Page 294 - 4090-BOOK1

King Frederick I of Wurttemberg
LOT 385
Incredible Silver Mounted and Engraved Christian Koerber Flintlock Sporting Gun of King Frederick I of Wurttemberg - NSN, 16 gauge, 38 1/2 inch octagon bbl., blue/silver/bright finish, walnut stock. Christian Korber (also spelled Chretien Koerber) was a court gunmaker to Prince zu Hohenlohe and the Duke of Wurttemberg from the mid to late 18th century based in the town of Ingelfingen on the Kocher River in what is the present day German state of Baden-Wurttemberg. The silver wrist escutcheon on this fine sporting gun is engraved with the crowned monogram of King Frederick I of Wurttemberg (1754-1816), with his coat of arms carved in highly detailed raised relief on the left side of the stock behind the cheekpiece. The upper flats of the fire blued smoothbore barrel are signed “Chretien Koerber a Ingelfingen” in silver and further decorated with silver inlaid scroll and floral patterns. The barrel also has a gold vent liner and a silver “spider” base blade front sight. The barrel tang is bright burnished steel and secured by a lightly engraved nitre blue screw. The rounded lock is of bright burnished steel and has a frizzen spring roller, light border detailing, and a gold-lined priming pan. The furniture is silver and includes pierced scroll pattern accent plates. The ramrod pipes also have a spiral style pierced design. The finely figured stock has some delicately carved scroll, floral, and avian accents, intricate pierced scroll carving on the left at the breech that beautifully ties in with the scroll pattern side plate, molding, a finely patterned checkered wrist accented by silver pin borders, a horn and mother-of-pearl cross star inlay on the rounded cheekpiece, and the noted relief carved coat of arms of the Kingdom of Wurttemberg behind the cheekpiece. With silver tipped wooden ramrod.
292