AN AUSTRIAN WHEEL-LOCK SPORTING RIFLE stocked by the so-called 'Meister der Tierkopfranke', with swamped octagonal sighted barrel rifled with eight grooves, with hatched finish throughout its length and panels of punched and incised decoration (originally heightened with silver), at the breech with a crowned double-headed eagle, flat lock with integral wheel-cover punched with a further double-headed eagle on a punched ground, the plate with hatched surface, and with an angel on the tail, and acorn finial, chiselled cock and cock-spring, stained walnut full stock (small repair at barrel-tang, patch-box cover replaced), with fluted fore-end, the butt with panels carved in relief with birds, animals, monster-heads and tendrils, the cheek-piece with circular medallion enclosing a crowned double-headed eagle, hatched iron trigger-guard with traces of silver-damascened decoration, set trigger (incomplete), horn butt-plate (chipped), engraved horn fore-end cap and ramrod-pipe, and horn-tipped ramrod, circa 1650

Details

AN AUSTRIAN WHEEL-LOCK SPORTING RIFLE stocked by the so-called 'Meister der Tierkopfranke', with swamped octagonal sighted barrel rifled with eight grooves, with hatched finish throughout its length and panels of punched and incised decoration (originally heightened with silver), at the breech with a crowned double-headed eagle, flat lock with integral wheel-cover punched with a further double-headed eagle on a punched ground, the plate with hatched surface, and with an angel on the tail, and acorn finial, chiselled cock and cock-spring, stained walnut full stock (small repair at barrel-tang, patch-box cover replaced), with fluted fore-end, the butt with panels carved in relief with birds, animals, monster-heads and tendrils, the cheek-piece with circular medallion enclosing a crowned double-headed eagle, hatched iron trigger-guard with traces of silver-damascened decoration, set trigger (incomplete), horn butt-plate (chipped), engraved horn fore-end cap and ramrod-pipe, and horn-tipped ramrod, circa 1650
32in. barrel [E.171, S.15]

Literature

Schedelmann, 'The Master of the Animal-Head Scroll', No. 35
Die Großen Büchsenmacher, p. 98

Lot Essay

Cf the rifle stocked by the same master in Part I, lot 156

The work of the as yet unidentified stockmaker 'The Master of the Animal-head Scroll' includes a number of weapons connected with the court of the Habsburg Emperor Ferdinand III (1637-57), of which three are believed to have belonged to the Emperor himself, and some of his stocks have locks and barrels by Vienna and Salzburg makers. He is likely to have worked in Vienna. Over fifty wheel-lock guns, rifles and pistols, and one flintlock rifle with his distinctive carving have been identified

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