This fascinating youth rifle is being de-accessioned from the famed George F. Harding Jr. Collection at the Art Institute of Chicago (reference number: 1982.2867) and is noted as featuring a late 16th century German barrel, c. 1600 German stock, and c. 1620 Italian wheellock likely from Brescia. The seven-groove rifled barrel features a dovetailed blade front sight at the muzzle, a dovetailed notch rear sight, and extensive relief chiseled designs including five figures, four birds, and foliate scrollwork and has an "HH" maker's mark at the breech. It is stocked in fruitwood with staghorn and ivory inlays featuring fine engraving, including a musician on the ramrod entry plate, foliate designs, a landscape on the left stock flat, stag, masks, and male figure on the patchbox lid. Provenance: The George F. Harding Jr. Collection; The Art Institute of Chicago