ǂA 120 BORE SILESIAN WHEEL-LOCK BIRDING GUN (TSCHINKE), MID-17TH CENTURY

ǂA 120 BORE SILESIAN WHEEL-LOCK BIRDING GUN (TSCHINKE), MID-17TH CENTURY with octagonal swamped sighted barrel rifled with eight slender grooves, engraved with gilt scrolls and foliage at the muzzle, median and over the breech, fitted with moulded tunnel back-sight, long tang decorated en suite, engraved and gilt lock decorated en suite with the barrel, fitted with external mainspring partly covered by an engraved steel panel, engraved sliding pan-cover (button release missing), flash-guard and engraved dog decorated with foliage, fruitwood full stock profusely inlaid over its entire surface with engraved staghorn scrolling tendrils, strapwork terminating in monster heads and with mythical beasts and birds, all enriched with pellets, carved cheek-piece with an oval escutcheon supported by scrolling herms, on the left and patchbox with associated sliding cover on the right, the whole enriched with shell ball flowers and further animal plaquettes including a squirrel and a rabbit, steel trigger-guard shaped for the fingers, engraved staghorn ramrod-pipe and butt-plate the latter decorated with an hermaphrodite figure, two faceted iron ramrod-pipes, and horn fire-end cap (small repairs), and horn tipped ramrod, perhaps the original 96.4 cm; 38 in barrel