The First Truly American Firearm: The Kentucky Rifle

Exceptional, Unusual, and Documented Abias B. Smith Pennsylvania Long Rifle with Rare Belted Rifling

In the Pennsylvania countryside in the early 18th century, a uniquely American firearm was born that helped thirteen separate colonies defeat the greatest empire on Earth, form one nation, and span a continent. It is fitting that this new weapon was a conglomerate of ideas and built initially by German immigrants in the north and famously used by Anglo woodsmen in the south who became symbols of American ingenuity, self-sufficiency, and determination. In the years following the Revolutionary War until the wide spread adoption of the percussion system, the long rifle reached its pinnacle in small shops in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. Many are outstanding testaments to their skill and true pieces of Americana. It is in this period that they earned their famous nickname from the men who famously used them: the long hunters who explored the Virginia backcountry known as Kentucky. Though they are more properly known as American long rifles, prior to the War of 1812, Andrew Jackson’s astounding victory over a superior force of British soldiers at New Orleans in 1815 solidified their nickname in our national memory. The song “The Hunters of Kentucky” about the battle contained the famous lines: “But Jackson he was wide awake, and wasn’t scared at trifles, For well he knew what aim we take with our Kentucky rifles.”

Those of you who attended or followed the last RIAC Premiere Auction undoubtedly noticed the wide array of beautiful early American rifles. Many of these rifles came from the extensive Piedmont Collection. Our December Premiere contains another installment from this collection as well as rifles from other collectors. Many of these rifles were built by some of the most talented American artisans of the early republic. Their names are immediately recognizable by those who collect these pieces of art: John Armstrong, Jacob Dickert, Simon Lauck, John Moll, John Noll, John Rupp, George Schreyer, Frederick and Jacob Sell, Peter White, and many more. Each of these pieces is truly a masterpiece and several contain incredibly rare attributes.

 The Kentucky’s roots came from two other firearms in the early 18th century: the shorter, larger caliber German Jaeger rifles brought from the Old World to the New by German immigrants and the long smoothbore fowling pieces and trade guns manufactured primarily in England and Western Europe and imported in large numbers for the fur trade. Why exactly these two forms were married has continually been debated. What is clear is that fowling pieces and muskets were not well suited for taking game at considerable distances, and their larger bores meant they used a greater amount of lead and powder, which were more destructive to pelts and meat. This also meant that a hunter, be they Native or Euro-American, had to carry more weight in ammunition and had to get closer to their targets. The Kentucky not only improved on those issues, but its long, rifled barrel also offered other advantages: the extended barrel combined with blade and notch sights provided a long sighting plane which allowed hunters to more fully utilize their rifle’s potential accuracy and also had the added benefit of providing more time for the slow burning black powder to combust and thus maximized power even while firing smaller, lighter balls. An experienced rifleman could hit a man or deer sized target reliably at 200 yards or more.

By the time unrest was growing in the colonies in the latter part of the 18th century, gunsmiths were producing a firearm that was found nowhere else in the world. Once the first shots were fired at Lexington and Concord, the American woodsman and his long rifle rose to the challenge. Many fought in local militias, but the Continental Congress also approved ten rifle units during the war including Daniel Morgan’s famous riflemen. They harassed British soldiers and targeted officers from outside effective musket range to remove key leaders from the battlefield and damage enemy morale. Morgan’s men later defeated the infamous Banastre Tarleton at the Battle of the Cowpens. In 1780, the “over the mountain men bested a Loyalist militia armed with smoothbore muskets by picking them off at range at the Battle of Kings Mountain and turned the tide of the southern campaign against Lord Cornwallis. George Rogers Clark led a group of Kentucky militia and seized the isolated settlements in Illinois justifying the American’s claim to the vast swath of territory between the Appalachians and the Mississippi River. At this stage, long rifles were still fairly plain and typically had wooden patch boxes, but his younger brother William carried a Golden Age rifle during his famous exploration of the Louisiana Purchase with Meriwether Lewis and the Corps of Discovery. Thus, while the majority of American soldiers during the Revolution were armed with smoothbore long arms, small groups of riflemen used their advanced weapons and prowess to make considerable contributions to the cause.

Silver Inlaid Golden Age Flintlock Long Rifle by Former Revolutionary War Rifleman Simon Lauck

Among the wide array of beautiful long rifles in our upcoming auction is a fine, silver inlaid rifle built by Simon Lauck. He and his brother Peter both fought with Morgan’s Provisional Rifle Corps and were gunsmiths in Winchester, Virginia after the war. It is a classic example of a rifle built during the Kentucky rifle’s Golden Age. Rifles from this era are favored by collectors due to the unique nature of each rifle and the variety of regional variations. Aside from a few makers who preferred to focus on perfecting the nuances of their designs like John Armstrong, most used many variations of styles taught to them while apprenticed to a master. They in turn passed on their own variations on to the next generation of apprentices. This led to what we now think of as the “schools” based roughly in Lehigh Valley, Lancaster, York, Lebanon, Chambersburg, and may other locales based on shared attributes and lineages.

Gunmakers were influenced by one another especially in specific areas but also adapted art forms from Europe. The carving and patch boxes, for instance, follow European trends in terms of rococo and baroque scrolls. Note the incredible variety in patch box designs on these rifles and all the little details in carving, inlays, and little components. While there were tremendous variations, also note the consistencies such as the fixed blade and notch sights and the beautiful, full length, curly maple stocks.

One area of variation among individual rifles is the variety of inlays. Many included patriotic motifs such as eagles and some contain important, but largely long forgotten, revolutionary era symbols. Such is the case with the rare rattlesnake designs on the Jacob Dickert and George Schreyer rifles. Like the long rifle itself, the use of the rattlesnake as a symbol of the American ethos well pre-dates the idea of a separate American nation. In fact, one of the first known uses of the symbol was in Benjamin Franklin’s famous “Join or Die” cartoon from 1754 calling upon the colonies to unite, with the support of Great Britain, to defeat the French in the Seven Years War (French and Indian War), a conflict started in part by a young British officer by the name of George Washington. Franklin’s cartoon came to represent the need for unity among the colonies in the American Revolution as well.

Rattlesnake engraving appearing on the patchbox of a scarce Jacob Dickert Lancaster flintlock long rifle

Another rattlesnake on the patchbox.  This time on a documented Golden Age flintlock by George Schreyer.
The other side of the stock features handsome raised carving.
Formerly of the Joe Kindig, Jr. Collection.

Rattlesnakes are only found in the Americas and were numerous in many parts of the colonies. Though they do not attack unprovoked, rattlesnakes defend themselves with deadly force when they need to defend themselves. This was the image the Founding Fathers wanted to present to the world in Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence. Americans were not breaking from England needlessly; they were defending themselves against attacks on their lives and freedoms. Rattlesnakes also had another attribute that 18th century Americans knew well. As “American Guesser” wrote in 1775:

'Tis curious and amazing to observe how distinct and independent of each other the rattles of this animal are, and yet how firmly they are united together, so as never to be separated but by breaking them to pieces. One of those rattles singly, is incapable of producing sound, but the ringing of thirteen together, is sufficient to alarm the boldest man living.”

Though this symbol was very important in the colonial era and for the young American republic, very few rifles have been found that incorporate the design, especially as boldly as these two examples by Dickert and Schreyer. The snake patch box designs of course relate to the Gadsden Flag and First Navy Jack used during the war, and Dickert’s is also similar to the design utilized on early Virginia Manufactory rifles.

Desirable Silver Inlaid Flintlock Kentucky Long Rifle Signed by Golden Age Master Craftsman Frederick Sell
of the Littletown School with Raised Carved Stock

                The Frederick Sell rifle is another good example of the paradox of both unity in overall design through the use of consistent motifs and basic configurations and yet the individuality of the combination of carving and engraving on each rifle. Sell was considered by influential Kentucky rifle scholar Joe Kindig, Jr. as “one of the great masters of Kentucky rifle making” and was part of one of the most influential gunsmithing families during the Golden Age. His greatness comes from the fact that he developed his tremendous skill set while working underneath at least three earlier accomplished masters: George Eister, John Lechner, and Adam Ernst. His presumed father, Jacob Sell, was among the most talented makers of the prior generation, and Frederick’s brother who was also named Jacob (often referred to as Jacob the Younger) was also a gifted maker in his own right.  Sell adopted the best aspects of the designs of each of the men under whom he worked. Thus, he created his own style and his own variations while keeping his designs tied to the past and reflected the American ideal of balancing community with individualism.

Jacob Sell the Elder Signed Early Golden Age Flintlock Long Rifle with Silver Inlaid Stock

Peter White is also a great example of someone that was part of a family line of gunmakers that pre-dates the United States and continued well after our independence was secured by victory in the War of 1812. He is the son of either Nicholas or John White who were both gunsmiths during the fight for independence, and at least one of his sons continued to build rifles after his death in 1834. One of the interesting aspects of White’s rifle is that the lock appears to have been built by him. Most gunmakers used locks imported from Europe or produced by dedicated lockmakers in the cities. This rifle is also noticeably slender relative to others of the style and era.

By the time of White’s death, the long rifle and the flintlock system had peaked and were beginning to be replaced by shorter, larger bore rifles. The percussion system and the spread of industry also helped shift firearms production away from individually built masterpieces. The Hawken brothers’ “Plains” or “Mountain” rifle style relatively quickly became the preferred design as the frontier pushed ever further past the Mississippi. Nonetheless, the long rifle persisted, and its legacy continued to influence American firearms for generations. In fact, long rifles have been in essentially continuous production by American gunmakers from the early 18th century into the present day. One look at the Contemporary Long Rifle Association is all it takes to attest the fact that the art of building the first truly American firearm by hand is still alive and will be for generations to come.

Desirable Peter White Golden Age Flintlock Long Rifle with Raised Carved Wood

This discussion has hardly scratched the surface of all of the beautiful rifles in our upcoming auction. For more information see AmericanLongrifles.org, KentuckyRifleAssociation.org, KentuckyRifleFoundation.org, or the many detailed books including Joe Kindig, Jr.’s classic Thoughts on The Kentucky Rifle in It’s Golden Age and Merrill Lindsay’s The Kentucky Rifle both of which contain pictures and discussions of several of the rifles in the upcoming auction. Do not miss your opportunity to see these rifles first hand and please join us for our Premiere Firearms Auction December 4th, 5th, and 6th.

-Written by Seth Isaacson

5 Guns That Belong In the Met

If you have an interest in gun or art collecting, you know that the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City has an extensive collection of firearms.  Their Arms & Armor Department, founded in 1912, houses hundreds of spectacular pieces from various nations, eras, and masters of their craft.  Not just for firearms, the area is also filled with historic edged weapons and various types of armor and helmets.  It is no exaggeration to call it an encyclopedia of its subject matter and one of the finest groupings in the entire world.

In an effort to display some of the more spectacular items that have arrived relatively recently at the Met, they've even displayed a new exhibit, Arms and Armor: Notable Acquisitions 2003 - 2014, a noble commitment to these gorgeous and historic pieces, the firearms of which often find themselves under popular attack.  They are even rotating many of the items every several weeks!  This exhibit began on November 14, 2014 and will continue to run through December 6, 2015, so if you find yourself in the "City that Never Sleeps," there's still time to view a good number of the amazing recent additions.

Keeping in mind the beautiful and historic items displayed at the Met, Rock Island Auction Company would like to show you five outstanding pieces that would easily find their place at the lauded art museum.  All the pieces shown will be appearing in the 2015 September Premiere Firearms Auction, the catalog for which can be found here.  If you would like to see additional photos or know more of the history behind any of the items shown in this article, such information is contained in said online catalog.  Without further ado, here are the Top Five Items that Deserve to Be In the Met.


1.  Elaborate 1839 Exhibition Award Winning Joseph Falloise Signed, "Danse Macabre" Engraved and Gold and Silver Inlaid De Petigny Percussion Target Rifle

This is a rifle that must be seen to be believed.  Clicking on the first photo will enlarge it and show the absolutely stunning briarwood stock that acts as the foundation for this breathtaking French carbine.  With a profile that would not appear out of place in modern science fiction, the De Petigny target rifle served as an exhibition piece for the gunsmith at L'Exposition des Produits de l'Industrie Francaise (The Exhibition of French Industry Products) held in Paris during the early summer months of 1839.

The high points of the rifle are easier to list than to show a picture of each one, so please click the link above to see all the high-resolution, detailed photos of this masterpiece.  The lockplate and hammer still show touches of their gold plating, and the rest of the gun wears it profusely.

The entire length of the heavy, Damascus steel barrel, forged by Parisian master gunsmith Louis Pincon, is smothered by the work of engraver Joseph Fallois.  It is a mixture of panel scenes, etching, and floral scrollwork.  The theme of the embellishments on this rifle is that of "danse macabre," illustrated in even the tiniest of details.  A skull and cross bones appear on top of the receiver, and the upper right and left barrel flats together depict 30 engraved scenes bearing the likeness of death.  Small Latin phrases also appear on the gun to reinforce the motif, such as "Post mortem nihil est," (After death, there is nothing) on the barrel, and the text "Memento mori," (Remember you must die) curls around the muzzle along with two crossed bones.

Even the bottom of the forearm is exquisitely engraved with large overlays depicting Napoleon I with an eagle featuring gold inlaid accents, as well as a soldier in military uniform.  Not a single centimeter was ignored in the creation of this expertly crafted and stunning carbine.  It truly epitomizes the phrase, "steel canvas," and is readily one of the most significant true pieces of art we are ever offered.

2.  An Extremely Rare and Splendid High Art Wheelock Petronel, Possibly French, Circa 1575, Ex Collection Baron Frederic Spitzer, Paris

Before touching on this pistol's aesthetics, discussing its extreme rarity would be prudent.  For even in all its beauty and craftsmanship, it remains even more rare thanks to the firing mechanism.  The petronel is the rarest form of all 16th century wheel locks.  The last petronel to be offered for sale was in 2008 and prior to that was 1983.

Petronels fit between arquebuses and pistols, being distinct from the two by being similar to a pistol, but differing with a wider butt as well as its overall shape.  They were distinctly larger than pistols, this example points a lengthy 22 1/4" barrel, and fired a larger round. Having a wider butt made it easier to fire by bracing it against the chest - earning the gun its name from the French poitrine (chest).  Due to the weight inherent in a larger gun, it was frequently carried by a baudrick (shoulder sling).  It was often used by horsemen, making it a derivation of the harquebuss, and would be carried on a sling with the gun resting on the chest for ease of access.  Consider it the "saddle ring carbine" of the 1500s.

It is a head turning piece with its dramatically curved fruitwood stock inlaid almost entirely with white stag horn that has been polished and engraved with scenes of gods and goddesses from antiquity, grotesque masks, geometric designs, mythical dragons, and large scrollwork.  As if that weren't enough, selected portions of the ivory-like bone inlay have been stained a vibrant green producing an enamel effect known as polychrome.  Such verdant accents immediately catch the eye and draw the viewer in for a closer look at this petronel's incredible detail.

Once this arm held a place of honor in the collection of Baron Frederic Spitzer.  Spitzer was the most important dealer in medieval and Renaissance art during the late 19th century, with clients including the Baron Adolphe de Rothschild and Sir Richard Wallace.  When he passed in 1890, his collection was a museum in itself, and one of the largest of its kind in Europe.  After being sold once, the majority of the collection was donated to several renowned English museums.  There being virtually no petronels in private American collections, this piece represents a fine and rare opportunity rife with provenance that is sure to offer pride of ownership for decades to come.

3.  An Important Pair of Saxon Wheel-Lock Pistols Made for Prince Christian II, Elector of Saxony by Hans Stockmann of Dresden from the Collection of Stephen V. Grancsay

Instantly visible in this royal set of wheel lock pistols are fantastic inlaid bone plaques set into the fruitwood stock.  Evenly spaced throughout the wood, grotesque sea serpents are carved and engraved into the bone as are foliage and floral patterns.  Another feat of artistry on the pistols are the seven-sided, fluted, pear shaped "pommels," each side with bone inlay of its own.

When firearms are made for royalty, one can safely assume that only the utmost in care was given to their creation.  Not only is bone used in the many inlays that adorn the warm-toned wood, but it is also used in several rosettes, two ramrod ends, the fore-end caps, and surrounding the breech tang.  As the headline indicates, this pistol set was created for Prince Christian II, Elector of Saxony and has been in world class collections since its creation.  They were once part of the Collection of Saxon Electoral Armories in Dresden, also known as the Dresden Armory.  It is one of the world's largest collections of ceremonial weapons & armor, and to see the museum is to know that it takes a well-preserved, historical masterpiece to earn a place in such an institution (Click on that link.  The exhibits are jaw-dropping and you won't regret it).  These pistols were also in the collection of one Mr. Stephen V. Grancsay, who, appropriately enough for this article, was the one-time curator of the Arms and Armor Department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  They have also been displayed at the Brooklyn Museum of Art in 1933 and at the Allentown Museum in 1964.  While this article has selected guns that deserve to be in one of the world's most prestigious art museums, these pistols have the provenance to earn it.  They are only the third pair of Stockmann pistols to have been sold in America in 1968.  It is an opportunity of a lifetime.

4. A Magnificent and Superb Royal Cased Pair of Lavishly Gold Inlaid Percussion Pistols by Manceaux of Paris Presented to Captain Thomas, Lord Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, by Louis Philippe, King of France

While this cased set of incredible presentation pistols are certainly worthy of their own write-up, they were investigated thoroughly in last week's article, The Admiral, The King, & the Inventor, and will not be covered again here.

5.  An Extremely Rare Gold Mounted Flintlock Pocket Pistol By Nicolas Noël Boutet Circa 1805

This diminutive pistol was created by arguably one of the greatest manufacturers of high art firearms of all time, Nicolas Noël Boutet.  The Parisian was the Director Artiste of Versailles, the gunsmith to King Louis XVI, and even to Emperor Napoleon.  Boutet's resume and generally recognized mastery would be adequate to earn it a place in any museum, and the Met has already recognized this by featuring several of the artisan's works of pistols, longarms, and even design drawings.  France's Musée de l'Armée is also well known to proudly display Boutet works.

Rock Island Auction Company has sold Boutet pistols before with great success and it's not difficult to see why.  This particular pocket pistol is engraved on the barrel and muzzle with decorative bands that are so tiny, they must be seen to appreciate the excruciating detail.  The frame is finely engraved with a bull on the right side and a pair of stallions on the left.  The life-like appearance and expertise in these engravings is unmatched during that era and holds its own to this day.  Even the underside of the frame has a tiny farmhouse seen, a stag in a field, while the underside of the 1 3/8" round barrel depicts a woman in period clothing carrying a basket.  To perform these engravings so far ahead of their time and on such a Lilliputian scale is simply astounding.  For arms so small, they certainly require a great deal of space to describe them.  Not yet discussed are the engraved safety switch, the engraved swan neck hammer, frizzen, and top-jaw, as well as the extravagant ebony grip gold inlaid with images of floral vines, leaves, dragons, and gryphons,

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Truth be told, there are more than five items in our upcoming 2015 September Premiere Firearms Auction that deserve to be in New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art.  There just isn't time to list them all, but here are a few that certainly warrant an Honorable Mention.


Lot 1157: Superb and Richly Adorned Cased Pair of Anton Vinzent Lebeda of Prague Gold Inlaid and Engraved Percussion Target Pistols

A classic choice for any high end collection or museum, this pistol set has all the essentials: a renowned craftsman, intricate engraving, beautiful inlays, expert and delicate stock carving, Damascus barrels, precious metals, a compliment of exceptional accessories, and a striking case.

Lot 1114: Very Rare Fine Italian Cinquedea Short Sword with Elaborate Engraving

The name cinquedea (cinque diti) translates to "five fingers" - a reference to the blade's width.  Its large flat surface provided a natural canvas for artists.  Why would the Met be interested in this?  They may already have one or two (as does the Louvre) and the engraving on this particular example depicts numerous mythical beasts, several religious texts in Latin, and two faded circular equestrian scenes.  The intentionally visible iron tang also features its own text on a mounted bronze panel.  The grip is black horn overlaid with antique ivory.

Lot 160: Exceptional Michael Has Signed and 1663 Dated Flintlock Jaeger Rifle with Extraordinary Raised Relief Carved Stock and Oil Painted Beulwitz Coat of Arms

We'll just let the relief carved stock do the talking for this rifle.  Which is easy when said carving depicts a man being trampled to death by a cavalry charge alongside a tiny oil panting of the maker's family coat of arms.

Many of these guns are out from behind museum glass relatively recently considering their long lives.  Blades and arms in general, often only belonged to the well-to-do, and weapons adorned so lavishly would certainly have been made only for royalty and other elite classes.  The Met states it succinctly on their web page when they say,

"Arms and armor have been a vital part of virtually all cultures for thousands of years, pivotal not only in conquest and defense, but also in court pageantry and ceremonial events. Throughout time the best armor and weapons have represented the highest artistic and technical capabilities of the society and period in which they were made, forming a unique aspect of both art history and material culture."
These arms appearing in the September Premiere Firearms Auction are certainly evidence of that, exuding the very best of period artistry, technology, and wealth.

-Written by Joel Kolander

Sources:

Fosbroke, Thomas Dudley, M.A., F.S.A. Encyclopaedia of Antiquities and Elements of Archaeology, Classical and Mediaeval, Volume 2. Vol. II. Web.

http://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-museum/now-at-the-met/features/2013/arms-and-armor-centennial

http://www.metmuseum.org/about-the-museum/museum-departments/curatorial-departments/arms-and-armor

http://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2014/art-of-collecting-arms-and-armor

An Engraving Mystery

In our December 2014 Premiere Firearms Auction there was a gun which I found to be very curious.  Far from any area I feel bold enough to call an expertise, this particular gun was what our headlines described as a "Finely Engraved German Kowar Single Shot Schuetzen Rifle with Relief Carved Stock."  It struck me as being out of the ordinary in several regards.  For one, the stock of a Schuetzen rifle, shaped for ergonomics and stability during shooting, always sticks out to a set of eyes more accustomed to seeing a standard shotgun or rifle butt.  Second, the gun was made for a left-handed shooter, given the position of the cheek-piece.  The last thing I found unusual required a closer inspection, but once I saw it I was instantly puzzled and found myself searching for answers.  I present for your inspection, the gun's engraving.

For this first photo, let me say that very little appears unusual regarding the engraving.  Many firearms depict panel scenes of their intended quarry, and this Schuetzen chambered in 32 WCF (a.k.a. .32-20) would certainly have once been considered an appropriate caliber to take down such animals before it descended into obscurity thanks to the arrival of more efficient cartridges  In fact, the scroll work around the animals is also very appropriate, depicting the trees and foliage give the viewer a glimpse into the forest that these creatures inhabit.  However, what these animals are is initially unclear.  Upon first glance to an American they appear to be Pronghorns, an animal exclusively found in North America and more often associated with the plains than the forest.  This makes them an unusual choice for a very German rifle, plus the antlers are not 100% correct.  The mind also turns quickly to the roe deer, a small deer that can be found in the majority of Europe and Scandinavia. Could they be roe bucks?  It again seems unlikely, based again on the antlers.  However, a little research reveals them to be a pair of chamois, a goat/antelope species that lives in much of eastern Europe - not a species many North Americans would recognize.  Folks more accustomed to seeing pronghorns or with little to no hunting experience in Europe or the Alps, might ask themselves, "What on earth are pronghorn antelope doing in a forest, let alone in Germany?"  Initially it seems quite unusual.


The second odd bit of engraving can be seen on the bottom of the trigger guard. A vulture or buzzard is a not a very common animal depicted on firearms, yet here a rather surly looking specimen is given reign over the entire trigger guard.

When watching movies, I was always taught that "nothing is done by accident."  The director doesn't just randomly decide to have a storm take place, or a character die, or the characters to encounter a road or river.  Those things are symbols.  Even in films that are mediocre, they should mean something other than just a device to move the plot forward.  I believe the same thing can be said for firearms engraving.  No artisan sits down with their tools, prepared to spend hours plying their trade, without a clear idea of what they are going to create.  They don't simply start drawing lines willy-nilly and see what happens to take shape.  No, their choices are equally deliberate, especially when considering the limited canvas size with which they are working.

That said, most rifles are adorned with animals we have all come to respect through the hunt.  Be it ducks, pheasants, deer, elk, lions, moose, stags, Cape buffalo, bison, rhinos, elephants, geese, grouse, or even rabbits, all are either beautiful, powerful, have been hunted with great respect, or are recalled fondly from previous hunts.  Vultures are none of those things!  They are often reviled for their thankless task of removing the dead, they certainly do not fit any widely accepted definition of a beautiful animal, and to top it all off, many even vomit a black, noxious liquid up to 10 feet as a self-defense and defecate on their feet as a cooling measure.  Why an artist would make the deliberate choice to portray such a creature on such a gorgeous rifle is most puzzling.  While the location choice of this engraving gives it less prominence, the choice of animal remains curious.  Not shown in these photos is also an engraving of a dove featured behind the breech block.  Such a symbol of purity, love, and peace is a stark contrast to the death associate vulture.  Is "life and death" the theme the engraver was trying to portray?  The dove must surely be another symbol since the rifle would be extremely ill-suited to dove hunting.

The last side of engraving shows a forest scene depicting a distraught hunter kneeling before a deer with a cross between its antlers.  Such imagery will be familiar to German scholars, a few Catholics, and those familiar with the Jäegermeister logo.  Shown on the left side of the receiver is the conversion of Placidus to Saint Eustace.


The legend goes that Placidus was a Roman general in the 2nd century serving under Emperor Trajan.  One day, in the midst of a hunt, he saw a great stag, pursued it at great length, and before he could shoot it, witnessed a crucifix between its antlers.  Much like Saul or Tarsus was changed to Paul the Apostle, Placidus' experience inspired him to convert immediately to Christianity, have he and his family baptized, and change his name to Eustace.  The rest of his life tells many tribulations (though they are a common theme in many Middle English stories).  Given his hunting past and his conversion, it should come as no surprise that St. Eustace is the patron saint of hunters.

The legend of St. Eustace is not unique to him.  As mentioned earlier, it was a popular theme in  Middle English stories (known there as "The Man Tried By Fate") and was also used to describe the vision of Hubertus (a.k.a. Saint Hubertus).  Sources differ on who the story was attributed to first, but much confusion remains between the two men because of it.  While many works of art have been made of the conversion, like the impressive stained glass window at the Chartes Cathedral, the work "The Conversion of Holy Hubertus," (seen below) by Wilhelm Räuber is almost a dead ringer for the scene depicted on the rifle.

Having evaluated the different engraved parts of the gun, one can now start to put together the theme that the engraver may have had in mind.  The dove and vulture clearly represent life and death, but that message is somewhat muddied by the other two images.  Life and death of what?  The hunter's quarry?  The hunter?  Thankfully, we have the image of St. Eustace/Hubertus on the left side of the frame to clarify the artist's intent.  It is not just the life and death of game, the instrument of which the hunter holds in his hands.  As with the converted hunter, it is the matter of eternal life and death that the artist held so dear.  This conclusion also makes the positioning of the dove and vulture all the more important: the pure dove facing heavenward and the vulture with its image of death and decay also facing appropriately.

But what about the chamois on the left side of the receiver?  How do they tie in to all of this?  They seem to break from the eternal life/death theme to simply depict the game that this rifle would have been used to harvest.  However, I am fully ready to concede that the animal may have a native symbolism in Germany with which this American writer is not familiar.

Hopefully putting together that little puzzle was fun and interesting.  It began with a gun that appeared to have some rather random engravings of a vulture, two weird-looking pronghorn antelope, a dove, and a man kneeling before a Jägermeister deer, but a little investigating revealed some rather unique, beautiful, and profound symbolism.  Turns out that not just the devil is in the details, his counterpart is as well.

The following poem is entitled "Waidmannsheil" or "Hunter's Salute" by Oskar von Riesenthal and it appears unattributed on every bottle of Jägermeister.  I thought it would be appropriate to republish it here with this German hunting piece with its religious undertones.  It reads,

"Das ist des Jägers Ehrenschild,

daß er beschützt und hegt sein Wild,
weidmännisch jagt, wie sich’s gehört,
den Schöpfer im Geschöpfe ehrt."

Which translates literally translates as:

"This is the hunter's honor shield,

which he protects and looks after his game,

Huntsman hunts, as it should be,

the Creator in the creatures honor."

or a bit more artistically as,
"This is the hunter's badge of glory,

That he protect and tend his quarry,

Hunt with Honor, as is due,

And through the beast to God is true."





Item listing can be seen here
Estimate: $3,000 - $4,500
Sale Price: $3,450



-Written by Joel Kolander

Devilish Devisme Pistols

"By the pricking of my thumbs,

Something wicked this way comes."

Halloween is a time of year with a history that stretches back for ages.  It is a special and even sacred occasion for many cultures.  While the origins are generally disputed as being either the Celtic festival of Samhain or the early Christian holiday of Allhallowtide, the traditions remain strong in today's culture.  Whether you find yourself celebrating Halloween, All Saints Day, Dia de los Muertos, or just enjoying the tastes of the harvest season, the influence of these customs are undeniable.

Many of the traditions are centered around the belief that the worlds of the living and the dead come into close contact during this time of year.  Some cultures believe the dead can communicate with the living, and others believe that the dead or their spirits can walk the earth.  This common context exists as far back as the traditions themselves.  It is easy to imagine people creating this metaphoric connection between life and death as the green, living world around them, slowly turns brown and dark with the arrival of fall and winter.

Some cultures view this time of communication and remembrance very positively, using the opportunity to respect and honor their dead.  Others use it as a chance to mock death and rob it of the fear it often carries with it.  Some light candles or perform other rituals to guide the visiting spirits to their final resting place.  Whatever the tradition, it all stems back to a primary belief that spirits of some sort are more active or able to walk the earth during this time.  Sometimes, those spirits include demons or vengeful souls, which brings us to the subject of this week's article.

Lot 1142:  Magnificent Cased Pair of Devisme Percussion Exhibition Pistols with High Relief Chiseled Barrels and Heavy High Relief Cast and Chased Silver Mounts Featuring A Unique and Unprecedented Diabolic Theme

Demons, tormented spirits, poltergeists, devils, and Death himself are not uncommon characters this time of year.  Nor are they uncommon on this set of percussion pistols crafted by renowned Parisian gunmaker Jean-Louis Francois Devisme, who made some of the world's most artistic firearms for royalty, wealthy members of society, government officials, and high ranking military men.  Famous for his artistic talents, Devisme set the European gunmaking scene on fire, earning an Honorable Mention at the 1834 Exhibition, silver medals at the 1839 & 1841 Exhibitions, and numerous other medals at the  Expositions Universelles in years 1844, 1849, 1851, 1855, 1862, and 1867.  For over three decades he not only competed at the top of his art, but won regularly.  He accomplished this with meticulously crafted arms such as this immaculately crafted pair.

With so much detail appearing on these pistols, it is difficult to know where to begin, but beginning at one tip and ending at the other seems as good a method as any.  Let us begin with the buttcap: a superbly designed slab of silver that reflects a horned demon's face flanked on two sides by humans that appear to be growing from flowers.  On the bottom is a monkey or dog-faced creature's head hanging from a chain, and on the top is a bearded, crowned face with horns.  The picture at left is quite deceiving and makes the sculpture appear quite flat.  In person, it is quite a shock to see the center face protruding from the two men "holding" it by nearly an inch! The ebony stock is fluted and the areas framed by the flutes are smothered in berry laden vines, giving the appearance that the fluted areas are making a cage of sorts that contain a grip filled with vines.  Well, at least at first glance.  Upon a closer look, the vines on the sides contain the faces of demons' with protruding tongues, and the "backstrap" area has vines that form the head of a mythological griffin.


The trigger guards of these pistols are shown in detail in this article's first photograph.  Made of silver, these patterns are some of the most unique on the entire pistol.  On it are demonic faces with a bugler blowing into a horn that splits into two bells, and atop those split bugles is a demon whose horns curl into the bells of the bugles.  Extending toward the barrel, the ornamentation continues with a large devil or satyr holding two torches, the smoke of which forms the head of a beast.




The silver side plate also requires a second glance.  Initially appearing to be a grotesque face, flanked by vines and crests with more vines leading into its mouth, a second look at the incredible detail of these pistols reveals a much more interesting rendering.  The head in the center is flanked on each side by a nude, winged female form donning a sort of period headwear.  Typically we think of winged human figures as angels, but traditionally angels are depicted as male.  Also, in a true glimpse of the macabre, these angels' heads appear to be separated from their bodies.  Whether the thin strands of silver connecting their bodies to their head are meant to be elongated, whimsical necks, strands of hair, or even their spine or innards cannot be determined, but one thing is for certain.  If that strand is to be part of these "angels'" anatomy or hair, then the "vines" leading into the mouth of that devilish face are no longer vines - the face is eating them!  Contrasting heavily with this potentially disturbing imagery are flowers and one snail on each side of the mount.

Perhaps not coincidentally, all of these dark symbols and characters do not appear on the guns when they are sitting in their case..  Nor would they show on the outside of the gun if taken from the case, assuming the each hand grabs the handle closest to it.  These sinister scenes would only be seen by the person bearing the pistol.  The rest of the pistol, while extravagant and elaborately covered with presentation grade chisel work, gives no clue to said scenes.  The silver lock plate, facing out is beautiful and smothered in engravings of leaves, flowers, berries, and vines.  This motif continues to the hammer, barrel, barrel tang, and bolster.  The top flat of the octagonal barrel has highly ornate text that reads, "DEVISME A PARIS" which is so decorative it threatens to be unreadable without some effort expended by the reader.  Even the barrel wedge is carved and surrounded by an engraved escutcheon.  These are truly masterpiece firearms on par, and reminiscent of, the LePage shotgun sold by Rock Island Auction in May 2014.

The case is also stunning, with its beautiful high polished and beautifully grained wood, forest green velvet-type lining with, "DEVISME A PARIS" embossed in gold lettering.  What is not lined in green fabric is covered in a leather of the same shade with gold embossed floral vines.  Brass hardware is used throughout.  The tools are equally exceptional, with even the percussion cap container and its screw on lid hewn from ebony.  It is difficult to fathom the difficulty encountered when creating the threads for a screw-on lid out of a notoriously hard wood such as ebony.

"DEVISME A PARIS"

Underside of the stock and barrel.

As if the gun weren't eerie enough in its design, it also has quite an eccentric owner in its provenance - King Farouk of Egypt.  No documentation is present to concretely connect the guns to this famous collector, only our consignor's assertion that these pistols were purchased from the original buyer of the pistols when King Farouk's collections were dispersed in 1954 in what is generally recognized the most significant sale of the 20th century.

If you don't know about King Farouk, here's the long and short of it.  The British set up an Egyptian monarchy in the 1920s after recognizing Egypt's independence, and the first king had been Fuad I, a former Sultan of Egypt & Sudan as well as a Sovereign of Nubia, Kurdufan & Darfur. His son, Farouk, succeeded him in 1936 at the tender age of 16. King Farouk, being a young man with unimaginable wealth at his fingertips, did what almost anyone imagines themselves doing in a similar scenario - spending it.  Yes, Farouk lived the lavish life.  He was a noted partier and gambler, though he later become known for his appetite.  Stories exist from his own sister of Farouk eating 600 oysters a week, drinking 30 bottles of soda in a day, and eating caviar straight from the can.  It was no wonder he was called by some, "a stomach with a head."  Of course all this gluttonous behavior led to the monarch's weight to balloon past 300 pounds.

"Farouk the Foolish" in his slimmer days.

"Farouk the Foolish" was also known for such eccentricities as painting the military jeeps in his escort the same color red as his 1947 Bentley Mark VI, and then issuing a decree that no other cars could bear that hue.  He was kleptomaniac, once picking the pocketwatch of a visiting Winston Churchill while they sat next to each other at dinner.  The watch had been a gift from Queen Anne to his ancestor the Duke of Marlborough for his victory at the Battle of Blenheim, so Churchill was quite relieved when Farouk "found" it.  In another telling tale, Farouk once had nightmares where lions chased and attacked him, so he did what any normal person would do.  He went to the Cairo Zoo and shot two lions while they were in their cage.  Time magazine even wrote about it.


His lavish lifestyle would be tolerated for many years.  However, sentiment soured against the monarch for such actions as leaving his palace lights on during blackouts during World War II, writing a letter to Hitler welcoming his invasion of Egypt, believing the German presence to be favorable to the British, shamefully losing in the Arab-Israeli war of 1948, and generally corrupt & ineffective leadership.  By July of 1952 Farouk had been ousted by members of his own military in a coup that saw him abdicate and exiled to Monaco, while his infant son Fuad II was proclaimed king.

After his exile, many of Farouk's belongings were auctioned off in a legendary sale.  He possessed the 94-carat Star of the East diamond and other large gems, cars, clothes, jewelry, antiquities, art, medals, sculptures, a coin collection that numismatists still speak of with reverence, and of course, masterpiece firearms.  The cased pistol set in this article is said to have sold in this storied auction and was then sold directly to our consignor decades later by the original buyer.  We can offer no documentation of this other than the marking on the trigger guard tang that our consignor states is the mark of the "Collection of King Farouk."

Guns don't come much more ghoulish that this one.  It can be easy to forget after hearing some of the humorous stories about King Farouk, but let us not forget the rather ominous decorations on this gun.  Each likeness was carefully chosen as it was worked into the metal and the ebony.  These were not carelessly sketched onto paper or thrown upon canvas.  These are notoriously difficult mediums in which to work, and the artistry shown here reflects days of careful attention and deliberate choice.  After looking at the guns, one can't help but ask, "Why?"  Why would Devisme craft such dark and haunting art?  Was it commissioned for someone special?  If so, who was this person and what was their obsession with demonic symbolism?  Was this just a bored artist looking for something to create that would titillate the Victorian Era social circles?  Were they actually created as dueling pistols meant to intimidate the other dueling party upon presentation?  Without further research these questions may remain unanswered, but one thing is certain.  They are an unquestionably suitable and magnificent pistol set to read about on Halloween.

-written by Joel Kolander

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SOURCES:

Haag, Michael. Egypt. Northampton, MA: Cadogan Guides USA, 2010. Print.

http://www.rockislandauction.com/viewitem/aid/63/lid/1142