Pair of Presentation Pistols
Full Description:
Made in the French taste, this pair of Ottoman presentation percussion pistols features Damascus steel parts, generous amounts of inlaid gold and silver, and ornate carvings.
The etched twist Damascus barrels are formed in two stages, with gold sunbursts in place of the fore-sights and gold scrollwork over the breeches. More gold elegantly enriches the tangs and the borders of the flush-fitting locks. The half-stocks are carved and inlaid with silver wire and pellets arranged in patterns of scrolling leafy tendrils and minute petals, while the fore-ends depict monstrous heads with woven motifs behind. There are no provisions for ramrods. The sides opposite to the lock-plates are carved with foliage, a theme echoed in the fluted butts that feature more inlaid silver and ‘wrigglework’. Trigger guards with foliate terminals lead the eye down to the grips’ swivelling butt-caps, also augmented with gold border ornaments.