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LOT 311
Incredibly Ornate German Wheellock Pistol with Beautiful Scrimshaw Inlaid Stock - NSN, 50 cal., 13
5/8 inch part octagon bbl., bright finish, hardwood stock. The barrel and lock have Nuremberg marks. The lock also has a large
“IV/cross/orb” marking that has been dated to c. 1590-1620 (see “Der Neue Stockel” p. 1338) while the barrel has a “W/rampant lion with
crossed tail” marking similar to Heinrich Winck’s marking from Wroclaw c. 1743-52 or Hans Heinrich Wohlfahrt’s marking from Saxony c. 1709-
1725 (see “Der Neue Stockel” p. 1397 and 1403) followed by a small bird marking. The barrel is rifled and has a flared and crowned muzzle, banded transition point, and band of engraving at the breech. The lock has some engraved accents on the fittings, an exposed wheel, automatic pan cover, and a match holder. A safety latch engraved as a boar’s head is on the left side of the wrist. The “fishtail” style fruitwood stock has extensive bone or stag-horn inlays in a variety of shapes with engraved floral, bestial, and hunting designs, including a hunter and his dog pursuing a hare on the right side of the forend, a hare and boar being chased by a dog on the left side of the forend along with a dog grasping a hare and an eagle, a hunter with his dog spearing a bear on the stock flat, and a devilish mask on the pommel plate which also has a brass “508” inventory tag.
CONDITION: Fine with bright polished barrel and lock have some patches of dark pitting and distinct markings. The pan cover does not close fully, and part of the match holder is detached. The stock is very fine and has crisp designs on the inlays and mild handling and storage marks. The lock is not tested. This is a beautiful work of firearms art. Ornate wheellocks are rare, but they have long been staples of the finest high art arms collections both in the U.S. and abroad.
Estimate: 20,000 - 30,000
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