An Ottoman Miquelet Lock Gun, probably Bulgaria, 19th Century
Auction Closed
April 29, 12:32 PM GMT
Estimate
5,000 - 8,000 GBP
Lot Details
Description
the plain round steel barrel with erased maker’s mark, low back-sight, and small plates of silver at the breech carved with a repeating palmette motif, the lock en-suite with three red coral beads, set in a wooden full stock covered with chased silver in a contemporary occidental style, swelling faceted butt covered with embroidered red velvet, with silver butt-plate, five silver barrel bands, button trigger, iron ramrod, with later strap attached to suspension rectangles
146cm.
Philippe Missillier Collection no.56C
H. Ricketts and P. Missillier, Splendeur des Armes Orientales, Paris: Acte-Expo, 1988, pp.40-41, no.52
This long gun is a type known as a paragun. The etymology is discussed by Robert Elgood who notes that Paragun is the Venetian name of a fabric, with gold thread sewn into it, originating at the medieval Byzantine court, with the word later passing into Venetian dialect. Elgood illustrated a gun with similar red velvet sewn around the stock (Robert Elgood, The Arms of Greece and Her Balkan Neighbours in the Ottoman Period, London: Thames and Hudson, 2009, pp.167-172, and 168-9, no.200). Another paragon with red velvet on the stock, and gilt repoussé brass decoration on the stock as here, is in the Wallace Collection (inv. no.OA 2080). Two in the Benaki Museum, Athens, are dated 1246 AH/1830-31 AD and 1247 AH/1831-32 AD, indicating a similar date for this piece (Elgood 2009, pp.168-9, nos.201-2). Elgood argues for a Bulgarian origin for the group (Elgood 2009, p.172).
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