A Very Fine Cased Pair Of Royal Hanoverian 50-Bore Percussion Rifled Target or Duelling Pistols ...

A Very Fine Cased Pair Of Royal Hanoverian 50-Bore Percussion Rifled Target or Duelling Pistols Built For William IV, King Of Great Britain And Ireland, King Of Hanover (1830-37) By C.D. Tanner In Hannover, No. E1168, Circa 1830 With twist octagonal sighted barrels each signed in large gold capitals along the top flat and rifled with sixteen bright grooves, the muzzles encircled by engraved gold-inlaid vines, the breech flats on either side of the top flat inlaid in gold with engraved scrolling foliage inhabited by a squirrel and issuing from a lyre, case-hardened breeches each with two gold lines and a line of engraved gold oak foliage, bolsters each with a small gold star and blued nipple, foliate engraved case-hardened tangs inlaid in gold respectively 'No.1' and 'No.2', and each with blued adjustable back-sight, the slender extension down the back of each butt inlaid with a line of engraved gold and silver graduated trefoils, border engraved rounded case-hardened back-action detented locks and monster-head hammers, the former each engraved with a landscape scene inhabited by two roosters picked-out in engraved gold and silver, the latter each engraved with foliage and with details picked-out in gold and silver, sprung pivoting safety-bolsters en suite, highly figured half-stocks with chequered rounded butts, border engraved silver fore-end and pommel-caps, the latter each decorated with a flower-head centred on the retaining screw, blued spur trigger-guards each inlaid with a crossed bow, quiver and arrow between gold foliate borders, the spurs each engraved with a bearded grotesque-mask, blued adjustable set triggers, silver barrel-bolt escutcheons, no provision for ramrods, and in exceptional condition: in original mahogany case fitted and lined in salmon pink velvet with a few accessories including steel bullet mould and key, and two brass inventory tags numbered '1232' and '1233', the interior of the lid with maker's trade label, the exterior with circular brass escutcheon enamelled in red with crowned William IV mirror monogram 21.5 cm. barrels Footnotes: Provenance The Gewehrkammer of the Kings of Hanover, Blankenburg until removed to Schloss Marienburg in 1945 Sotheby's Hanover, Schloss Marienburg, Works of Art From The Royal House of Hanover, 5 October 2005, lot 895 Carl Daniel Tanner was Hofrüstmeister to the Hanovarian court between 1829 and 1845. He died in 1858 For an account of the Hanoverian royal family and their collections see Thomas Del Mar Ltd. In association with Sotheby's, Antique Arms, Armour & Militaria, 8 December 2010, pp. 86-88 These pistols appear to be unfired This lot is subject to the following lot symbols: * * VAT on imported items at a preferential rate of 5% on Hammer Price and the prevailing rate on Buyer's Premium. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing