Lot 332

Brown Brothers Relief Sculpted Holland & Holland 4 Bore Shotgun

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Brown Brothers Relief Sculpted Holland & Holland 4 Bore Shotgun

Estimate: $275,000 - $450,000

Starting Bid: $225,000

(0 Bids)

by Rock Island Auction Company
August 21, 2026 9:00 AM CDT
Live Auction
3600 Harwood Road
Bedford, TX, US 76021

Important, Rare, Magnificent and Well-Documented Factory Brown Brothers Signed and Deep Relief Sculpted Holland & Holland "The Herculean 4 Bore" Sidelock Double Barrel Shotgun For nearly two centuries, Holland & Holland has stood among the most revered names in the gunmaking world, producing firearms that represent the absolute pinnacle of craftsmanship, artistry, and mechanical excellence. The firm's finest creations transcend their utilitarian purpose, occupying a place not merely among great sporting arms, but within the broader realm of fine art. Built for royalty, heads of state, and the most discerning sportsmen, Holland & Holland's legendary "best" guns embody a tradition of uncompromising quality that remains unmatched. It is with great pride that Rock Island Auction Company presents "The Herculean," an extraordinary masterpiece from Holland & Holland and a compelling candidate for the finest 4-bore rifle ever constructed. Conceived without regard for limitation and executed to the highest standards of the London trade, The Herculean represents the culmination of generations of gunmaking knowledge, artistic vision, and technical mastery. It stands not only as one of the most remarkable firearms ever produced by Holland & Holland, but as one of the supreme achievements of the gunmaker's art. In 1966, under the inspiration and guidance of former legendary Managing Director Malcolm Lyell, Holland & Holland embarked upon one of the most ambitious artistic undertakings in the firm's history: the creation of a select series of firearms that would exemplify the highest expression of the gunmaker's art. Known collectively as the "Products of Excellence," these extraordinary works were conceived not merely as sporting arms, but as masterpieces of craftsmanship and design. Lyell sought to recapture the grandeur of the great European gunmakers and artisans of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, drawing particular inspiration from Nicolas-Noël Boutet and the magnificent works created under his direction at Versailles. The resulting series produced some of the most celebrated firearms ever to emerge from the London trade. Among them were the "Broadland Garniture," completed in 1984 and engraved with exquisitely detailed scenes from the life of Lord Mountbatten, and the celebrated "Rococo" gun, completed in 1987 and adorned with deep relief carving inspired by figures and scenes from Greek mythology. Yet even among these extraordinary creations, one project stood apart. Conceived in 1969, Holland & Holland undertook the construction of two monumental sidelock 4-bore guns unlike anything previously attempted by the firm, two firearms destined to lead the vanguard of the "Products of Excellence" program. The first, completed approximately fifteen years since its inception is known as "The Saurian," decorated with scenes depicting the great dinosaurs, and spectacular casing including fossils, a fitting tribute to the largest creatures ever to walk the earth. The second, presented here, is "The Herculean," completed circa 1988. Taking as its theme the legendary Twelve Labors of Hercules, the gun draws inspiration from the trials imposed upon the mythical hero by King Eurystheus of Mycenae as penance for the slaying of his family after he was driven to madness by Hera. Monumental in both scale and execution, it stands among the most ambitious artistic achievements ever undertaken by Holland & Holland. The twelve labors: 1. Slay the enormous Nemean lion, which he strangled with his bare hands as the beast had an impervious hide. He then took its pelt using its own claws to wear as armor. 2. Kill the nine-headed Lernaean Hydra, which grew a two new heads with each one that he severed. With the help of his charioteer Iolaus, Hercules crushed the heads and cauterized the stumps before they could grow and then severed and buried the final immortal head. 3. Capture the Ceryneian Hind, a swift creature with golden antlers. Hercules chased the animal for a year before he drove an arrow through its fore legs between the sinew and bone stopping it in its tracks. 4. Capture the Erymanthian Boar, the enormous beast terrorizing the slopes of Mount Erymanthus. Hercules shouted and flushed the boar out, driving it deep into a snow drift he leaped on it from behind and bound it with chains. 5. Within one day, clean the stables and yard of King Augeas, who had the greatest number of sheep and cattle of any man alive. Hercules diverted two rivers to run through the valley, washing away the pestilence and filth in just one day. 6. Free the Stymphalian Marsh of the huge man-eating birds which had hard beaks, claws, and wings. With the help of Athena, Hercules frightened the birds with a rattle and slew them in droves with his bow as they fled. 7. Capture the Cretan Bull which ravaged Crete by destroying crops and walls. The beast belched fire, but Hercules was able to capture it single handed after a long struggle. 8. Capture the four mares of Diomedes, savage beasts he fed the flesh of his unsuspecting guests. Hercules freed the mares and drove them out, he then killed Diomedes and fed him to his own mares. 9. Fetch the golden girdle of the Amazonian Queen Hippolyte. Hercules journeyed to Asia to find the Amazons, who received him graciously at first, but then attacked him. He slew the queen and took the girdle for his own. 10. Obtain the cattle of the three-bodied and three-headed giant Geryon. Hercules killed Geryon’s herdsman and the two-headed guard dog with his club. He then set a pillar on either side of the straights of Gibraltar and used them to fire an arrow through all three bodies of the giant. 11. Fetch the golden apple from the orchard of Hesperides guarded by the mighty Ladon, a dragon with 100 heads. Hercules shot Ladon with an arrow and then convinced Atlas to fetch the apples while he held up the celestial globe. Atlas returned with the apples and was tricked by Hercules back into holding the globe. 12. Retrieve the three-headed dog Cerberus from the underworld. Hercules crossed the River Styx and was permitted by Hades to take Cerberus only if he could do it without a weapon. Cerberus sprouted serpent heads and a barbed tail which tried to strike Hercules, but could not penetrate the hide of the Nemean Lion which he wore as armor. Hercules subdued the beast and brought him out of the underworld. Seven of the twelve labors are represented on this gun, carved in deep relief by the world renowned Brown brothers, English Master Engravers Alan and John Brown. The self-taught Brown brothers are possibly the finest two deep relief engravers to ever grace a firearm with their talents. The Brown brothers were the natural choice for this gun given their unmatched understanding of composition and design, which is in full display on this piece. The pair are able to bring the metal to life in a way that no others can, giving true dimensionality and making the scenes appear as though the are happening before your eyes. The gun is pictured on pages 126-128 of Michael McIntosh & Jan Roosenburg's "The Best of Holland & Holland: England's Premier Gunmaker," page 245 of "Holland & Holland: 'The Royal' Gunmaker" by Donald Dallas, as well as discussed in an article in and pictured on the cover of "Shooting Times & Country Magazine" November 17-23rd, 1988, issue. The gun features blacked steel chopperlump barrels featuring a relief carved male Hercules beetle, very fitting for this masterpiece, acting as the front sight bead on the smooth flat solid rib which is relief engraved with "HOLLAND & HOLLAND - THE HERCULEAN 4 BORE" along with a spray of acanthus leaves at the base, a border of relief engraved tulips at the breech, London nitro proof marks dated 1980 on the flats giving the bore diameter of .938 inches, and chambers marked 4 inches with automatic ejectors. The massive barrels are fitted to the equally impressive scaled Royal pinless sidelock action which features double triggers, and extended top tang, a right hand beaded trigger guard, ribbed cocking indicators on either lockplate, and a tang mounted automatic safety in the form of a carved quiver of arrows. The deep relief carving on the left side of the gun shows Hercules battling with the Lernaean Hydra (labor two) in its swampy dwelling on the lockplate with its nine heads intertwining and Hercules with his sword raised to strike with his cudgel close by, the face of Zeus on the knuckle, and a depiction of the fearsome Erymanthian Boar (labor four) on the fence. The right side depicts Hercules subduing the Cretan Bull (labor seven) with his bear hands on the lockplate, a bust of the goddess Athena on the knuckle, and a bust of the Nemean Lion (labor one), whose pelt was impervious to iron, on the fence. The toplever is carved with a bust of Hercules wearing the pelt of the slain Nemean Lion which he took by strangling the beast with his bare hands. The underside displays Hercules with the Erymanthian Boar (labor four) slung over his shoulder, Hercules with conquered Cerberus (labor twelve) on the trigger guard, and a quartet of man-eating Stymphalian birds (labor six) on the trigger guard tang. All of the scenes are encompassed by fantastic acanthus vine engraving, cementing the fabulous neo-classic aesthetic of the gun. The gun is signed by both Brown brothers with Alan's "A. M. BROWN" on the left lockplate and John's "J. P. BROWN" on the right, with their work indistinguishable from one another, a feat that connoisseurs of fine engraving will understand is incredibly difficult to achieve. The gun is fitted with a highly attractive well-figured splinter forend with brushed bright iron and Anson push-rod release engraved to match with deep carved acanthus vines and the three golden apples of Hesperides (labor eleven) along with string-of-pearl bordered multi-point checkering. The scaled-up, but still rather practicable, pistol grip stock shows even higher figure with matching string-of-pearl multi-point checkering, teardrop carved drop points, a brushed bright grip cap carved in the trophy of arms given to Hercules at the onset of his labors, a silver relief stock oval on the toe line, and a leather covered recoil pad. Stock measurements: 1 5/8 inch drop at comb; 2 11/16 inch drop at heel; 14 3/4 inch length of pull; weight 18 lbs. 12 oz.

Manufacturer: Holland & Holland Ltd

Model: Royal Hammerless Ejector

BBL: 32 inch solid rib

Stock: walnut

Gauge: 4 bore

Finish: blue/brushed bright

Serial Number40461

Class: Modern Long Gun

  • Provenance: The Carl Press Collection; Sold by Butterfield and Butterfield 1994 Holland & Holland Products of Excellence Sale; The Robert M. Lee Collection
  • Condition: Excellent overall, retaining 99% original blue and brushed bright finishes with minimal handling evidence, crisp carving, some light wear on the recoil pad, and sharp checkering on the stock and forend. Mechanically excellent. This is a possibly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own what is possibly the finest 4 bore shotgun ever made. Do not let this opportunity pass you by!

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $199 $10
$200 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $25,000