June 25-28, 2018 Firearms
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/26/2018
This is a miniature Brown Bess style musket of cadet proportions, inscribed to famous English actress and director Lucia Vestris. Tapered steel barrel engraved on top "FRO J.P. ORN", bayonet lug on top, near muzzle. Flat lockplate marked "W. Parker" in center and features a roller frizzen. Diminutive Third Model Brown Bess style furniture. Triggerguard bow marked in block letters "MADAME/VESTRIS". Plain walnut stock of familiar form, carved with relief beaver tail behind barrel tang. Complete with steel ramrod. An old yellow tag hangs from the triggerguard and reads "Miniature Soldiers Musket used by Madame Vistris when she took the part of a Soldier. This gun was for many years in the Garrick Club. Her name is engraved on the trigger guard." The tag is somewhat deteriorated and the back shows an old drawing of Madame Vistris. Lucia Elizabeth Vestris lived between 1797 and 1856. She was an English actress and a contralto opera singer, appearing in works by, among others, Mozart and Rossini. While popular in her time, she was more notable as a theatre producer and manager. After accumulating a fortune from her performances, she leased the Olympic Theatre in London and produced a series of burlesques and extravaganzas, especially popular works by James Planché, for which the house became famous. She also produced his work at other theatres she managed. Lucia studied music and was noted for her voice and dancing ability. She was married at age 16 to the French dancer, Auguste Armand Vestris, a scion of the great family of dancers of Florentine origin, but her husband deserted her four years later. Nevertheless, since she had started singing and acting professionally as "Madame Vestris", she retained the stage name throughout her career. The musket is in good condition, overall. Barrel retains a freckled grey patina, markings show some wear. Lock is in original flintlock configuration and retains a light grey patina. Brass retains a dark unpolished patina with clear name on bow. Stock has about 7-1/2" of forend replaced and has some scattered cracks and replaced slivers along forend. A very nice and historic miniature musket made for a well-known early English actress!
Caliber/Bore
.65 Smoothbore