Kabyle Flintlock Musket (Moukhala) with Sheet Silver and Bone Decoration, 19th C.
Steel, wood, sheet silver, bone, brass. Long North African flintlock musket of Moukhala type with smooth round barrel, secured by multiple capucines clad in sheet silver. Flintlock with fine engraving and sheet silver overlay. Straight wooden stock with rich bone inlay decoration and sheet silver mounts in geometric patterns. Ramrod present. Wedge-shaped shoulder rest with characteristic ribbed structure and bone appliqués, end piece missing. Lock defective, trigger plate loose. Condition requiring restoration. L. 164 cm.
The Moukhala is the traditional flintlock musket of the Berbers and Kabyles of North Africa, particularly the Algerian Kabylia region. The elaborate decoration with sheet silver mounts and bone inlays identifies this as a high-quality piece, possibly intended as a ceremonial or prestige weapon. The flintlock shows influences of the Miquelet type, which reached North Africa via the Spanish and Italian arms-making traditions. Comparable examples are held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and the Royal Armouries, Leeds.
Lot
Limit:
Your maximum bid: €
by telephone
When bidding by telephone, you will automatically bid the limit or the registered pre-bid (telephone bidding is only possible from €100). Only when the limit/pre-bid has been reached we will call you to bid further on. Your telephone bid will be treated as a written bid up to the registered pre-bid and will of course only be used to the extent necessary.
If you save your absentee bids on the bid list, you will be able to change or delete them until you submit them. If you do not submit your absentee bids, they will not be considered. They must be submitted before the auction starts.
You can submit your absentee bids now using the "Submit absentee bids directly" button, or later using the "List of Bids" menu item.
