A beautiful flintlock holster pistol

dating: about 1710 provenance: Austria, Long, round, smoothbore, 15 mm cal barrel, with square base and rib provided with front sight, gold decorations all over its length, the base with a warrior on a trophy and two dragons underneath, the rib with a garland of floral motifs, the nozzle decorated with a warrior on a trophy similar to the one on the base, parts of the original browning; iron tang decorated en suite and provided with sight. Flintlock battery with golden-brass plate, engraved with a mask and flowers on a granulated background, iron cock, spring, and batterie, the cock decorated en suite. Long, lightly carved, beautiful wooden stock (restorations) with beautiful gilded-bronze (50% gold) mounts richly engraved with crossed bands and floral motifs, pierced counter-plate with a large mask at the center, pierced escutcheon surmounted by a mask, horn fore-end cap. Horn-tipped, wooden ramrod. See a pair of similar pistols, same length and brass plate, in the Draeger collection, sold at Sotheby's on 7th December 1987 in Munich, lot 178, plate 83. length 54.5 cm.