Thomas Del Mar - Arms & Armour

502
A PAIR OF CONTINENTAL FLINTLOCK POCKET PISTOLS,
EARLY 19TH CENTURY
with tapering barrels, box-lock actions engraved with
trophies-of-arms on each side, sliding thumb-piece safetycatches
also locking the steels, slender figured walnut butts,
engraved steel trigger-guards, and moulded steel ramrods
18.2cm; 7B in
(2)
£400-500
503
A RARE PAIR OF DUTCH FLINTLOCK PISTOLS OF
EXCEPTIONAL WEIGHT FOR GRAPESHOT AND
PYROTECHNIC USE BY DE MEYER, UTRECHT, CIRCA 1760
each with two-stage turn-off heavy brass barrel strongly
moulded at the muzzle, octagonal breech engraved with a
long panel of conventional foliage on each face, brass
barrel tang, bevelled lock engraved with a profile moor’s
head on the tail, border ornament and scroling foliage (one
lock with light wear), figured walnut half-stock carved with
503
a raised foliate moulding about the barrel tang, brass
mounts cast and chased in low relief comprising solid sideplate,
trigger-guard decorated with characteristic triangular
panels of foliage on the bow, spurred pommels with lion
mask caps, and vacant escutcheons supported by a bird-ofprey
on each side, and with no provision for a ramrod (the
brass parts with areas of light patination)
42.5cm; 16N in
(2)
The particularly heavy weight of the barrels and breeches
corroborates the theory of such pistols being used for firing
grape, canister and buckshot as well as for pyrotechnic or
light incendiary projectiles. The maker is almost certainly L.
de Meyer who has signed a number of other pistols of this
type, many of which were formerly in the H. L. Visser
collection. The present pistols are distinguished in their
superior quality to the other recorded examples. See H. L.
Visser 1996 p. 422-477, cat nos. 156-158, 160.
£5000-7000
235