8 - A rare flintlock pistol marked Vaubonne

A rare flintlock pistol marked Vaubonne dating: circa 1700 provenance: France, Long, smoothbore barrel of round section, with square breech and full-length rib, marked ‘DRAGON VON VAUBONNE’ at the base, iron foresight and 15 mm cal. at the nozzle. Tang provided with a rear sight. Thin flintlock with outlined borders. Wooden full stock (some minor defects, minor restorations). Iron mounts, bands with rings with fuller, fretwork counterplate decorated with grotesque motifs. Working mechanism with double-set triggers. This flintlock dragoon pistol is both interesting and extremely rare. It dates from the period when dragoon regiments served under Victor Amadeus II of Savoy during the War of the Spanish Succession. Among the commanders of the Savoyard cavalry was Colonel Joseph Guibert de Vaubonne, a French officer who had entered the service of the House of Savoy. This conflict culminated in the historic liberation of Turin by the Duke and his cousin, Prince Eugene, in 1706. This type of firearm therefore represents a valuable material testament to the equipment used by the Savoyard cavalry during one of the most dramatic and decisive moments in Piedmontese history.