Very Fine and Extremely Rare Carved and Figured Maple, Engraved Brass, Silver Inlaid and Steel Flintlock American Long RifleJohn Philip Beck (1751-1811)Lancaster County, Lebanon, PennsylvaniaCirca 1780 The octagonal barrel engraved J x P x Beck, .52 caliber rifled bore, engraved INRI which stands for "Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews" on underside of barrel.Length 57 3/8 in.; Barrel Length 42 in.ProvenanceHoward “Mac” Murray, Detroit, Michigan; Philip Cowan, Schuylkill House, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania; Alfred Clegg, Chester Springs, Pennsylvania; Glenn E. Bryan, Melbourne, Florida.LiteratureMerrill Lindsay, The Kentucky Rifle, (New York: Arma Press and The Historical Society of York County, 1972) no. 19; Patrick Hornberger and John Kolar, The Lancaster Long Rifle At the Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum (Trappe, MD: Eastwind Publishing, 2012) no. 14, pp. 16-17; Robert Kyle, "Lancaster Long Rifle collection is on exhibit at Pennsylvania Museum", Antique Week, August 13, 2012, p. 26; John Kolar, "The Lancaster Long Rifle", Antiques And the Arts Weekly, (September 21, 2012), p. 30; John Kolar, "Lancaster Long Rifles" Early American Life, (October 2012), p. 64.ExhibitedYork County Historical Society Exhibit, 1971; Lancaster, PA; Landis Valley Museum, September-December 2012. The Golden Age of an American Art Form: The Lancaster Long Rifle.Catalogue noteThis signed rifle by the celebrated gunsmith, John Philip Beck (1751-1811) of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, is one of the best extant in private hands with elaborate relief carved ornamentation and a shorter, sloping wrist that results in a more refined yet powerful profile. The pronounced curly maple stock, masterly carved with grand rococo C-scrolls, contains wire inlay on the crest of the comb and is juxtaposed with a square-form early Federal period silver eagle above the cheekpiece. The embellished four-piece feathered C-scroll-engraved pierced daisy-headed patchbox is another fanciful ornament that is visually compelling on the straight, thick curly maple stock. The hidden engraving “INRI” under the barrel, which translates to “Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews” is perhaps the most interesting feature on this rifle and was likely commissioned by the first owner of the rifle. Not only was J.P. Beck the only gunsmith to have used this talisman, this rifle is one of only three known examples that contain the inscription, making it equally rare as it is visually stunning.
Very Fine and Extremely Rare Carved and Figured Maple, Engraved Brass, Silver Inlaid and Steel Flintlock American Long RifleJohn Philip Beck (1751-1811)Lancaster County, Lebanon, PennsylvaniaCirca 1780 The octagonal barrel engraved J x P x Beck, .52 caliber rifled bore, engraved INRI which stands for "Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews" on underside of barrel.Length 57 3/8 in.; Barrel Length 42 in.ProvenanceHoward “Mac” Murray, Detroit, Michigan; Philip Cowan, Schuylkill House, Phoenixville, Pennsylvania; Alfred Clegg, Chester Springs, Pennsylvania; Glenn E. Bryan, Melbourne, Florida.LiteratureMerrill Lindsay, The Kentucky Rifle, (New York: Arma Press and The Historical Society of York County, 1972) no. 19; Patrick Hornberger and John Kolar, The Lancaster Long Rifle At the Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum (Trappe, MD: Eastwind Publishing, 2012) no. 14, pp. 16-17; Robert Kyle, "Lancaster Long Rifle collection is on exhibit at Pennsylvania Museum", Antique Week, August 13, 2012, p. 26; John Kolar, "The Lancaster Long Rifle", Antiques And the Arts Weekly, (September 21, 2012), p. 30; John Kolar, "Lancaster Long Rifles" Early American Life, (October 2012), p. 64.ExhibitedYork County Historical Society Exhibit, 1971; Lancaster, PA; Landis Valley Museum, September-December 2012. The Golden Age of an American Art Form: The Lancaster Long Rifle.Catalogue noteThis signed rifle by the celebrated gunsmith, John Philip Beck (1751-1811) of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, is one of the best extant in private hands with elaborate relief carved ornamentation and a shorter, sloping wrist that results in a more refined yet powerful profile. The pronounced curly maple stock, masterly carved with grand rococo C-scrolls, contains wire inlay on the crest of the comb and is juxtaposed with a square-form early Federal period silver eagle above the cheekpiece. The embellished four-piece feathered C-scroll-engraved pierced daisy-headed patchbox is another fanciful ornament that is visually compelling on the straight, thick curly maple stock. The hidden engraving “INRI” under the barrel, which translates to “Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews” is perhaps the most interesting feature on this rifle and was likely commissioned by the first owner of the rifle. Not only was J.P. Beck the only gunsmith to have used this talisman, this rifle is one of only three known examples that contain the inscription, making it equally rare as it is visually stunning.
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