Beschreibung:

A VERY RARE FRENCH CASED PAIR OF ELABORATE PERCUSSION TARGET PISTOLS MADE FOR THE LONDON GREAT EXHIBITION OF 1851, BY GASTINNE RENETTE, 29 ALLÉE D'ANTIN, PARIS
NO.565, DATED 1849 AND 1851
A VERY RARE FRENCH CASED PAIR OF ELABORATE PERCUSSION TARGET PISTOLS MADE FOR THE LONDON GREAT EXHIBITION OF 1851, BY GASTINNE RENETTE, 29 ALLÉE D'ANTIN, PARIS No.565, DATED 1849 AND 1851 With blued punched matted rifled barrels chiselled and gilt with panels of scrolling flowers, vines and foliage all in low relief over two off-set octagonal stages, the muzzles decorated with chiselled and gilt bands of stylised leaves and stamped 'Expo Universelle de London 1851' in miniscules within an alternate arrangement of flutes, and each numbered and dated on the underside towards the breech, chiselled and gilt breeches struck with barrel maker's marks beneath ('GR' crowned), chiselled and gilt breech tangs each carrying the backsight, detented case-hardened locks chiselled and gilt with further scrollwork patterns on a contrasting punched matted ground and each signed on an encrusted gold ribband, ebony half-stocks, the butts and fore-ends boldly carved with panels of flowers and foliage in relief and en suite with the barrels, locks and mounts, the butts each with blued steel cap fitted with a gilt-iron openwork dome of arcanthus leaves chiselled in high relief, and retaining much original finish throughout (the gilding with small patches of light wear, the stocks each with a minor crack): in fitted case veneered in ebony and inlaid with brass and white metal banded patterns of scrolling foliage, the lid with later white metal escutcheon inscribed 'Gastinne Renette Exp o n Universelle de London 1851', and with some accessories including bullet mould, probably the original. 16¾in (42.5cm) (2)