Museum Quality High Art Chiseled Steel Mounted Italian Snaphaunce Blunderbuss Circa 1720

A Superb Museum Quality High Art Chiseled Steel Mounted Italian/Brescian Horseman’s Snaphaunce Blunderbuss Circa 1720.

15 inch round barrel with octagonal breech and wide top flat separated by a low relief chiseled acanthus panel. 1 and 1/16 inch bell at muzzle finely engraved and further decorated with diamond flats, beaded ring and other refinements.

The breech chiseled in low relief and barrel tang finely engraved. The snaphaunce lock plate entirely chiseled in deep relief of the very best Italian work with minute scrolls and blossoms, the plate rim chiseled in relief. High art cock chiseled in the round as a long tailed mermaid, the top jaw formed as a sea monster’s head and the jaw screw chiseled as well.

The snaphaunce frizzen chiseled in the round as a mermaid with breasts and tail. The pan cover chiseled in relief as a monster, the elaborate triggerguard chiseled with a female bust possibly Minerva. Both ramrod pipes are chiseled and engraved the rear chiseled in relief with a female portrait. The exceptionally elaborate steel thumbpiece pierced with a large and regal crown adorned with two enormous breasted females surrounding a Romanesque female portrait bust.

Stock mounted with double rings for horseback wear. The buttplate itself is a tour de force of the master’s art. The top is a full 7 inches long entirely chiseled in relief with acanthus, a leering face, and a helmeted nobleman holding trophies. The superbly figured root wood fullstock carved in relief on both sides of butt with scrolls and a winged female. The fore-end almost entirely carved in relief with scrolls and a female term on both sides. Old well fitting ivory tipped ramrod. 27 and 1/2 inches overall.

Condition is excellent throughout. Every aspect of this high art Italian masterpiece will delight the eye of the fortunate purchaser. As good as it gets and even better.