An Unusual Pair Of 25-Bore Flintlock Holster Pistols With Left And Right Hand Locks (2)

An Unusual Pair Of 25-Bore Flintlock Holster Pistols With Left And Right Hand Locks Early 18th Century, The Locks And Barrels By A. Du Commun, Warwick, Late 17th Century With shortened two-stage barrels (pitted) each turned at the girdle and chiselled with a trefoil above the sighting flat at the breech, each flat engraved with a grotesque mask and flanked by foliate scrolls, border engraved tangs, large border engraved rounded locks each secured by three side-nails and finely decorated with scrolling foliage inhabited by a naked female figure on the tail, the right hand lock inscribed 'A DV COMMVN' and 'WARWICK', the latter under the steel-spring (cocks expertly replaced), moulded figured full stocks (fore-ends partly replaced, small repairs around one lock) each carved with foliage behind the rear ramrod and barrel tang, steel mounts comprising border engraved flat bevelled side-plates each engraved with scrolling foliage with monster-head terminals, one with the decoration forming the tail of a dragon, vacant foliate escutcheons, spurred pommels each with stepped cap, trigger-guards each with foliate finial, baluster ramrod-pipes (three replaced), and later horn-tipped ramrods (some pitting and rust patination) (2) 24.7 cm. barrels Footnotes: Abraham Du Commun was a Huguenot gunmaker who appears to have gone to Warwick where he worked either for or near to the outstanding provincial gunmaker Nicholas Paris. See Howard L. Blackmore, The Gunmakers of London Supplement 1350-1850, 1999, p. 20 For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing