Thomas Del Mar - Armour Sale

379A BAVARIAN FLINTLOCK SPORTING GUN BY BALTHASERKIRSCHENHOFER IN BAMBERG, DATED 1709with two-stage sighted barrel signed and dated ahead of afinely chiselled panel of entwined foliage involvingmonsterhead profiles and greenman masks over thebreech, engraved barrel tang, bevelled lock signed ‘BK aBamberg’, finely chiselled with further masks and foliageterminating in grotesques, the steel face and cock eachchiselled en suite, engraved trigger decorated with apierced grotesque mask behind, figured walnut half-stockcarved with rococo foliage in relief about the barrel tangand ahead of the trigger-guard, chiselled steel mountsincluding side-plate centring on a grotesque, butt-platedecorated with acanthus and masks on the tang, triggerguardengraved with a monsterhead scroll on the bow andwith acanthus finial, faceted ramrod-pipes, and vacantescutcheon incorporating a grotesque, and horn fore-endcap (later ramrod)106cm; 41N in barrelA number of guns by this maker are recorded in the 1724inventory of the Counts von Schonborn. See A.Sitte 1906,pp.105-109. A gun signed Aeichinger a Bamberg with astrikingly similar side-plate formerly in the collections of theCounts Schenk von Stauffenbergby was sold Sotheby’sOlympia, 10th July 2002, lot 248.£2000-2500156379380380A GERMAN FLINTLOCK SPORTING GUN, CIRCA 1720with three-stage sighted barrel engraved with a profile bustwithin a frame of foliage over the breech (rubbed) andstamped with a series of marks on the left, plain roundedlock stamped with a mark (Neue Støckel 3222) on theinside, figured walnut half-stock profusely inlaid witharrangements of scrolling flowers and foliage in steel wireand enriched with steel pellets, steel mounts includingpierced side-plate involving tendrils with grotesqueterminals, trigger-guard with acanthus finial, vacantescutcheon, and butt-plate with tang of shaped outlineengraved with foliage (worn, later ramrod)97.5cm; 38D in barrel£2000-2500