An exceptionally fine 28-bore percussion cape-rifle, with gilt decoration

Have you always dreamed of owning a finely decorated double-barreled combination gun of exhibition quality? In Holts Auctioneers’ December auction bidders have the chance to purchase a beautiful Bavarian F. Dunckel of Burg Linn, 28-bore percussion cape rifle, as featured on the front cover of their catalogue. Holts Auctioneers Robert Morgan commented: “The extraordinary attention to the detailed chiselled and carved decoration of this rifle is in close keeping with the finest luxury firearms made in Vienna and Prague, circa 1850-60. Examples of this school of workmanship are found in the majority of the surviving ancestral gunrooms of the crowned heads of Northern Europe and Scandinavia, and those of the German and Austro-Hungarian senior nobility.”

The gun features brushed bright fine twist damascus 28in. barrels, the right rifled in seven grooves, the left smooth, the contrasting damascus top-rib with inlaid panel signed in gold 'F. DUNCKEL BURGLINN', blacked niello borders either end of the signature, dove-tailed broad based blued fore-sight with crescent blade, blued rear-sight with numbered register for windage adjustable via a screw and lockable via another, the front of sight base carved as a running snake, colour hardened rib-end with contrasting engraved borders, colour hardened breech-blocks, the snails shaped and moulded and carved in relief as a flower, the central vents in platinum, the undersides with oval makers marks 'MST', blued nipples with polished tops, fully chased and engraved complex top-tang with curled percussion fences to the fore, the relief engraving further enhanced with a gilded eagle between the hammers, a broad panel with a stag in a woodland setting against a gilded background with further gilt accents to the remainder, fully carved and engraved back-action locks with engraved extended underbarrel supports, the engraving featuring relief carved acanthus scrolls inhabited with gilt game animals, birds and flowers, polished exposed pin-heads, fully carved and engraved swinging safes forwards of each hammer, each inlaid with a gold line, relief carved, pierced and engraved hammers with engraved dome-headed screws, the back curves pierced with bows and arrows, the bodies inhabited by gilded mythical beasts, the hammer heads carved as dragons with gilt eyes, teeth and realistically carved hair, finely chequered hammer spurs, figured walnut straight-hand half-stock finely chequered at the wrist, the right hand side relief carved with a panel of acanthus scrolls and a border of oak-leaves surrounding a complex pierced patch-box and hinge, the front of the panel with applied ivory eagle clutching a fawn in its talons, the lid of the leather-lined patchbox relief carved with a gilt hunter stalking a gilded mouflon in a mountainous setting with small detail also picked out in gilt, the left hand side of butt with moulded and raised cheek-piece, the rear deeply relief carves with a scene of hunting dogs attacking wild boar in a woodland setting whilst a hunter stands by with his hanger waiting to administer the 'coup de grace', the trees inhabited by an applied ivory gamebird, iron heel-plate, the long top-spur carved en-suite with the locks, moulded and carved horn lower tang cover with pistol-grip spur, carved and engraved complex trigger-guard bow featuring a gilded fox and a multiple curled scroll leading edge, blued set trigger for the right hand barrel, plain blued trigger for the shot barrel, long carved, chased and engraved trigger-guard complex finial with gilded detail almost meeting the en-suite complex ramrod throat, rectangular gilt barrel key escutcheons, silver mounted ebony under-barrel ramrod and front and rear blued sling-swivels.   Estimate: £8,000-£12,000. Holts Auctioneers’ next auction in London is on Thursday 14th December 2017.