with tapering barrel decorated with a small gold palmette in front of the copper fore-sight, breech with top flat with chiselled and gilt foliate finial, the rear at the breech with engraved gold line and foliage, the latter surmounted by three gold banners, gilt touch-hole, tang with gold borders, flat bevelled lock in the English fashion inlaid with engraved foliate borders and signed ‘Isma’il Shahni’ in Arabic on a gold-inlaid foliate scroll, gold-lined rainproof pan and roller, the cock and steel decorated en suite with the lock, figured full stock, the chequering on the fore-end and butt highlighted with small silver pins, and inlaid with silver-wire scrollwork around the barrel tang, on the side-flat and on both sides above the pommel, mounts comprising side-nail plates pierced and engraved with foliage within a border of repeated foliage, tang-plate en suite and secured by small silver pins, small engraved escutcheon, border engraved rounded pommel-cap, foliate engraved trigger-guard and fore-end cap, the latter with engraved extension along the bottom for the fore-end, and no provision for a ramrod, 22.3 cm barrel

Provenance

Christie’s London, Antique Arms And Armour, 20 September 2007, lot 153