Manufactured in Brescia, Northern Italy in the late 17th century. The three-stage smoothbore barrel bears the famous Italian barrel maker's signature “LAZARINO COMINAZZO” on the fluted breech section and has turned girdles dividing the sections, ribs, and a chiseled mask with the nose serving as the sight. The iron barrel tang is chiseled with foliate scrollwork and a further mask. The lock has elaborate chiseled designs including masks, a classical figure with a shield and sword chiseled in the round on the cock, and a further group chiseled in the round on the lock depicting Leda and the Swan, and foliate scroll patterns. It is signed on the top edge by the frizzen "G. Bat./Frani/Bcia" for Giovan Battista Francino. The figured full walnut stock has inset chiseled iron panels and mounts decorated with foliate scrollwork and additional grotesque mask motifs en suite with the barrel and lock, and chiseled and pierced grotesque-figure trigger, pierced trigger-guard finial, and a belt-hook. Fitted with a wooden iron-mounted ramrod. Provenance: The Norman R. Blank Collection

Very good with gray patina, chiseling clear with softening to high points, minor oxidation, and general mild overall wear. The stock has a replaced forearm with later ramrod and pipe and filled knot-hole in the butt, cracked around the lower rear edge of the lock mortise, scattered handling and age related bruising and scratches throughout. Mechanically fine. This is a very distinctive and desirable 17th century Brescian belt pistol displaying the region's renowned chiseled and pierced metal ornamentation.