Jean-Baptiste Lamotte
French Silver-Mounted Flintlock Pistol by Jean-Baptiste Lamotte a' St. Etienne, c. 1820, Probably for the Eastern Market
12 1/4-inch brightly blued two-stage barrel with moulding-like rings on a cannon barrel, reinforcing muzzle, gold foresight, 5 1/4-inch breech section chiselled in high-relief with a drapery and trophies-of-arms supported by two columns. Corinthian capitals (probably representing Masonic pillars) highlighted by a gilt granular ground, the underside of the barrel is signed J. Bte LAMOTTE AINE ST. ETIENNE and also stamped TIVET CADET; ornate lock-plate depicting armors, cannon, helmets, drums and flags chiselled in high-relief and framed by borders of deeply chiselled foliage and embellished with gilt grounds, the cock and frizzen decorated en suite, the interior inscribed J. BTE LAMOTTE AINE ST. ETIENNE; the burl walnut stock profusely decorated with meandering silver-wire inlays, with an urn and floral arrangement with crescent moon motif inlaid at grip. Steel escutcheon plate inlaid in gold “J. B. Lamotte Ainé ŕ St. Etienne”, the stock embellished with relief decorative borders framing the engraved and gilt breech tang, and the lockplate; mounted with cast-silver gripcap, triggerguard (struck with three hallmarks), and ramrod pipes each ornately embellished with arms and clothing of a pseudo-Eastern style, all mountings likewise decorated with gilt grounds. Inside of lock mortise stamped A. CHOSSON.
Note: Jean-Baptiste Lamotte, St. Etienne, 1782 - 1856. See Der Neue Stockel, p. 676.
