Page 234 - 88-BOOK1

LOT 242
Documented T. Ketla
nd & Co. Flintlock Trade Gun/Fowling Piece - NSN, 62 cal., 46 1/2 inch round bbl., brown finish, walnut stock.
This gun is a classic T. Ketland & Co. trade gun from the late 18th century or early 19th century. While these would have been made in
large numbers, relatively few survive. They were made for export to North America and were purchased for both commercial sales and
used as trade goods with Native Americans, including at the U.S. government trade posts (aka factories). Per our consignor, this trade gun
is pictured on pages 296 and 297 of “The Firearms of the Fur Trade Vol. 1” by the Museum of the Fur Trade. Others of the same pattern are shown on the following two pages. The smoothbore barrel has a post front sight, notch rear sight, and Tower private proof marks (pre- 1811). The lock is marked “T/KETLAND/& Co.” The brass furniture is typical of the Ketland fowling pieces and has some simple engraving. The wrist escutcheon is inscribed “PD.”
CONDITION: Good with a mix of applied brown finish and dark brown patina on the lock and barrel, reconverted lock with mild pitting and partially obscured markings, aged patina on the brass furniture, and general moderate to heavy overall wear. The stock is also good and has a spliced and cracked forend, material absent at the breech and nose of the lock, and some additional cracks and chips. Mechanically fine. Estimate: 3,000 - 5,000
LOT 243
Scarce “Chief’s Grade” Percussion Conversion Indian Trade Gun - NSN, 62 cal., 36 3/4 inch part octagon bbl., brown finish, walnut stock. This trade gun closely matches other identified “Chief’s grade” guns given to various Indian allies by British agents around the
War of 1812 and as late as the 1830s; they are sometimes also termed “war trade guns” and are also known to have been used by the Canadian militia. Note the similarities in design with the example on page 762 of “Flayderman’s Guide to Antique American Firearms
and Their Values, 9th Edition.” Though generally categorized as trade guns, these weapons were used diplomatically rather than for commerce, and their design is based more closely on the English fowling guns of the same period rather than the Northwest Trade Guns. Higher end firearms were appropriate gifts when the British asked their native allies to take up arms against the Americans given the importance of gift giving in tribal alliances. The lock on this example has an obscured maker’s mark. The three-stage barrel has “wedding bands” at the transitions, a silver “spider base” front sight, and a pair of Tower private proofs on the upper left flat at the breech. The trigger guard and side plate have the common bow and arrow engraving. The buttplate tang and lock have appropriate boar and horn designs. The stock has a silver medal thumb plate with a bust of an Indian armed with a bow and arrow.
CONDITION: Good with dark brown patina, moderate pitting on the lock, heavy flash pitting at the breech, aged patina on the brass and silver, and general moderate to heavy overall wear typical of Indian firearms. The stock is also very good for an Indian gun and has flash wear at the breech, a few cracks, small chips at the edges, and general moderate dings and scratches. Mechanically fine.
Estimate: 3,000 - 4,500
LOT 244
Three Large Framed Colorized Native American Prints by
Carl Moon - This desirable grouping includes three large framed
photograph prints by Carl (Karl) Moon (1879-1948), all of which
are ink signed by the artist in the lower left corner in black ink.
Moon turned a lifelong obsession with Native American culture
into a successful career as a photographer and an artist, even being
invited to exhibit his work at the National Museum in Washington
D.C. in 1906, as well as at the White House by President Theodore
Roosevelt, who also later included Moon on his hunting expeditions
for the Smithsonian Institute. All three prints have been lightly
colorized with what appears to be water colors. The portrait appears
to be titled “Pesothlanny, Mr. Much Money, Navajo” and measures
approximately 25 1/2 x 21 inches including the frame. The other
two appear to be a set, featuring a Native American man stretching
a hide on a frame in one and the same man painting the stretched
hide in the other. The two prints in this set measure approximately
25 1/4 x 21 1/4 inches and 21 1/4 x 25 1/4 inches including the matching frames.
CONDITION: All are fine or better overall showing some slight fading, distinct images and signatures, some scattered light wear, and some scattered minor handling/storage marks on the frames. Fantastic prints from one of the most desirable Native American photographers in the American West!
232 Estimate: 1,800 - 2,750