The swamped octagonal barrels feature seven-groove rifling, dovetailed brass blade front sights surrounded by gold inlaid designs, gilt brass three-leaf rear sights with decorative finials, "CASPAR ZELNER" in gold inlay on top of the breech section flanking Zelner's sunken golden maker's mark and bordered by gold inlays along with additional gold inlaid designs at the breech. The short iron tangs are finished bright and engraved, including with the numbers "1" and "2" clearly indicating the rifles were made as a matched pair. The flat locks feature internal wheels leaving a large uninterrupted surface for the engraving which features a highly detailed scene featuring dogs, slain stag and boar, putti blowing horns, and Diana, goddess of the hunt, seated with a bird on her right hand and two female attendants. The locks are fired using adjustable double set triggers, and the mounts are gilt brass with scroll, floral, classical, and hunting themed designs. The side plates feature a scene of Diana being pulled in a chariot by two dogs with a slain deer, putti, an estate in the background, a bird, and scrollwork. Each trigger guard finial features a dog, and each bow features a stag. The thumb rest has dogs hunting hares, and the buttplate tangs feature a male armored bust. The sliding wooden patch box lids feature brass plates depicting hunters taking a shot at a deer which is being pursued by a dog. In addition to the beautiful metal work, the walnut stocks feature raised relief carved scrolls and fine molding. Caspar Zelner, also spelled Zellner, (1661-1745) was a royal gunmaker in Vienna for Emperor Joseph I and Charles VI. This pair of rifles is illustrated in Hans Schedelmann's "Die Wiener Buchsenmacher und Buchsenschafter" (tafel VII, VIII, and IX) and an included invoice dated May 23, 1966, lists fees relating to the shipment of these rifles. Norman Blank believed that these rifles belonged to the Graf von Starhemberg (1638-1701), the famed defender of Vienna in 1683 against the Ottomans. The rifles have similarities with the Caspar Zelner rifles in the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Accession Numbers: 1977-167-837a and 1977-167-837b) identified as made for Emperor Charles VI of Austria. Another somewhat similar rifle, originally part of a pair, from the collection of Russian Emperor Peter III is in Gatchina Palace and Estate Museum in Russia.

Provenance: The Collection of Roy S. Ritchey and Aurelia J. Ritchey; The Norman R. Blank Collection