GUN SPRING 2016
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/14/2016
"AS FOUND" AND VERY RARE WHEELOCK RIFLE, MOST LIKELY A WORK BY THE MEISTER DER TIERKOPFRANKE,THE MASTER OF THE ANIMAL HEAD SCROLL. MATCHLOCK JACOBROT NSN .52 Cal. 52. There are a number of wheelocks ascribed to the Meister der Teirkopfranke, who worked in the early to mid 17th Century in Vienna, Austria. This example is quite similar to other examples attributed by this maker. On these floors earlier this year in March lot 1545 was sold as an identified example from the collection of Dr. Hanns Schedelmann with comparable carving. That particular example is illustrated in The Master of the Animal-Head Scroll by Dr. Schedelmann on pg 191 figure 18 in Volume I of Arms and Armor Annual. This rifle has Mother-of-Pearl insets on cheekpiece, blockplate escutcheons and patchbox. Patchbox, nosecap, ramrod tip, ramrod thimble and butt are fabricated from richly patiniated horn. Bbl and lock are mostly plain but with some finely engraved floral patterns on cock mechanism. Forestock is deeply carved in vinal pattern which terminates before lock into full relief dragon's head with open mouth just below a full figured relief carved mustachioed face which terminates below trigger guard. Panel opposite lock shows two dogs attacking and taking down a stag with an additional panel of a leashed dog before cheekpiece with large plain Mother-of-Pearl inset. Rear of cheekpiece is a tree that carving flows elegantly into butt. Panel above patchbox shows hound chasing a rabbit. The flared octagonal bbl, which measures about 32", has a deeply grooved 50 caliber bore. "JACOB ROT" is engraved on top of bbl, representing either the owner of this gun or the bbl maker. This is a fine, as found, example of a beautifully surfaced circa 1625 masterfully carved wheelock that rarely come to market. PROVENANCE: W.W. Greener Collection Auction, Sotheby's 1960 CONDITION: Overall gun is fair to good. 42-1/2" overall. Metal surfaces are mostly smooth, brown/gray overall with light rust and pitting. Gun appears complete and orig with exception of replaced screw at rear of trigger guard. The cheekpiece has a longitudinal break with glued repair. Stock carving is extremely well defined, retaining nearly all its original definition. Ramrod and patchbox, which definitely appear orig due to matching rich patination of horn on each, are both non-movable and this cataloger was afraid to try to dislodge them. There is some red putty repair between buttcap and patchbox and in first keyway hole in forestock. There is an added small screw and nail in first panel of patchbox, a small diamond shaped inset is missing and 1/2" chip in horn in second stage of patchbox. There is also an 1/2" wood chip on right side of bbl tang. 50100-1 JS (7,000-10,000)