"ANTON SEBERT/IN CARLSBAD" marked on the top of the frame. Anton Sebert of Carlsbad (Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic) was active circa 1850. Air guns of this style were used primarily for indoor target shooting. "Wind guns" had several advantages over conventional firearms including that they were quieter, smokeless, quicker to reload, and they also required less cleaning since they did not require corrosive black powder. This gallery air gun has a tip-up octagon barrel that loads from the breech, chambered in approximately .28 caliber/7 mm with a smooth bore, dovetail mounted blade front sight, dovetail mounted adjustable notch rear sight, and is mounted with a walnut stock with high quality floral relief carvings. Flourishes of high quality floral scroll engraving on the barrel at the breech, small fittings, frame, trigger guard and buttplate. It functions through the use of a crank handle (not included) that is inserted in the right side for cocking in order to fill the cylinder reservoir with air, and upon pulling the trigger the spring loaded piston releases. Provenance: The Dr. Robert D. Beeman Collection

Excellent, retains 95% original brown finish on the barrel and cylinder reservoir with a few light scratches, 80% original niter blue finish on the rear sight, nearly all of the matte French gray on the action and fittings with a few patches of minor pitting on the buttplate, and absolutely sharp engraving, markings and edges in the metal overall. Stock is very fine with defined edges and carvings, scattered light handling marks, some light surface cracking, and attractive figure overall. Crank untested, otherwise the tip-up barrel functions excellent.