Beschreibung:

.62 caliber, 14" pinned, round barrels, no S/N. Bright finish, raised carved hardwood stocks, false metal ramrods. Flat beveled banana shaped locks with faceted, fenced, unbridled pans and flat beveled swan-neck cocks. Locks signed on lower beveled edges G. DESELIER and are engraved with flowing foliate scrolls, with the triggerguards and frizzens engraved en-suite. Chiseled grotesque mask butt caps with long langets, flowing foliate openwork steel side plates, escutcheon shaped thumb pieces at wrist, silver wrapped muzzles with chiseled foliate decorations. Three gilt lion depressed hallmarks are present on the faceted portions of the barrels at the breeches. A nice pair of European holster pistols from the early 18th century with silver Ottoman muzzle bands. Gilles Selleir (who sometimes signed his work "Deselier") worked in Liege ca1680-1710 and the Lion hallmarks found on these pistols were his mark (Der Neue Stockel). Condition: Very good. Both pistols cleaned to bright with dull pewter patina. Some scattered surface oxidation, discoloration and light pitting is present, and some detail was lost in some of the decorative chiseled carvings. Both mechanically functional, in original flint configuration with oxidized and pitted bores. Both stocks with wear, bumps and dings and some minor chipping, the worst being a small area at the top rear of one lock. Amazingly the stocks appear to be free of any major repairs.