circa 1730, 67 caliber, smoothbore, 33-3/8 in. round to octagonal barrel, brass blade front sight, profuse stippling with scroll and floral decoration to entire barrel, engraved "VIVE LA CHASSE" on top of barrel, inlaid silver stag above flourish close to breech, grotesque head and shell decoration at breech, foliate and floral decoration on barrel tang, gilt brass flintlock signed "I.I. BEHR" with raised relief floral, foliate and scroll motifs, grotesque head cock screw, gilt brass furniture including decorated trigger guard with raised relief urn forms with leaf finials and finger grooves, open scrollwork side plate, engraved ramrod thimble and forend cap, fluted butt half stock with brass butt plate in the Spanish and Portuguese tradition, inlays in crevices of fluted lines, contrasting twenty four point inlaid star decoration to opposite side of stock, small relief foliate carvings to various areas of the stock, brass tipped ramrod, two sling points, 48-1/2 in. overall

Note: Johann Jakob Behr was a maker of fine and functional firearms in the Netherlands and Belgium, working in the towns of Maastricht and Liege around 1690 to 1745. Fine examples of long guns and pistols made by Behr reside in private collections and public collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Chicago Art Institute.

Provenance: The Estate of Peter H. Tillou, Litchfield, Connecticut

metal surfaces with light patina, very light handling wear, small abrasions to left side of barrel, restorations to underside of stock including 5-1/2 in. stabilized and filled hairline, smaller associated restored hairlines to grain in same area, other minor scratches, dings and abrasions to stock, in good mechanical working order