April 11-13, 2023 Firearms and Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/12/2023
Johann Christoph Saps is recorded in Stockel as working circa 1744-1754 in Berlin. He is recorded as an air rifle maker, and the regimental gunmaker for the Kalckreuth Regiment. Pistols are in identical configuration and clearly made as a pair. Imported tapered barrels by Lazarino Cominazo, marked on top flat over faceted breech section "LAZARI COMINAZ", with wedding rings separating 3 stages, equipped with large brass blade front sights. Gold bushed touch holes. Convex banana locks with integral rear fence, unbridled pan covers, filed frizzen spring finials, and swan neck cocks. Light line chasing along the form of the cock and borders of pans, discretely signed "I.C. SPAS" under the frizzen springs and "BERLIN" above. Brass tipped trumpeted ramrods are retained by faceted silver ferrules. Shaped relief-carved moldings extends from trigger guards to front finals and around locks and sidplates. Stylized symmetrical and intricate flour-de-lis designs carved around barrel tangs. Elaborate pierced silver sideplates in the shape of dragons with chased heads biting the front lock retaining screws. Deeply branded "K" behind sideplate, most likely for von Kalckreuth. Silver trigger guards, nicely faceted and filed, with a finials depicting a vase with florals sitting atop a mustachioed face, guards with light wriggle work and line engraving. Long tang is engraved "P. N O 2" with a strike over the O, possibly a rack number. Silver buttcaps with a central grotesque on a gadrooned platform with accenting wrigglework and scroll. CONDITION: Overall excellent, with metal components a smooth dove grey through with some thin areas of darkness, mostly to barrels. Silver is crisp. Stocks are excellent with some minor handling marks and minor dings, one crack in ramrod channel, but crisp throughout on the whole. One ramrod with some handling marks towards head, but both probably original. Mechanically fine, bores are excellent. An excellent pair of mid-18th century German pistols, no doubt in use by a wealthy and high ranking officer.
Caliber/Bore
(BOTH) .60 Smoothbore
Manufacturer
(BOTH) J.C. Saps
Model
(BOTH) Flintlock Officer