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LOT 3323
Very Fine Relief Chiseled, Gilt, and Carved 28 Bore Flintlock Sporting Gun with Barrel Signed “Lazarino
Cominazzo” and Lock Signed “Gio. Botti” - NSN, 28 gauge, 34 inch part octagon bbl., bright/gold finish, walnut
stock. Manufactured c. 1730. This gun and the example in the following lot are very similar to another example
owned by W. Keith Neal that was part of a garniture also including a pair of pistols and a rifle. See pages 134-135
of J.F. Hayward’s “The Art of the Gunmaker, Vol. II.” An April 1965 record indicates Norman R. Blank bought “of Keith
[Neal] 1 gun by Gio Botti” for $2,000. This may also refer to the gun in the next lot. Notes from the Norman R. Blank
Collection state: “W. Keith Neal tells me that only two of these guns have Cominazzo’s signature on the barrel.” This
would be this example and the one from Neal’s collection.
The smoothbore barrel has a raised ring at the muzzle, a blade front sight, “LAZARINO COMINAZZO”
signed on the fluted octagonal breech section, a plain tang with a folding notch rear sight, “Gio. Botti”
signed rounded lock with non-bridled priming pan and tumbler, chiseled relief scroll and monster
head designs in the classic Brescian tradition throughout, gilt-brass mounts, original ramrod with a
gilt-brass tip, and full-length walnut stock with fine molding and relief and incised carving, including
scrollwork accenting the cheekpiece. Two lead collection tags apparently for the Applied Arts School
funded by the Grand Dukes of Saxe-Weimar are tied to the trigger guard, and the included certificate
of weapon authenticity from F. Theodore Dexter notes the gun as “From the Saxe Wiemar Collection.
Mint throughout and with outstanding ornamentation.” The barrel channel is signed “K.N. 1915” (Karl Necke,
Keeper of the Castle). The barrel tang and barrel channel are marked “86”.
CONDITION: Very fine as refinished with mostly bright lock and barrel with some faint pitting and minor wear,
bright gilt finish on the mounts, added front swivel, and crisp designs and markings.
LOT 3324
Very Fine Relief Chiseled, Gilt, and Carved 24 Bore Flintlock Sporting Gun with “Gio. Botti” Signed Lock
- NSN, 24 gauge, 34 1/4 inch part octagon bbl., bright/gold finish, walnut stock. Manufactured c. 1730. This gun
is very similar to the previous lot and an example from W. Keith Neal’s collection. An April 1965 record included
with the previous lot indicates Norman R. Blank bought “of Keith [Neal] 1 gun by Gio Botti” for $2,000” which may
be this lot. The included collection record for this gun states: “The entire gun is in beautiful condition. It comes
from the collection of the Dukes of Saxe-Weimar at Castle Ettersburg, Saxony. In the
Catalogue of this sale; by T. H. Fischer, Lucerne and E. Kahlert & Son, Berlin, 2nd August
1927 this is item 37.”
The smoothbore barrel has a raised ring at the muzzle, a blade front sight, fluted
octagonal breech section, a plain tang with a folding notch rear sight, “Gio. Botti”
signed rounded lock with non-bridled priming pan and tumbler and a “crown/C-[F?]”
maker’s marks on the back side (also mentioned on the gun from Neal’s collection),
chiseled relief scroll and monster head designs in the classic Brescian fashion
throughout, gilt-brass mounts including an interesting patchbox in the toe with a
button on the right, original ramrod with a gilt-brass tip, and full-length walnut stock
with fine molding and relief and incised carving, including scrollwork accenting the
cheekpiece. “K.N. 1915 11/3” (Karl Necke, Keeper of the Castle) is signed in the barrel channel.
CONDITION: Very fine as refinished with mostly bright lock and barrel with some very faint spots of pitting and minor
wear, oxidation on the barrel under the forend, bright gilt finish on the mounts, and crisp designs and markings.
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