October 22-23, 2019 Extraordinary, Sporting & Collector Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/22/2019
The quality of this pair of pistols cannot be too highly praised. If they were made during the period of the great exhibitions they would surely be on display as masterpieces of the French gunmaker's art. The deeply rifled steel barrels are chiseled in high relief with a panel depicting a trophy of arms and measuring a full 2 - 1/2". The chiseling is superb and not to be confused with the usual orientalist breech casting found on French pistols made for the Ottoman market. The chiseling is all the more exquisite as the ground is pounced and gilt. The barrel tang is engraved, punched, and gilt as is the tang screw. The convex locks are chiseled with a reserve on a gilt ground, signed "Guillieron St. Etienne", cock screw chiseled and gilt. The double neck cock with border engraving. The frizzen engraved en suite. Frizzens are relieved to seal the powder in the cast and chased brass waterproof pan and feature roller bearings on the frizzen springs. The front barrel band is a work of art in chiseled steel with a many-toothed monster against a small gilt reserve. The trigger guard is chiseled in relief with foliage on a gilt ground. The steel buttcap is formed as a great bird head. The eyes chiseled in relief against a gilt ground. All screw heads chiseled and gilt. The figured walnut fullstocks superbly engraved behind the barrel tang with a wreath and rings. The wrists are extensively inlaid with an elaborate fine silver wire design of flowers. CONDITION: Barrels are polished bright in the European museum tradition. The gilding mostly intact, could be heightened. The locks are polished bright in the European fashion, as are the trigger guards and rest of mounts. The locks function as new, all small parts appearing to be original. Stocks are in excellent condition with only very minor marks and what appears to be considerable original varnish. The deeply rifled multi-groove bores are excellent. The steel ramrods appear to be the original. These magnificent pistols are pictured in one of F. Theodore Dexter's scrapbooks and are of genuine exhibition/museum quality throughout. MZ
Caliber/Bore
Both .69 Rifled
Model
Flintlock Officer's Pistols