This gun reminds me of a cautionary tale in one of Steve’s gun books. A Texan ordered a London best gun and when the maker asked what engraving he wanted, the Texan said casually, “Just some swirls.” He got squirrels after his accent was lost in translation. With 5 and 6 figure guns, you need to be specific.
Squirrels are uncommon on best guns and this is the best use of them I have ever seen. They lend themselves to hammer tangs like they were made for it.
In the Department, some of us affectionately refer to this gun as the Squirrel Gun, noting the tiny mammals topping the hammers. It was off display recently so we had the opportunity to take some new photos in our offices, focusing on angles and details not captured in existing photography. Enjoy post No. 14 in the gallery tour!The Second Empire (1852–70) marked the twilight of French gunmaking, which had dominated the design of European firearms since the period of Louis XIV. Parisian gunmakers consistently employed the finest contemporary designers, silversmiths, sculptors, and engravers to transform functional hunting and target weapons into works of art. This exquisitely decorated shotgun reflects the period’s predilection for historical revivals––in this case, the style of Louis XV. Especially noteworthy is the harmonious combination of rococo ornamental vocabulary and blue-and-gold coloring, which together evoke eighteenth-century taste. Exhibited by the gunsmith J. C. A. Brun at the Exposition Universelle of 1867, the gun is actually a collaborative work by several of the leading artists and craftsmen of the time: the damascus twist barrels are by Léopold Bernard; the overall design and the intricately chiseled steel mounts are by the goldsmiths François-Auguste and François-Joseph-Louis Fannière; and the delicate engravings on the barrels and mounts, encrusted in two-color gold, are by the engraver Jean-Claude Tissot.Made in 1866, it’s one of the latest guns in Gallery 375, and also one of our favorites!Double-Barrel Breech-Loading Pinfire Shotgun. Gunsmith: J. C. A. Brun (active 1849–72). Barrelsmith: Léopold Bernard (active 1832–70). Goldsmiths: Designed and steel chiseled by François-Auguste Fannière (1818–1900) and François-Joseph-Louis Fannière (1822–1897). Engraver: Jean-Claude Tissot (1811–1889). French, Paris, dated 1866. (1993.415) @ The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
More above via the Department of Arms and Armor at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
More Pix on the site, as well.