Anton Vinzent Lebeda (1797-1857) and his son Anton Vinzent Lebeda II (1823-1860) are both listed as active gunmakers and engravers out of Prague. "A.V. LEBEDA IN PRAG." marked on top of the barrel. 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 is chambered in .30 caliber/7.5 mm with a smooth bore, German silver blade front sight, and mounted with a walnut forend and buttstock. It functions through the use of a right side mounted lever that is pulled back for cocking in order to fill the cylinder reservoir, and upon pulling the trigger the spring loaded piston releases. High quality floral pattern engraving on the cylinder housing, cocking lever, and fittings. A silver oval inscription plate located on the upper tang shows a noble crown with nine pearls above the initials "FH". Circular brass collection tag marked "R.D. BEEMAN/PRIVATE/COLLECTION/094" hanging from the trigger guard. Provenance: The Dr. Robert D. Beeman Collection

Fine, retains 50% original blue finish mixed with smooth gray/brown patina and some scattered light surface corrosion on the balance, and smooth gray patina on the casehardened surfaces with crisp engraving overall. The wood is also fine with some light scratches and dents, a minor chip at the left corner ahead of the trigger guard, and defined checkering. Mechanically fine.