Northern Africa, Algeria, ca. early 19th century CE. A beautiful long rifle with a stock carved from a single piece of dark-brown wood. The octagonal barrel rests within a groove atop the forestock and is held in place with two brass haunches. Behind the breech is a miquelet lock bearing intricately engraved curvilinear motifs with an adjustable flintlock hammer, a hinged strike plate, and a petite hammer lever used to hold the hammer in a cocked position. The unguarded trigger is of a baluster form with a spherical lower bulb and rests within the groove of a decorative elephant ivory panel. Additional carved ivory decorations are inlaid across the shoulder and backstock, and a thick ivory panel is secured to the back of the shoulder rest. Size: 70.875" L (180 cm); (barrel): 56.875" L (144.5 cm); (bore): 0.7" W (1.8 cm)
This is an ESA antique exempt piece of ivory and cannot be sold internationally or to anyone residing in the states of California, Hawaii, Illinois, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, and Washington. We guarantee that the piece is over 100 years old.
Provenance: ex-estate of Eldert Bontekoe, Pegasi Numismatics, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA, acquired May 4, 2015; ex-Fagan Arms, Inc., Clinton Township, Michigan, USA
All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
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#159185
Condition
Chip to upper tip of ivory backstock shoulder panel as shown. Minor abrasions to barrel, stock, haunches, and miquelet lock, with light encrustations and oxidation on some iron screws, nicks and darkening to some ivory inlays, and a couple of screws missing on handle just behind trigger. Great patina throughout. Hammer still cocks back but trigger does not make hammer fall. Rifle has not been tested for firing functionality.