Late 16th Century Bresciani Pair by Paolo Magro

A gorgeous pair of holster  pistols by  Italian masters Paolo Magro and Lazarino Cominazo.

Here are a pair of beautiful holster pistols from the combined talents of master gunmakers Paolo Magro (locks) and Lazarino Cominazo (barrels) of Brescia towards the end of the 16th century. The barrels are engraved two-staged with octagonal ribbed sections signed ‘LAZARINO COMINAZO’. The locks are engraved with floral motifs with a vine and rosette and signed “Paolo Magro” while the walnut stocks are beautifully sculpted with vine and inlaid with brass thumb escutcheons. The furniture is of iron with wooden, iron-tipped tips.

Such a pair is rarely seen in this condition – both mechanically sound and very cleanly presented – and they would be an important  centrepiece of the collector’s portfolio.