INCREDIBLE MATCHED PAIR OF EARLY FLINTLOCK JAEGER RIFLES BY PAUL POSER OF PRAGUE WITH WONDERFUL RAISED RELIEF ENGRAVED DETAILING BY FRANZ MATZENKOPF

INCREDIBLE MATCHED PAIR OF EARLY FLINTLOCK JAEGER RIFLES BY PAUL POSER OF PRAGUE WITH WONDERFUL RAISED RELIEF ENGRAVED DETAILING BY FRANZ MATZENKOPF

01-26149
Cal. 57
S# NSN

Paul Poser (1646-1730) ranked among the best craftsman working in the famed Bohemian area of iron production and gun making. Many surviving examples of his work are found in the finest arms collections throughout the world. His works include wheellock guns and rifles from the 1680’s to early 1700’s, as well as early flintlocks like this stunning pair. These rifles have 26-1/2″ deeply swamped octagon barrels with dramatic flares at muzzles. Barrels are mounted with “V” notch bronze rear sights with two folding leaves and silver front beads. Top flats are engraved “Pavl. POSER (Gold poincon as shown on page 976 of Heer) IN. PRAG.”. Barrel tangs are engraved with the numbers “1” & “2”. Flint locks with rounded and slightly arched plates feature inset rounded pans, unbridled friction frizzens and feather springs with long filed spear finials. Serpentine cocks are also round bodied. Cocks and frizzens are neatly chased with some raised decoration. Feather springs are also decoratively filed. Locks are engraved with hunting scenes showing jaegers carrying guns being followed by dogs in front of cocks; stags run away on lockplate tails. The area framed by the feather springs is engraved “P. POSER”. Stocks made of lightly marbled and figured European walnut extend to muzzles with horn caps and are pinned to barrels. Butts are deeply fluted reminicent of wheelock styling and moulded cheekpieces are on left sides. Areas behind barrel tangs as well as either side of cheekpieces are relief carved with open scrolls. Slightly raised mouldings surround locks and most furniture and extend along ramrod channels. Bronze ormolu furniture consisting of buttplates with large, long top tangs, pierced sideplates and trigger guards with foliate finials have engraved border mouldings and other incised work. This decoration frames superbly rendered relief chased carvings consisting of swags, ribbons and foliage surrounding grotesque faces on tops of buttplates. Full bodied statues of Diana goddess of the hunt, with her crescent coronet and hound at her side, are on trigger guard bows. Wonderful pierced sideplates are decorated with a border of relief carved scrolls outlining scenes of hunters at right and hounds retrieving a hare at left. Relief scroll is on octagonal ramrod pipes and grotesque faces are on thimbles. Original hickory ramrods with horn tips, sling loops and buttons are still in place. A rack or collection number “N3” is on each toeline.

STATUS: ANTIQUE