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LOT 3299
Very Fine and Rare Silver Mounted, Gold
Inlaid, Engraved, and Carved French 20
Bore Double Barrel Flintlock Sporting Gun
by Simon Jourjon - NSN, 20 gauge, 42 inch round
bbl., blue/gold/bright/silver finish, walnut stock.
This fine French sporting gun by Simon Jourjon of St.
Etienne dates to c. 1725 and features rare early long tapering
soldered barrels from barrel maker Claude with a concave rib on the upper side only, gold damascened scroll
and strapwork designs around the front sight position and at the breech, and a bust on the rib at the breech.
The grooved standing breech is embellished en suite. The flat beveled locks are each signed “SIMON/JOVRJON”
below the faceted priming pans and are engraved with border, scroll, and martial trophy designs, and have
stepped tails and blued top jaws, jaw screws, and frizzen springs. The cast and chased silver mounts display foliate
finials and include floral, scroll, border, and masks designs. The wrist escutcheon features a coronet/crown at the top, blank
inscription panel flanked by lions, and a scroll design with a mask below. The buttplate has a mask and bust on
the heel tang and “No. 59” inscribed at the toe. The figured walnut half-stock has a very attractively shaped
butt with fluted comb, along with relief and raised scroll carvings at the nose of the comb, upper tang, and
forend. Includes the original iron tipped ramrod. The gun is accompanied by Norman R. Blank’s invoice for
purchasing the gun at auction from the W. Keith Neal Collection in 2001 and the
collection tag. Noted author and collector W. Keith Neal and Mr. Norman Blank
had been close friends since the late 1950s.
CONDITION: Very fine with 80% plus original blue and gold finish remaining,
some areas fading to smooth brown patina, absent front sight, mostly bright
locks, attractively aged patina on the silver mounts, distinct designs and
markings, small dent in the right barrel, and generally minor overall wear
mainly from age and storage. The stock is fine and has crisp carving and
molding, minor cracks and chips at the edges, and general light handling
and storage marks and scratches. Mechanically excellent. Overall, a stunning
early French double barrel sporting gun with excellent provenance from two
legendary collections.
Provenance: Jagdschloss Kranichstein; The W. Keith Neal Collection; The Norman R. Blank Collection.
Estimate: 6,000 - 9,000