GERMANY. Superb hunting wheel harquebus with carved walnut f - Lot 260

GERMANY. Superb hunting wheel harquebus with carved walnut frame, decorated on the stock and one-third of the barrel with an interlace of iron nails and fillets in the form of scrolls and foliage. On the counterplate side is an oval iron medallion engraved with a long-haired gentleman holding a sword in his left hand, a symbol of power, stock drawer similarly decorated with plates engraved with floral motifs and a singing bird, octagonal barrel rifled and thunder-engraved with scrolls ending in 3 dog heads, mouth slightly blundered and engraved on the upper side with a scroll, brass barley grain rear sight, thunder stamp on the upper side of the barrel by Carl KEINER (J.F. StØckel: "Haandskydevaabens BedØmmelse", 1938, vol. 1, p.149, ref. 560 to 565), on the left side of the P, SUHL proof mark, flat-bodied molded iron lock with integrated spinning wheel engraved with floral garlands and a running stag head to the left, finely cut and engraved dog depicting a mermaid reflecting in a mirror, hammer crest in the shape of a triton, inside stamped SVL by the town of SUHL (Stadtverwaltung von Suhl), iron fittings, trigger guard with finger rests, Stecher trigger, wooden ramrod with iron head. L: 107 cm, barrel: 78.5 cm. Electorate of Saxony 1650-1660. BE Carl KEINER, active between 1649 and 1680, belongs to a line of harquebusiers originating from EGER (today CHEB in the Czech Republic), father of Hans KEINER, produced in Eger and above all in Suhl, an important center of firearms and bladed weapons production in the 17th century. CNES expert: Laurent Mirouze