Lot Essay
Sold with an invoice of 1909 from the gunsmith William P. Jones of Birmingham to W.W. Brown, a friend of the late owner, who lived to be 90. Keith Neal purchased his collection after his death
Details
A FINE CASED 15-BORE AUSTRIAN OVER-AND-UNDER PERCUSSION SPORTING GUN WITH INTERCHANGEABLE RIFLED 18-BORE OVER-AND-UNDER BARRELS
BY MATTHIAS NOWOTNY IN WIEN, CIRCA 1850
Each set of etched twist barrels signed in gold on the top barrel and with double gold lines at the rear, case-hardened patent breeches finely engraved in foliage and, on the smooth barrels, a game bird on the upper side and a hind with her calf in a wooded landscape on the lower side, similarly on the rifled barrels with a chamois, and two stags in a wooded landscape, pierced platinum plugs, long case-hardened tang chiselled in relief with a calf within a shaped gold-inlaid cartouche and finely engraved with foliage involving a wolf-head, and inscribed 'Patent' in gold letters, engraved bar safety-catch withdrawing a stud in front of each hammer and locked in the 'off' position by a chequered stud, signed case-hardened back-action locks finely engraved with wooded landscapes and, respectively, with a stag beset by hounds and two stags and a hind at rest, the hammers decorated with foliage and a lion's head, figured walnut butt, cheek-piece, chequered grip carved with foliage at the rear, finely engraved blued iron mounts decorated with foliage and further scenes of the chase, the trigger-guard with carved wooden tang, set triggers, blued sling mounts, original side-mounted ramrods and white-metal barrel-plugs, and much original finish: in relined and refitted contemporary brass-bound case with English accessories, the outside inlaid with brass stringing and elaborately pierced brass panels within insets of darker wood
28 1/8in. and 24¾in. barrels
BY MATTHIAS NOWOTNY IN WIEN, CIRCA 1850
Each set of etched twist barrels signed in gold on the top barrel and with double gold lines at the rear, case-hardened patent breeches finely engraved in foliage and, on the smooth barrels, a game bird on the upper side and a hind with her calf in a wooded landscape on the lower side, similarly on the rifled barrels with a chamois, and two stags in a wooded landscape, pierced platinum plugs, long case-hardened tang chiselled in relief with a calf within a shaped gold-inlaid cartouche and finely engraved with foliage involving a wolf-head, and inscribed 'Patent' in gold letters, engraved bar safety-catch withdrawing a stud in front of each hammer and locked in the 'off' position by a chequered stud, signed case-hardened back-action locks finely engraved with wooded landscapes and, respectively, with a stag beset by hounds and two stags and a hind at rest, the hammers decorated with foliage and a lion's head, figured walnut butt, cheek-piece, chequered grip carved with foliage at the rear, finely engraved blued iron mounts decorated with foliage and further scenes of the chase, the trigger-guard with carved wooden tang, set triggers, blued sling mounts, original side-mounted ramrods and white-metal barrel-plugs, and much original finish: in relined and refitted contemporary brass-bound case with English accessories, the outside inlaid with brass stringing and elaborately pierced brass panels within insets of darker wood
28 1/8in. and 24¾in. barrels