This rare diminutive double rifle was made in circa 1906 and features a full coverage engraving on the action and trigger guard of deep chiseled exotic game scenes involving tigers, elephants including one on the underside of the action with a rider armed with a spear, and an Indian waterbuck on the trigger guard, all in jungle settings. The blued barrels are each engraved with a band of stylized foliage at the breech end and are respectively signed “R.B. RODDA & CO.” and “2 WELLESLEY PLACE. CALCUTTA & BIRMINGHAM." A concave rib is supplemented by a quarter rib bearing the rear express sight of one standing and four folding leaves calibrated to 500 yards and extending to a doll’s head engraved with scrollwork, and ramp mounted front bead sight with flip-up moon-sight. The bolstered action has blued firing pin bushings, a blued top lever and automatic safety with gold inlaid “SAFE”, and deep chiseled serial number on the trigger guard tang. The underside of the barrels and the water table have Birmingham nitro proof marks for “32/40 EX,” and it is import marked under the forearm. The well-figured pistol grip stock has a checkered grip and forearm, grip cap engraved en suite with the action and a raised cheekpiece, a blued lever release chiseled en suite with the action on the forearm, and a slightly oversized rubber recoil pad. The underside of the butt has a blank gold oval initial escutcheon and a blued sling eye, and the corresponding eye is fitted to the underside of the barrels. 14 1/4 inch length of pull. Weight 7 lbs. 10 oz. Provenance: The Malcolm King Collection

Fine. The barrels retain nearly all of the reblued finish and have refreshed signatures and softened breech end and doll’s head engraving. The action displays a grey patina with some slight age related softening to the high points of the chiseled decoration and some discoloration. The engraving is otherwise clear, delightfully detailed, and well-defined. The forearm iron and release lever retain nearly all of the reblued finish. It is expertly restocked with well-figured walnut with shallow checkering and occasional scattered minor storage and handling blemishes. The ejectors require attention; otherwise mechanically excellent.