Jean Noël, Byschwyler, Alsace, ca. 1650/60.

Iron hilt, domed pommel cap, knuckle guard ending in the quillon, knuckle guard and quillons with a pair of ornamental nodes, small lily-shaped plate, thumb guard. Stag-horn grip triple-riveted. Single-edged Solingen blade somewhat corroded ( L 74 cm), mark: half unicorn (Clemens Horn), remnants of an etched hunting scene, one side features a flintlock pistol. Round barrel (L 15 cm), Cal. 8 mm, box lock signed "Jean Noël AB", etched decoration rubbed, leaf tendrils, flat cock, angled trigger guard.

L 88 cm.

An exceptionally rare hunting combination-weapon by Jean Noël, active around 1651 in Byschwyler in Alsace. Only one other deer hunter in combination with a pistol by this master is known, likewise with an early form of a flintlock (Cf. Auction Fischer 1 December 1971, Lot No. 347, sold for CHF 28'000.-). These deer hunters were made during the reign of Count Christian I of Palatinate-Zweibrücken-Birkenfeld (1598-1654), who had resided in Bischwyler since 1630 and founded the line from which the Bavarian Royal House descended. Cf. Buigné/Jarlier: "Le "Qui est qui" de l'Arme en France, 2001. Albert Weyersberg: Solinger Schwertschmiede des 16. und 17. Jahrhunderts und ihre Erzeugnisse, Solingen 1926, pp. 21-25, in particular pp. 24-25.