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LOT 3280
Incredible Engraved, Relief Carved, and Ornate Scrimshaw Inlaid German Flintlock
Sporting Rifle - NSN, 54 cal., 30 1/4 inch octagon bbl., bright finish, walnut stock. This
incredible rifle from the second quarter of the 18th century features extraordinary engraving
on the metal and engraved staghorn/bone inlays along the whole length of its stock. It was
sold by Galerie Fischer as Lot 52 in their August 2, 1927, sale of arms from Schloss Ettersburg.
The rifle’s lock at that time was noted as signed “J.H. Jung a Sulli”. J.H. Jung of Suhl is noted as
active c. 1738 to 1750. The rifle features a swamped octagonal barrel with eight-groove rifling,
a dovetailed blade front sight, dovetailed notch rear sight with a folding leaf, and engraving
mainly consisting of baroque scrollwork as well as a fleur-de-lis on top at the breech. The
rounded lock features border and scroll engraving and a non-bridled pan. It is fired using
adjustable double set triggers and is mounted with an iron grip extension trigger guard
with trefoil finials and an iron buttplate engraved en suite with the lock. The walnut stock
features relief foliate carving, a mask at the barrel tang, and staghorn/bone inlays engraved
with scrolls, a scene of a mounted man shooting a pistol while in pursuit of a mounted figure
likely representing an Ottoman, and a variety of Greco-Roman mythological figures and
beasts, including a detailed scene with a female figure seated on a large fish and holding
a bident on the right side of the butt. The wooden ramrod has a bone or staghorn tip
and is held by coordinating turned ferrules. A spare mainspring is within the patchbox.
The patchbox lid has writing on the inside that includes “23 January 1739”. The
forend under the barrel has additional writing reading “grundlig
gereinigt am Janr 19-20 1915 von Schlossvogt K Necke”
indicating the rifle was thoroughly cleaned by keeper
of the castle K. Necke on January 19-20, 1915,
and the stock under the buttplate is also
marked “Karl Necke/1915 19/1.”
CONDITION: Very fine with silver-
gray patina on the metal, some
faint oxidation staining, crisp
engraving and carving, some
inlays starting to come loose,
minor hairline cracks, and fairly
minor overall wear. Mechanically
fine. Overall, a very attractive and
distinctive rifle.
Provenance: The Collection of
the Dukes of Saxe-Weimar at
Schloss Ettersburg; The Norman
R. Blank Collection.
Estimate: 14,000 - 22,500