A RARE ITALIAN 18 BORE WHEEL-LOCK SPORTING RIFLE, LAST QUARTER OF THE 17TH CENTURY, PROBABLY BRESCI

A RARE ITALIAN 18 BORE WHEEL-LOCK SPORTING RIFLE, LAST QUARTER OF THE 17TH CENTURY, PROBABLY BRESCIAN with swamped sighted russet iron barrel rifled with eight slender grooves, the muzzle chiselled as a gaping monstrous head with foliage behind, the breech chiselled with an elaborate panel of foliage involving marine monsters, a classical warrior and grooved for sighting, fitted with back-sight of two folding leaves, flat russet iron lock retained by two side nails, stamped with a mark on the inside (indistinct), fitted with engraved external wheel retained by a pair of delicate foliate brackets, sliding pan-cover, moulded dog with spring formed as a bifurcated herm, double set trigger (seized), figured half stock carved with bold scrolls, conventional foliage and wave designs about the tang lock and mounts, russet iron mounts comprising solid side-plate decorated with Diana in her chariot on a ground of foliage, pierced trigger-guard decorated with scrolling foliage and a demi-figure, the forward terminal formed as a crouching salamander, rear ramrod-pipe formed en suite and with a pair of scrolling herms behind, butt-plate decorated with a pair of addorsed dolphins and with foliate tang, and original iron ramrod with chiselled finial 78.5 cm; 31 in barrel