Lot 164

Engraved, Gilt & Ebony Stocked Wheellock Pistol by Caspar Spat

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Engraved, Gilt & Ebony Stocked Wheellock Pistol by Caspar Spat

Estimate: $130,000 - $225,000

Starting Bid: $110,000

(0 Bids)

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

Documented Incredible Relief Chiseled and Engraved, Gilt, and Ebony Stocked 17th Century German Wheellock Holster Pistol by Caspar Spat The incredible artistry on display on this pistol reflects the superior quality of the Munich Court Workshop in the 17th century, particularly the work of Caspar Spat who is noted as appointed as ironworker to the Duke of Bavaria in 1632. In this period, Maximilian I (1573-1651), Duke and then Elector of Bavaria, enlarged the famous Munich Residenz and Schleissheim Palace as well as the Bavarian art collections, including those in the Munich Kunstkammer originally formed by Duke Albrecht V in the 1560s. The Dukes of Bavaria established workshops where they employed the elite artists and craftsmen to produce fine works for both the dukes themselves as well as members of their court and foreign dignitaries, with the splendor of their products extensions of the dukes' power, worldliness, and tastes on the international stage. Caspar Spat built upon the work of his predecessors, court ironworkers Emanuel Sadeler (active c. 1594–1610) and his brother Daniel (active c. 1602–32) originally of Antwerp. These master craftsmen used mannerist designs that were first popularized a century earlier in European art, and they produced an array of works for the dukes aside from firearms, including powder flasks, swords, and furniture. Their exquisitely engraved, chiseled, and gilt barrels, locks, and mounts were stocked by specialized master craftsmen such as Hieronymus Borstorffer (active c. 1597–1637) and Elias Becker (active c. 1633–74) whose work in wood and horn matched the quality of the metal work created by the Sadelers and Spat and together formed extraordinary works of art. However, the distinctive arms of the Munich Court Workshop came to an in the late 17th century. Wallace B. Gusler and James D. Lavin wrote: “Spat's death in 1691 brought to close almost a century of adherence to a renaissance style introduced late in the sixteenth century” by Emanuel Sadeler of Antwerp. This lavish pistol's mate is featured on pages 136-139 of "Decorated Firearms 1540-1870 from the Collection of Clay P. Bedford" by Gusler and Lavin. Its multi-page spread indicative of these pistols' quality and artistic interest. This pistol and its mate from Bedford's collection are the same in overall design but differ in the figures on the locks and barrels, making them a particularly fascinating pair. Gusler and Lavin noted the pistol in Bedford's collection "shows the interesting adaptation of new flintlock forms in use in Western Europe during the 1630s and 1640s combined with traditional Munich designs. The form of the trigger guard, barrel tang, and pommel cap is quite contemporary. The recurved bow of the guard attaches immediately forward of the trigger rather than to the bulge of the stock in the wheel-lock manner. Also characteristic of the flintlock guard is its attachment at the forward end by a traverse pin and its narrow rail held by a screw at the rear extreme. The absence of a lobate finial represents the earliest stage in the development of this type of guard. The pointed tang is an exaggeration of the truncated tapered form increasingly popular at this time, while the flat-sided pommel, oval in section, is also quite modern. Contrasting with these up-to-date features is protective fitting on the forend at the ramrod's point of entry. This reproduces in iron the traditional staghorn fitting so characteristic of Germanic wheel-locks at a time when the flintlock was devoid of a rear thimble." Lavin and Gusler also noted, "The most outstanding characteristic of the Munich style, originating with the Sadelers, is the boldly sculptured blued steel against a stippled gold ground," a feature displayed beautifully on this pistol. The barrel, lock, and mounts feature extensive relief chiseling and engraving highlighted by stunning gilt backgrounds that create beautiful contrast with the blue finish. The smoothbore barrel alone is a work of art with its octagonal muzzle followed by turned girdles, 12 5/8 inch long ribs, relief chiseled breech section with ornate foliate scrollwork and a classical soldier with spear and shield standing on a pedestal, and girdles coordinating with the muzzle. The lock features classical martial trophies and a duel between to figures, one knocked to his back and being stabbed by the other, perhaps recalling the fight between Achilles and Hector, as well as a pair of birds (likely peacocks) on the wheel-cover, mask on the pan cover, and a fierce bestial mask baring teeth on the dog. The mounts feature foliate scroll motifs, and the pommel cap has a pierced edge. Arms by the Sadelers and Spat are extremely difficult to acquire as most of the few known remain in institutional collections. Additional arms by these men can been seen in the 1976 American Society of Arms Collectors Bulletin No. 33 article "Guns of the Munich Court Workshop and Other German Wheellock Guns of the Period" by Charles S. Hendricks and also featured in Stocklein's book "Meister des Eisenschnittes" (Masters of Iron Work), including a pair of pistols by Caspar Spat in the Budapest National Museum. The famous 1668 dated ebony stocked wheellock rifle in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Object Number: 29.158.668) by Spat and Becker as well as the other rifle at the MET by the two men (Object Number: 04.3.180) stocked in fruitwood are also worthy of comparative study and feature many coordinating details as do the extraordinary wheellock rifles photographed in the Kunsthistoriches Museum in Vienna. Also see the combined wheellock and matchlock by Emanuel Sadeler and Adam Vischer from the Armeria Reale in Turin shown on page 57 of "One Hundred Great Guns" by Merrill Lindsay. This pistol was item 304 in the famous "Loan Exhibition of European Arms & Armor" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1931 and is listed in the catalog. An included copy of a 2003 dated appraisal provides the provenance below.

Manufacturer: German

Model: Wheellock

BBL: 18 inch ribbed

Stock: ebony

Gauge: .48

Finish: blue/gold

Serial NumberNSN

Class: Antique

  • Provenance: Loan Exhibition of European Arms & Armor, Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1931; The Edward Hubbard Litchfield Collection; The Count Enrico Minervino Collection; The Yani Haryanto Collection; The Tom Lewis Collection
  • Condition: Very fine overall with distinct engraved and chiseled motifs, professional preservation work including a replacement trigger guard carefully crafted based on its mate, nearly all of the bright gold remaining, dark blue finish blending with even brown patina on the balance, faint oxidation, some faint cracks in the smooth ebony stock, and minimal overall wear. Not mechanically tested. Overall, a stunning work of art. A supreme expression of the Munich Court Workshop at its zenith, this spectacular Caspar Spat pistol ranks among the finest surviving decorated firearms of the 17th century and stands as one of the great masterpieces of European arms in private circulation.

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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