Museum Quality Gilt Bronze Mounted German Wheellock Holster Pistol Circa 1630

A Very Fine And Important Museum Quality Gilt Bronze Mounted German Wheellock Holster Pistol The Stock Veneered In Snakewood Circa 1630.

15 and 1/2 inch octagonal barrel slightly swamped at muzzle engraved throughout its length with scrolls, tendrils, and leaves, struck with a mark “N” over the Nuremberg eagle. Barrel tang engraved ensuite.

The lock finely contoured with chiseled pan and beautifully engraved ensuite with the barrel. Steel triggerguard enclosing a sophisticated double articulated trigger. Magnificent fire gilded bronze pommel cast and chased with a trophy of arms and a band of figures in an exotic landscape all in high relief. Finely engraved partially gilded barrel bands.

The snakewood (palisander) veneered fullstock inlaid with bands of finely scrimshawed white horn. The beauty and elegance of the inlay cannot be overstated.

This splendid pistol is 23 and 3/4 inches in length. Condition throughout is fine with crisp engraving and superb snake scale patterns in the veneer. Palisander or snakewood veneer was reserved for the very finest late 16th and 17th century wheellock firearms as it had to be imported from the New World.

This pistol is of genuine museum quality and is undoubtedly one of if not the finest single wheellock pistol being offered. A similar unengraved pistol with palisander veneered stock by Martin Gummi was sold by Christie’s in London on May 24th 2006 for 19,200 British pounds. At that time the pound was 1.88 to the U.S. dollar. That pistol sold for $36,000.