Beschreibung:

with tapering barrel formed in three stages (fore-sight removed), chiselled with foliage enclosing an amorous couple with a green man mask at the top over the breech, flat lock struck with a shield-shaped mark (worn) fitted with external wheel retained by a large circular bracket, dog, serpentine, sliding pan-cover, pivot safety-catch and external springs retained by plain brackets (restorations, areas of pitting), full stock profusely inlaid over the fore-end with engraved staghorn ball flowers and leafy tendrils inhabited by a hare and fox pursued by a hound and a pair of scrolling marine monsters, all framed by ropework segmental lines within a deeper foliate frame and enriched with pellets, the area opposite the lock decorated en suite and with a hunter in contemporary dress taking aim at a stag, the underside of the lock with further stag vignettes and a moustachioed demi-figure and a further plaque ahead with a crucifixion scene attended by Mary and a further saint accompanied by celestial motifs, the butt shaped for the cheek on the left and decorated with an elaborate boar hunting scene involving a mounted hunter and a foot hunter with boar spear accompanied by six hounds, the right of the butt with patchbox with sliding cover applied with an engraved staghorn plaque decorated with the figure of Eve, engraved staghorn butt-plate decorated with the owner's coat-of-arms, iron trigger-guard shaped for the fingers, engraved staghorn ramrod-pipes and fore-end cap (later ramrod, the stock with small losses and repairs including the fore-end cap, two ramrod-pipes), fitted with an additional staghorn thumb-rest beneath the lock, probably added in its early working life, 87.5 cm barrel Provenance Joe Kindig Jr. (1898-1971), thence by descent The arms on the butt-plate appear to be those of Count Jakob Hannibal I von Hohenems (1530-1587), adopted from 1585. Count Jakob spent part of his youth in North Italy in the army of Charles V and later distinguished himself, in 1557, at Doulens in Picardy. In 1559 his uncle, Giovanni Angelo Medici became Pope Pius IV and the following year the family were elevated to counts, and their dominion Voralberg to an Imperial county. Count Hannibal went to the court of Philip II as papal envoy and, in 1564, took part as colonel in an impresa of the Spanish fleet against the Moorish pirates off the coast of Morocco. In 1574-76 and 1578-79 he was colonel of the regiments under Philip II defending the southern Netherlands and, under the leadership of Duke Alexander Farnese, conquered the fortress of Maastricht. His two year stay in the garrison at Antwerp provided an opportunity to acquire some important works of art, including some seven hundred painted wall coverings, the winged altar by an Antwerp master (circa 1510, now preserved in the Museum Ferdinandeum, Innsbruck) and groups of relief figures for the high altar of the newly built Hohenems parish church. In 1585 he was appointed Governor General of Rome and Vatican City by Pope Pius IV. Part proceeds to benefit the Acquisition Fund of the Arms and Armor department, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.