What is a Wheellock, Anyways?

Lot 1297: 17th Century Italian Masterpieces: Beautiful, Important and Well Documented High Art Pair of Mannerist Relief Chiseled and Gold Gilt Wheelock Belt Pistols

Many consider the development of semi-automatic firearms in the 20th and late 19th centuries to be the last great boom of gun design, and until the development of the next viable technology or ignition system, those people may very well be right. Unfortunately, all current contenders such as caseless ammunition, lasers, and rail guns, all seem distant prospects at best. However, to not acknowledge a coming technology that will eventually usurp the semi-automatic, cartridge-firing firearm as we know it is short-sighted, but I digress. I write not to talk about the most recent evolution in firearms, but one of the oldest. While semi-automatics have given rise to the most recent bounty in gun design, said bounty is far from the first. Not even half a century earlier, inventors were clamoring over themselves to create the next best cartridge loading firearms, and prior to that people had been coming up with a nearly inexhaustible array of ideas to carry more firepower using a percussion firing system.

Before any of those revolutions or innovations could occur many prerequisite steps had to be taken, one of which is the nearly forgotten wheellock. In the grand scheme of firearm development, wheellocks find their origins in the 15th century, just after the matchlock and before the snaplock (and the other many versions of flintlock arms).

Lot 306: Beautiful Cased Exhibition/Offering Grade Japanese Matchlock Pistol

Matchlocks, as you may know, set a standard for centuries to come. A spring loaded "arm" (which has gone by many names), slams the ignition source, a "match," into a small, waiting pan of gunpowder located outside the barrel. This ignites the powder charge in the pan, the flames of which carry through a small hole in the barrel which leads to a larger charge of propellant situated behind a projectile. Then comes the fun part.

The match or "slow match," was essentially a burning rope saturated with potassium nitrate. It had to be kept burning and when one desired to fire the gun, they could manually expose the priming pan, pull a lever (and eventually some newfangled device called a "trigger"), and the match would be rapidly lowered into the waiting gunpowder. This system had numerous drawbacks, and nearly all revolved around the match. As mentioned earlier, it had to be kept burning, lest the user end up with little more than a big stick at the moment of truth. This made the weapons especially susceptible to inclement weather. The ever-smoldering match also had numerous ways to give away the position of the user: it glowed at night, sent up smoke during the day, and gave a distinct burning aroma that could warn those not able to see the user.

As if that weren't enough, the presence of lit, smoldering matches around the large amounts of required gunpowder was far from ideal. Matchlocks also required large amounts of their namesake match. Frequently, a lit match end would be extinguished in the violent motion of firing, so both ends were kept lit. To keep men armed with matchlocks ready to fire for any length of time necessitated a great deal of match, which was one more supply that would need to be transported, stored, kept dry, and carried by the user. The alternative was to not have the matches lit at all times, which was an obvious determent to quickly bringing the weapon to bear. Matchlocks could also not be concealed under garments or carried safely in a belt. A great number of people would benefit if that burning match weren't required to operate the gun.  Enter the wheellock.

Lot 1290: Very Fine Pair of Early 17th Century Saxon Wheellock Horse Pistols of Noteworthy Length by Hans Stockmann

The wheellock was the first firearm to self-ignite its propellant. Removing nearly every disadvantage of the matchlock, but greatly increasing the complexity of the gun, the wheellock was incredibly time consuming and expensive to produce, thus limiting its spread and prevalence. These guns were made well before the advent of modern machining and thus most guns were painstakingly handmade with each part being forged or chiseled from scratch. It all but ensured only the wealthy would be able to enjoy the new technological developments. These guns were not only tools, they were status symbols, a fact easy to observe in the fine embellishments present in these early pistols. These ornamentations, occurring in the Late Renaissance period, were indicative of the emphasis on art and advances in technique that had recently swept Europe. Their artistry and beauty is also a primary reason for their survival to the current day.

Lot 1298: Finely Engraved Small Bore Wheelock Rifle with Extensive Scrimshawed and Mother of Pearl Stock Inlays

How it Works

In short, a wheellock works by pressing a piece of pyrite (not flint as indicated below) against a spinning, serrated steel wheel to generate sparks and ignite gun powder.

This wheellock diagram is hosted multiple places online, so we are unable to credit the original creator.

To fire a wheellock pistol, one would first need to load it as with any muzzle loading arm. Then the wheel must be charged. In the photos already shown, note that a large square lug projects out of the center of each wheel. Using a special wrench or "spanner" to act on the lug, one turned the wheel against spring tension until it caught a sear, which secured the now taut wheel.

The aforementioned pyrite is held in a clamp atop a spring-charged arm called the "dog" that extends from the lock plate (Note: On the preceding matchlocks this lever was referred to as a "serpentine" and in later flintlock designs as a "cock" or hammer).  While loading, the dog would be pulled muzzle-ward to the "safe" position - the idea of a "safety"position for this arm was another innovation that took place during the life of the wheellock. Unlike the more ubiquitous flintlock "cock" designs we see today, dogs differed in two significant ways. The first is that the dog does not spring back to slam the pyrite against the steel. Instead, the dog is placed atop of the flash pan cover under tension, so that the moment the pan cover is removed the pyrite will contact the spinning steel. The second is that the dog operates in the reverse direction one is perhaps accustomed to seeing, by swinging from the muzzle toward the user.

Lot 1295: Pair of Wheellock Pistols with Extensive Renaissance Revival Scrimshaw Inlays

As shown in the moving diagram above, it was when the dog was pressing the pyrite on to the flash pan cover that it was ready to fire. Presuming that flash pan was primed with powder, pulling the trigger of a wheellock released the tension on the serrated wheel, allowing it to spin. Then, nearly instantaneously, the gun cammed back the flash pan cover, allowing the pyrite to fall onto the already spinning steel, sending the desired sparks into the flash pan.

What Replaced the Wheellock?

Short answer: Flintlocks.
Long Answer: The numerous designs of firearms that featured an ignition system that operated by striking flint onto a piece of steel. While most folks simply call these "flintlocks," there are numerous designs with even more numerous small yet important innovations. They go by names such as snaplock, snaphance or snaphaunce, miquelet, doglock, Baltic lock, and "true" flintlock, and others. In common parlance, they are all "flintlocks," even though many of those designs lack all the features of what is technically considered a true flintlock.

Flintlocks were simpler machines, and therefore, easier and cheaper to produce. From the early 1600s until the early 1800s flintlocks dominated the globe as the weapon of choice to the world's most powerful armies. After that, Forsyth's invention of a rudimentary percussion based ignition system marked the beginning of the end for the fearsome flintlock.

Lot 1296: Incredibly Scarce, Documented Superposed Saxon Wheelock Pistol Formerly of the Saxon Electorial Armories Dresden

Wheellock pistols produced a large number of innovations that surpassed their own ignition system and would continue to affect firearms for the next three centuries.  That's an incredible legacy that remains untouchable save for the inventions of gunpowder and the barrel. Due to their ability to be concealed, wheellocks also hold the dubious distinction of being the earliest firearm to have documented gun control laws passed against it. In 1517, laws that banned the wheellock were decreed by Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I, and by 1584 they were used in several early high profile assassinations including what is popularly known as the first assassination of a head of state by a handgun. However, even the earliest recorded assassination by firearm, that of James Stewart, 1st Earl of Moray, on January 23, 1570 by James Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh, while not specifically noted in history as a wheellock, is depicted as such in at least one instance, shown below. In full disclosure, it is also inaccurately reported as a "firelock" (a.k.a. matchlock), and seen in one 1890 illustration as a flintlock.

"James Hamilton of Bothwellhaugh in the act of assassinating The Earl of Moray at Linlithgow" By G. Cattermole (Leitch Ritchie. Scot and Scotland. 1835.) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Considering their significance, these firearms are relatively unknown to many gun enthusiasts today. Most of their acclaim today is virtue of their incredible visual appeal owed to the exhaustive levels of artistry present. The guns' dogs were carved into any number of animals, mythical creatures, gods, or deceptively difficult geometric shapes. Plates were meticulously engraved and inlaid or plated with precious metals. Stocks were decorated using almost any materials available to the gunsmith: antler, bone, pearl, ivory, coral, silver, gold, wire, mixed woods such as fruit trees or ebony, and more. Scrimshaw was also extensively used and stocks were carved into a myriad of shapes that were often more aesthetically pleasing than they were ergonomic or functional.

The wheellocks in Rock Island Auction Company's 2016 April Premiere Firearms Auction are no exception to these high levels of craftsmanship and beauty. Many are above and beyond what would be considered outstanding examples. We leave you with more photos of the fine wheellock arms appearing in this sale.

Lot 1293: Rare and Unusual All Metal Decorative Wheellock Smooth Bore Carbine with Extensive Medieval Manerist Themed Engraving and Unique Pierced Hollow Metal Stock

Lot 1299: Attractive Wheellock Rifle with Elaborate Scrimshawed Bone Inlays

Lot 1291: Austrian Wheellock Rifle with Elaborate Scrimshawed Bone Inlays

Lot 1297: 17th Century Italian Masterpieces: Beautiful, Important and Well Documented High Art Pair of Mannerist Relief Chiseled and Gold Gilt Wheelock Belt Pistols

Lot 1295: Pair of Wheellock Pistols with Extensive Renaissance Revival Scrimshaw Inlays

-Written by Joel R. Kolander

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