Produced by an unknown gunsmith in the 20th Century, this pistol bears several noteworthy features. The first, and most apparent, is the stock, a smooth ivory stock which starts with a gentle taper at the cannon muzzle, follows the contours of the lock, and terminates in a round pommel over an inch and a half wide. The lock is finely decorated, with carved dragon themed designs on the wheel retainer and serpentine arm and fine engraving on the flashpan. However, the most interesting feature is the breech arrangement; a small switch on the upper tang, decorated with a carved silver grotesque face, triggers a breech cover to flip open on spring loaded hinges, revealing a removable chamber with integral touch hole and flash pan, which slides out for loading. Representing a significant departure from traditional fixed chamber black powder arms, this loading system would permit a significant change in reloading speed, particularly if combined with extra pre-loaded chambers. Provenance: The William Ashby Collection