A FINE INDIAN MATCHLOCK RIFLE (JEZAIL), PROBABLY SIND PROVINCE, LATE 18TH/ EARLY 19TH CENTURY

with a long slender octagonal twist barrel flared towards the muzzle, decorated with gold koftgari panels of scrolls and flowerheads at the breach and muzzle, inlaid with a brief Urdu inscription also in gold, and retained by eleven shaped silver bands, the latter enriched with niello panels of scrolling flowers between bands of conventional foliage (the pan-cover replaced), wooden full stock encased in leather (small areas of wear), faced with a large chased silver panel behind the barrel, and narrow butt of characteristic form applied with further decorative silver bands and a large nielloed basal-plate en suite with the barrel bands, fitted with plain match-holder and pierced iron trigger enriched with gold koftgari, decorated silver swivels carrying a silver-mounted sling, and retaining its original pricker, ramrod, and a length of match wound around the butt