Thomas Del Mar - Armour Sale

372372A SILESIAN WHEEL-LOCK BIRDING RIFLE (TSCHINKE),MID-17TH CENTURYwith slender octagonal swamped barrel rifled with eightnarrow grooves, chiselled with scrollwork over the median,the breech and the tang, lock of characteristic formdecorated en suite with the barrel, fitted with sliding pancoverwith button release (button catch for setting the searmissing), flash-guard, and the dog engraved with scrolls,fruitwood full stock profusely inlaid over its entire lengthwith engraved staghorn plaques within a panel of tendrilsand pellets all within horn segmental lines (restorations andrepairs, the last portion of the fore-end replaced), includinghounds, rabbits, and scrolls with grotesque head terminals,a surrendering bear impaled by a huntsman on the cheekpiece,enriched with mother-of-pearl ball flowersthroughout, sliding patchbox-cover decorated en suite,engraved horn butt-plate, ramrod-pipes and fore-end cap,iron trigger-guard, and later horn-tipped wooden ramrod88cm; 34 Nin barrel£3500-4000151