Lot Essay
The arms are those of Fürstenberg of the Rhine Province, created Barons of the Holy Roman Empire in 1660
Details
AN 18-BORE GERMAN SILVER-MOUNTED FLINTLOCK SPORTING GUN IN THE FRENCH MANNER
CIRCA 1725
The barrel with sighting flat and brass fore-sight and engraved with foliage and waved lines at the breech, struck beneath the touch-hole with a barrelsmith's mark, a pair of scissors (Neue Støckel 5828), border engraved tang, bevelled lock engraved with foliage and monsters and with cusped steel-spring, the inside of the lock-plate struck with a mark, 'WBM', moulded figured walnut full stock with stepped apron at the barrel tang and carved in relief with a mask, strapwork and foliage at the fore-end, cheek-piece, full cast and chased silver mounts including pierced foliate side-plate involving an oval cartouche and terminating in a monster-head, pierced foliate escutcheon engraved with a coat-of-arms with a coronet above and a devil's head beneath, silver trigger-plate, and fluted and turned silver ramrod-pipes, and later iron-capped ramrod, the tang of the butt-plate engraved 'B.G.' 'N. 12'. (trigger replaced)
42 1/8in. barrel
CIRCA 1725
The barrel with sighting flat and brass fore-sight and engraved with foliage and waved lines at the breech, struck beneath the touch-hole with a barrelsmith's mark, a pair of scissors (Neue Støckel 5828), border engraved tang, bevelled lock engraved with foliage and monsters and with cusped steel-spring, the inside of the lock-plate struck with a mark, 'WBM', moulded figured walnut full stock with stepped apron at the barrel tang and carved in relief with a mask, strapwork and foliage at the fore-end, cheek-piece, full cast and chased silver mounts including pierced foliate side-plate involving an oval cartouche and terminating in a monster-head, pierced foliate escutcheon engraved with a coat-of-arms with a coronet above and a devil's head beneath, silver trigger-plate, and fluted and turned silver ramrod-pipes, and later iron-capped ramrod, the tang of the butt-plate engraved 'B.G.' 'N. 12'. (trigger replaced)
42 1/8in. barrel