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Lot 204
A Fine North Italian 20-Bore D.B. Flintlock Sporting Gun In The French TasteBy Ferdinando Minelli In Brescia, Early 19th Century
25 July 2007, 10:30 BST
London, KnightsbridgeSold for £11,760 inc. premium
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Find your local specialistA Fine North Italian 20-Bore D.B. Flintlock Sporting Gun In The French Taste
By Ferdinando Minelli In Brescia, Early 19th Century
By Ferdinando Minelli In Brescia, Early 19th Century
With russet twist sighted barrels with gold foliate band around each muzzle and a gold starburst around the silver fore-sight, the breeches each with an elaborate gold foliated cornucopia with a smaller one above, the rib with gold-lined maker's mark, a slender gold panel with foliate finials and inscribed 'Canne damaschine' beyond, gold-lined touch-holes, gilt tang engraved with foliage and incorporating the back-sight, bright border engraved flat bevelled locks signed in script, each engraved with a cornucopia on the tail and with a raised pan and roller, foliate engraved 'French' cocks (top of one missing), the internal working parts retaining much of their original bright and blued finish, highly figured half-stock inlaid with pierced silver panels finely engraved with foliage and variously involving cornucopia, baskets of fruit, a demi-figure, grotesque masks and monsters, unusually chequered grip and fore-end (minor repairs) each enriched with silver pins, the former carved in relief with a ram's head (one horn chipped) and a foliate spur, slender cheekpiece carved with a fruiting vine at the rear, steel mounts engraved en suite with the stock inlays and comprising butt-plate and trigger-guard, the latter decorated with foliage suspended from a lion-mask on the bow and with chiselled urn-shaped finial containing a floral display, foliate engraved fore-end cap incorporating the turned rear ramrod-pipe, faceted ramrod-pipes, sling mounts, and original horn-tipped ramrod with silver cap (some surface patination overall)
83.3 cm. barrels
83.3 cm. barrels
Footnotes
Ferdinando Minelli is recorded working between 1760-1818








