Pistols with snakes

Philip · 16th April 2020, 05:23 AM

The odd symbols on the top of the barrel which don't seem to conform to either the Latin or Cyrillic alphabets, remind me of an attempt at an inscription or signature that I've seen before on some barrels on guns of Balkan origin. The ribs and channel on the breech portion of the barrel imitate a somewhat similar but far more skillfully executed effect by Brescian gunsmiths; again, the Balkans and other parts of the Ottoman empire was the source of many of these lackluster interpretations of the real thing.

Many of those Balkan knockoffs have misspelled and sloppily chiseled versions of the name Lazarino Cominazzo, the most well-known of a large Brescian family of barrel-makers whose careers spanned 3 generations Aside from misspelled names and poor finish, the copies lack the exquisite balance of Cominazzo work, arising from a robust breech and relatively thin walls at the muzzle, made possible by the exquisitely forged, high quality steel of which the tubes were made. In the Levant, guns with Italianate barrels were often generically termed "al-Lazari", no matter if the signature was genuine or not. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

fernando · 16th April 2020, 12:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Philip

... Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...

Oh ... i like that, Filipe

.

P14 · 18th April 2020, 12:45 PM

The Colbert family of France had a single snake on their coat of arms. Jean-Baptiste Colbert 1619-83. Could have been a gift maybe?

https://collections.royalarmouries.o...sort=relevance

rickystl · 28th April 2020, 03:36 PM

Ho Corado

Something I just noticed. Your original photos above, the 6th down from the top showing one of the metal butt caps. Is that a trace of blue color mixed in with the silver plating ? Or is that just due to the photography ?

Rick

corrado26 · 28th April 2020, 03:42 PM

No, this is actually blue and I thing a trace of silver oxidation.

rickystl · 28th April 2020, 09:14 PM

OK. That makes sense. I was thinking that the silver might have been what they call black/blue niello work at one time. But there is no real trace of that.
Thanks.

Rick

Forja Fontenla · 7th October 2020, 04:16 PM

Beautiful pieces!
They have many things to be Balkan, from the Bosnian region, where such french type flintlock mechanism are most frequently seen.
Inscriptions pretending to be European are very common on pistols from the Balkan Peninsula.
The flintlock is possibly made in Italian or Spanish, built for the Ottoman market, its the same with the barrel

Have you disarmed it?

16th April 2020, 05:23 AM	#1
Philip Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: California Posts: 1,036	barrel markings The odd symbols on the top of the barrel which don't seem to conform to either the Latin or Cyrillic alphabets, remind me of an attempt at an inscription or signature that I've seen before on some barrels on guns of Balkan origin. The ribs and channel on the breech portion of the barrel imitate a somewhat similar but far more skillfully executed effect by Brescian gunsmiths; again, the Balkans and other parts of the Ottoman empire was the source of many of these lackluster interpretations of the real thing. Many of those Balkan knockoffs have misspelled and sloppily chiseled versions of the name Lazarino Cominazzo, the most well-known of a large Brescian family of barrel-makers whose careers spanned 3 generations Aside from misspelled names and poor finish, the copies lack the exquisite balance of Cominazzo work, arising from a robust breech and relatively thin walls at the muzzle, made possible by the exquisitely forged, high quality steel of which the tubes were made. In the Levant, guns with Italianate barrels were often generically termed "al-Lazari", no matter if the signature was genuine or not. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

18th April 2020, 12:45 PM	#3
P14 Member Join Date: Apr 2019 Location: UK Posts: 7	The Colbert family of France had a single snake on their coat of arms. Jean-Baptiste Colbert 1619-83. Could have been a gift maybe? https://collections.royalarmouries.o...sort=relevance Attached Images

28th April 2020, 03:36 PM	#4
rickystl Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: St. Louis, MO area. Posts: 1,621	Ho Corado Something I just noticed. Your original photos above, the 6th down from the top showing one of the metal butt caps. Is that a trace of blue color mixed in with the silver plating ? Or is that just due to the photography ? Rick

28th April 2020, 03:42 PM	#5
corrado26 Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Black Forest, Germany Posts: 1,171	No, this is actually blue and I thing a trace of silver oxidation.

28th April 2020, 09:14 PM	#6
rickystl Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: St. Louis, MO area. Posts: 1,621	OK. That makes sense. I was thinking that the silver might have been what they call black/blue niello work at one time. But there is no real trace of that. Thanks. Rick

7th October 2020, 04:16 PM	#7
Forja Fontenla Member Join Date: Apr 2014 Posts: 13	Beautiful pieces! They have many things to be Balkan, from the Bosnian region, where such french type flintlock mechanism are most frequently seen. Inscriptions pretending to be European are very common on pistols from the Balkan Peninsula. The flintlock is possibly made in Italian or Spanish, built for the Ottoman market, its the same with the barrel Have you disarmed it?