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Elaborately Decorated Gold Inlaid European Wheellock from the Early 18th Century
LOT 1308
Elaborate Gold-Inlaid Ormolu- Mounted Wheellock Target Rifle by Marcus Zellner of Vienna with Silver Inlaid/Relief Carved Stock - NSN, 62 cal., 31 3/8 inch octagon bbl., blue/bright finish, walnut stock. The swamped, octagonal, rifled barrel has the gold-inlaid maker’s name “MARCUS ZELLNER IN WIENN” just ahead of a large gold- inlaid arabesque panel. The breech tang is scroll engraved. It features a finely filed single-standing rear sight with single folding leaf, simple dove-tailed front sight surrounded by gold-inlaid scrolls, flat lock plate entirely decorated with engraved scrolls surrounding the inscribed maker’s name “Marcus Zellner/in Wienn”, cock jaws decorated with shell-form scroll patterns, and walnut full-stock inlaid overall with silver-wire forming scrolls between large panels of high-relief carved foliated scrolls and numerous inset scroll decorated ormolu plates, ormolu trigger guard, ramrod pipes and forend tip. Marcus Zellner (Markus Zelner) was active c. 1693-1758, see “Der Neue Stockel” by Heer on page 1433. Includes a brief note signed by Wallace Gusler and dated April 22, 2016. CONDITION: Fine. The barrel has a blue-brown patina. The lock-plate is a medium grey patina over mild pitting. The edge of barrel channel has losses on each side, and the stock is cracked through wrist though it shows mostly on the inside. The crack remains visible near trigger guard. The barrel pins and a few screws are absent. It displays the expected wear to gilding on the brass mountings. The hair- trigger is broken, and the lock is untested. Provenance: Joe Kindig, Jr. to Peter Tillou in 1962. Estimate: 9,500 - 16,000
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