A Fine Viennese .550 (28-Bore) Flintlock Ormolu-Mounted Sporting RifleBy Felix Meier In Wienn, Circa 1720-30With swamped twist octagonal barrel cut with seven grooves, the breech signed in gold capital letters along the top flat and with gold-encrusted symmetrical scrollwork framing a gold figure of a huntress with two hounds below, gilt-brass folding leaf back-sight with pierced and chiselled foliate tang, gilt-brass fore-sight set within gold-encrusted scrollwork, removeable touch-hole, engraved and gilt tang numbered '1', signed flat deeply bevelled lock of shaped outline finely engraved with figures beneath the pan and on the tail, bevelled cock with scrollwork inhabited by a dog and a bird, steel chiselled with foliage, finely figured full stock carved with foliated strapwork in low relief, full mounts cast and chased with symmetrical foliage and strapwork in relief against finely punched grounds (some old wear to gilding), and comprising pierced side-plate (an old replacement) butt-plate with two engraved standing Classical figures, probably Minerva, and with separate pierced finial, spur trigger-guard with a central female portrait bust on the bow and a dog's mask on the finial, pierced and chased apron around the barrel tang involving a beast's head, pierced and chased foliate escutcheon with central female portrait bust and two embracing putti above, sliding patch-box cover with gilt-brass mounts and central prancing horse amid pierced foliage, applied cast and chased gilt-brass caryatid on the toe of the butt, cast and chased fore-end cap and panel along the bottom of the cheek-piece, engraved and gilt faceted ramrod-pipes, adjustable set trigger, original ramrod (incomplete) with later tip, most of the external screws inlaid with gold, and retaining nearly all its original fire-gilt finish 75.6 cm. barrelFootnotes:ProvenanceChristie's London, Important Firearms Arms & Armour, 13 December 1966, lot 224 Arthur Norris Kennard, B.A., F.S.A. (1911-1995), Assistant Master of the Royal Armouries, H.M. Tower of LondonChristie's London, Fine Antique Arms and Armour including the A.N. Kennard Collection, 27 March 1996, lot 121For further information on Meier see Hans Schedelmann, Die Wiener Büchsenmacher und Büchsenschäfter, 1944, pp. 14, 16, pls. 20, 73-76, and Die Großen Büchsenmacher, 1972, pp.203-5 Felix Meier (circa 1672-1739) was in his day the best Viennese court gunmaker. He became a master gunmaker on 30 January 1702, and is well represented in the European public collections. He specialised in barrels of etched damascus twist in the Turkish mannerFor further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
