Magnificent Eagle Butt Fire Gilt Mounted German Flintlock Pistol Circa 1740

A Magnificent Eagle Butt Fire Gilt Mounted German (Bohemian) Flintlock Holster Pistol Circa 1740.

11 inch smoothbore barrel with media flat, becoming octagonal toward breech. 60 caliber. The barrel gold Damascened throughout its length with leafy meander. The breech decorated with crosshatched panels of gold Damascening. Blued barrel tang Damascened in gold. Flat beveled lock chiseled in low relief of exceptional quality with antlered stag at tail and a seated noblewoman with her dog.

Swan neck cock with engraved flourish. Sculpted frizzen engraved with acanthus. The lock in exceptional condition. Engraved faceted pan. Fire gilded mounts of exceptional quality comprising sideplate with relief hunting scene featuring one mounted rider and two hunters on foot with dog.

A tree and three fierce dogs harrying a forlorn boar, triggerguard cast and chased in high relief with acanthus, ramrod pipe cast and chased with acanthus, another plain, fore-end cap cast and chased in high relief with scrolls, original gilt ramrod, and magnificent realistic eagle butt cast and chased.

Very fine walnut full stock relief carved throughout with strap work in excellent condition throughout (one minor crack along fore-end) retaining much original finish. Gilding is 75% present on mounts. Action is perfect and bore is excellent. Although side plates such as appear on this eagle butt are similar to flintlocks from the Carlsbad region there is an advanced collector of Bohemian flintlocks and percussion guns who is writing a book and theorizes that these very rare and highly desirable eagle butt pistols are from the area around Prague.

Regardless of their origin these represent a unique type that qualifies as a true work of art in firearm form. 16 and 1/2 inches overall.