This pair of 18th century officer's pistols is from Peter Fromery (c. 1701-1782) of Berlin. He is believed to be the grandson of Peter/Pierre Fromery, gunmaker to the court of Friedrich III in the late 17th century per Heer in "Der Neue Stockel." They are finished in fire blue with gilt background highlighting the engraving. The barrels have blade front sights on sighting flats, a orientalist design on top accented by scroll borders, notch rear sights on the upper tangs, and "Bis/No. 29" marked on the tangs. The locks are signed "FROMERY" along the lower edge below the frizzen springs and have "TL" marked on the inside of the plates. The wrist escutcheons include a coronet of a marquess/marchioness over the bust of a lady. The bust is reversed on the two pistols. Otherwise, the engraving throughout is nearly identical and includes masks, scrollwork, and putti/amorini. The lion masks on the pommel caps are very similar to those on the gilt brass mounted pair by Claude Niquet in our September 2021 auction, but the rest of the designs on the pommel caps are different and include a design coordinating with the barrels. The stocks have panels of checkering on the wrists.

Fine with traces of original niter blue, 75% plus of the original gold, mottled gray-brown patina on the balance, patches of mild oxidation, crisp engraving, and distinct signature. The stock is fine and has mild wear on the otherwise crisp checkering, some faint cracks in the grain, a repair to the left of the barrel tang, sliver absent on the left edge of the forend, and mild wear.

See "A."

Fine with traces of original fire blue mainly near the breech, 75% plus of the original gold, mottled gray-brown patina on the balance, spots of mild oxidation, crisp engraving and markigns, and mild overall wear. The stock is fine and has spots of wear on the otherwise crisp checkering, a few dings and scratches, and mild overall wear.