This apparently unrecorded maker succeeded in creating a high art gun of immense beauty. Featuring etched fine damascus twist barrels with raised flat rib signed “J. DASCH IN KLAGENFURT” in gold, bead front sight and inlaid in bi-color gold with decorative motifs on the rib and barrels at the breech ends. Sculpted chiselled breeches heightened with gold inlay, the underside of the breeches with strong casehardened finish. The standing breech with silver gilt blank shield shaped initial escutcheon, retaining screw with gold inlaid flowerhead, and finely chiselled in relief with scrollwork inhabited by a serpent and a seated figure of Victory with a shield by her side incorporating the maker’s signature and the arms of the city of Klagenfurt and Austria. Backaction locks chiselled with scrollwork en suite with the breech, respectively signed “ZACHER DASCH” and “KLAGENFURT” in gold within ribbons and chiselled with panel scenes involving stags on one side and a wolf being attacked by a hound on the other, and hammers chiselled in the form of stylised winged monsters heightened with gold. Furniture chiselled en suite with some silver accents and borders comprising ramrod entry pipe in the form of a dragon, trigger guard with panel scene involving a hunter in contemporary attire, trigger plate engraved with the serial number and a duck in flight, and buttplate engraved with a stylised eye with the date “1844” in the center surrounded by the script “INDUSTRIE AUSSTELLUNG ZU LAIBACH – ZACHER DASCH” (Laibach or Ljubljana is now the capital of Slovenia), a panel inhabited by a dragon above, and the tang with a grotesque mask and a small panel scene involving two rabbits. The well figured stock has a raised cheekpiece carved with a small vignette involving a recumbent stag at the rear, long shaped checkered panels at the grip, applied pistol grip spur carved in relief with a bearded male portrait mask, and with engraved applied silver borders surrounding the lock apertures and silver wire inlay bordering the standing breech and the checkered grip, the latter sweeping down following the contour of the cheekpiece. The underside of the barrel with two turned and fluted ramrod pipes, original German silver tipped wooden ramrod with iron worm, the central ramrod pipe with wide sling mount with the corresponding sling button fitted to the underside of the butt and engraved with a rosette.

The barrels retaining a fine tight damascus pattern slightly flattened off from cleaning with fine condition gold inlay. The chiselling remains crisp throughout with some minor age relating rubbing to some high points of the ornament. The chiselled areas have a matted blackened ground which enhances the appearance of the relief decoration. The stock has minor age related storage and handling blemishes, the checkering and carved decoration remain crisp and well defined. The wire silver inlaid borders are slightly lifted on both sides. Overall an incredibly ornate and decorative shotgun. Mechanically excellent. Provenance: The Malcolm King Collection.