed with shells, urns, and Classical trophies of arms, and, in front of the fore-sight, with a sun in splendour, emblem of King Louis XIV, chiselled and gilt tang, bevelled lock chiselled in relief on a punched and gilt ground with Hercules and the Nemean Lion, signed to the rear of the cock, and with chiselled and gilt tail, pan, reinforced cock, and steel, the last with forward finial chiselled in the form of a dolphin, dark figured walnut full stock (a working Turkish (?) replacement, butt chipped) inlaid with silver wire at the barrel tang and with silver wire in place of an escutcheon, containing the silver-inlaid inscription 'Arvir' in Arabic characters, full parcel-silver mounts of outstanding quality cast and chased in low relief with caryatid and allegorical figures, masks, portrait busts, shells, flaming grenades, trophies of arms, strapwork and foliage, the pommel-cap with a profile portrait bust of King Louis XIV, and horn-tipped bone ramrod (iron parts with wear and rust-patination, cock loose on spindle, ramrod chipped and wormed, trigger-guard repaired)
20 7/8in. (53cm.)

注意事项

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

拍品专文

In view of the sun in splendour on the barrel, and the portrait bust on the pommel-cap, it seems likely that this pistol was made for a member of the French royal family. A very similar pistol is in the Wallace Collection (inv.no. A 1216)

Jean Baptiste La Roche (d. 1769) was Arquebusier du Roi and was granted logement in the Louvre in 1743. In later years he worked with his son, changing the signature to 'Les La Roche aux galleries du Louvre à Paris'