This attractive swivel breech sporting gun from c. 1720 by Philippe De Sellier of Liege (active c. 1676-1740) features multi-stage barrels with rounded blade front sights, girdles at the transition points, "-PHILIPPE-DE-SELIER-" signed on the breech sections, and three inset "crown/PS" maker's marks on each barrel at the breech (see "Der Neue Stockel" 4372). Plates with the pans, frizzens, and frizzen springs are fitted for each barrel, and the gun is fired by a shared back action lock inscribed "PHILIPPE DE SELLIER." These components along with the breech plates and upper tang have scroll and border engraving. A trigger in the front of the trigger guard releases the barrels. The furniture is brass and features highly detailed designs incorporating masks, busts, scrolls, and floral patterns. The side plate and wrist escutcheon are pierced. There are full length walnut panels running along the sides of the barrel group with the ramrod held on one side and a sling swivel on the other a robust walnut buttstock, and the wood has some raised details at the flats and upper tang, nice molding along the bottom, a hole for a now absent rear swivel, and a pair a royal inventory mark from the Salm family of a pair of adorsed salmon over "34." This fine sporting arm was part of the armory of the Princes zu Salm-Reifferscheidt-Dyck. In 1720, the line were counts. They were raised to the status of princes in 1816. Francis Ernest was count of Salm-Reifferscheidt-Dyck in 1684-1727 followed by Augustus Eugene Bernard in 1727-1767. See G. de Vries and B.J. Martens, "The Visser Collection," Vol. 1, Part 4, Cat. No. 946, pp. 600-601. Provenance: The Armoury of the Princes zu Salm-Reifferscheid-Dyck (Christie's 1992); The Albert Littler Collection (Christie's 2002); The H.L. Visser Collection; Property of a Gentleman

Very good with an old applied brown finish on the barrels blended with smooth brown patina, silver gray on the other iron, some minor oxidation and pitting, aged patina on the furniture, a repair in the trigger guard tang, and crisp details throughout. The wood is also very good and has spliced repairs in the forend panels and scattered minor dings. Mechanically fine.