Pair of flintlock rifled hunting rifles by Johann Adam Knod. - Lot 223

Pair of flintlock rifled hunting rifles by Johann Adam Knod. Rifled barrels, chased with foliage and rocaille motifs, signed on the upper sides "JOHANN ADAM KNOD". Foil-cut fusegates chased with foliage on the front (small missing parts). Flat-bodied gilt-brass gooseneck plates and dogs, decorated en suite. Spark arrestor baskets, iron-lined batteries and springs (one repaired), in gilded brass. Thumb pieces decorated with Diana the Huntress in a shield in a leafy surround. Wooden sticks with gilded brass tips. Marbled walnut crossbars, (old joints on one), carved with a cheek. Length: 72 cm Old dogs and locks, but later. A.B.E. Circa 1730-1750 (one rifle has a mechanical accident, one frog is slightly missing, the fronts of the barrels are missing and chipped). Related works: Several known rifles (and one pair) of a similar model, with iron lock and hammer. Biography: Johann Adam Knod (Knodt) was active in Vienna from 1708 and 1717, earning the title of master gunsmith in 1719. He went on to become one of the most talented arms manufacturers of the Carlsbad school for the nobility visiting the Bohemian spa town.