Thomas Del Mar - Arms & Armour

176
VARIOUS OWNERS
371
371
A COMPOSITE GERMAN WHEEL-LOCK SPORTING RIFLE,
CIRCA 1610-30
with heavy swamped octagonal sighted barrel rifled with
eight grooves and fitted with separate breech cut for a
tang-sight (missing), finely engraved flat lock decorated
with a sportsman in 17th century dress shooting a lion,
fitted with external wheel retained by a chamfered ring,
sliding pan-cover with engraved button release, large panfence
with projecting acorn finial, pierced dog engraved
with a scrolling monster and a male profile mask, set
trigger, figured fruitwood full stock profusely inlaid with
engraved staghorn plaques, involving mythical beasts
variously conjoined with monsters and human grotesques,
larger strapwork designs similarly enriched, including the
figure of Mercury in an elaborate architectural frame on the
cheek-piece all in a field of scrolling ball flower tendrils
sewn with conventional flowerheads, and arranged within
segmental horn lines, the butt with later fittings for target
shooting, carved horn ramrod-pipe finely engraved with a
monster, engraved horn fore-end cap, iron trigger-guard,
and associated steel ramrod retained by a spring beneath
the muzzle (minor pieces of inlay missing, patchbox-cover
replaced, butt-plate removed)
103.5cm; 40N in barrel
Provenance:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, sold Sotheby’s
New York, 31st January 1997, lot 506 ($14950, (£9286)
including premium).
£7000-9000