Description
Maucher (whose initials are on the stock) was a carver as well as stock maker. The stock is carved in relief with motifs of a hunter with his rifle and a young woman who carries a hunting hawk on her arm (a favorite form of hunting for women) and a spear. In the 1600s, women did not hunt with spears; rather, this alludes to the Roman goddess Diana who hunted with a spear and whose exploits and virtues validated hunting for its adherents. The original lock (a wheel-lock) was later replaced with a "Prague" flintlock made in the 1700s.
Results