Product Details
ROYAL ARMOURIES, ST. ETIENNE
A MAGNIFICENT PAIR OF 25-BORE FLINTLOCK SILVER AND GILT DECORATED DOUBLE-BARRELLED HOLSTER-PISTOLS,
circa 1775, with blued 7 5/8in. barrels of Spanish form, carved and gilded bands at the intersection and with gilt-bordered banners signed 'CANON TORDV' within a rococo scroll surround above, fully gilded sunken top-ribs with applied white metal boat-shaped fore-sights bordered on the barrels by gilt sunbursts, gilded bands and scrolls at muzzles, gilded panels with engraved borders to the barrel facets and fully gilded breech-ends with engraved detail, polished border engraved top-tangs with deep sighting grooves with raised edges, borderline engraved radiused polished locks signed on the right 'MANUF. DE ROYALE' and 'A ST. ETIENNE' on the left, faceted bars, engraved borders to the cocks, steels and pans, walnut full-stocks with chisel carved raised floral apron to the top-tangs and underside of fore-ends, moulded and carved raised borders around the furniture and ramrod channels, heavy cast and chisel engraved silver mounts including long-eared butt-caps, pillared trigger-guard bows and finials and ramrod throat and complete with their original silver mounted ebony ramrods with tool ends
Provenance: By popular tradition, these pistols were supposed to have been a gift to the King of Sweden from Louis XVI. They are illustrated in a book 'European Firearms In Swedish Castles' by Kaa Wennburg, pg. 14. A copy of this work is included with the lot
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Estimate £10,000-15,000