Description
About .60 cal., 12 1/4” barrels showing very good bores. This is a lovely set of uncut, completely original long-length horseman’s holster pistols. The barrels are a very pleasing smooth pewter gunmetal patina with German silver half-moon front sights, dual turned medials about halfway down their length and small turned medials at the junction from round to octagonal. Each has a dovetail tang and are maker marked lightly on the top flat ”Lazari Cominaz”. Each of the toucholes is lined in gold and the arms, while showing evidence of use, were extremely well-cared-for.
The banana-shaped locks have beveled front edges, pronounced teat at the rear end, are convex, as-are the swan neck cocks. Each of the lockplates is marked along their lower beveled edge ”I.C. Saps” with ”Berlin” hiding atop the bevel behind the frizzen spring. The unbridled frizzens are lightly sculpted and the frizzen spring is chiseled with foliate tail. There is a nice medial ridge beneath the rounded pan and small chiseled ribs running around the circumference of the lockplates and hammers. There are lovely faceted flared German silver ramrod thimbles with the triggerguard front extension chiseled and engraved with an urn and foliate motif with a small grotesque at its base, the bow lightly engraved, the rear extension faceted. Each of the rear extensions is engraved in turn ”P/No./2”. The silver dual-strapped buttcaps show light borderline engraving with a loose open scroll drapery and fabulous grotesques at the butt proper.
The arms are stocked in European walnut which shows some lovely grain figure here and there and rate very fine with sharp edges and the expected light dings and handling marks that come from the years. There is island carving around all of the furniture with some light excellent quality open flowing scroll at the rear of the dovetail tangs. Each of the stock flats has been branded with a capital letter ”K” and feature a pierced open flowing rococo scroll sideplate with unengraved monogram field and a grotesque serpent at the front of each devouring the front lockplate screws. The locks are very crisp and mechanically functional and the original brass faced ramrods are included (one may be a later antique replacement but it is of the finest quality and mimics the other rod precisely); the top jaw and screw of one arm show evidence of having been lightly cleaned but appear to be original. Bresican gunsmith Lazarino Cominazzo was known for his very fine work, this house has sold arms in the past equipped only with his barrels, they being of excellent quality and harvested for use on later arms.
Johann Christoph Saps (I.C. Saps / Berlin) according to Stockel was the regimental gunsmith from 1744-54 for the ”von Kalckreuth” Infantry Regiment No. 4, of Jung-Larisch’s 2nd Division, hence the large capital ”K” branded into the left stock flat. A very lovely pair of large martial holster pistols, no doubt utilized by some officer of import and wealth as was common in that time period.
