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FINE FRENCH FLINTLOCK WENDER GUN BY MELCHIOR PIRON, CIRCA 1685.

Currency:USD Category:Antiques / Firearms & Armory Start Price:3,000.00 USD Estimated At:6,000.00 - 12,000.00 USD
FINE FRENCH FLINTLOCK WENDER GUN BY MELCHIOR PIRON, CIRCA 1685.
NSN. Though the maker is unlisted, he was obviously a French gunsmith of great skill and artistic ability. Lock is chiseled in relief with a grotesque face and the gunsmith's name, Melchior Piron, in a reserve surrounded by acanthus leaves. Octagonal to 16-side to round bbls are forged with exceptional artistry. Sideplate is pierced and chiseled with two dragons and a recumbent nude woman. Trigger guard is chiseled with a relief portrait of a man, possibly the owner. Breech tang is relief chiseled with a dog, hunter and a deer. Trigger is articulated and pierced. Wender mechanism functions well. Gun is overall very crisp. Forend and buttstock are of fine quality burl grained French walnut and feature simple relief carving. Relatively plain steel buttplate. Form of this gun is particularly elegant and similar to a long gun of the same type by Languedoc pictured in decorated firearms, The Clay P. Bedford collection. PROVENANCE: Joe Kindig, Jr., Joe Kindig III, and Raymond Petry, Chester Springs, Pennsylvania. Collection of Dr. Douglas Sirkin. CONDITION: Metal is clean and extremely crisp with only minor staining. Stock is lightly wormed but generally very fine. Forend panels are very good to excellent. 4-50003 MRZ62