I have been studying the carving on the early rifle-built gun which is RCA 17 and also illustrated in color in the new book Moravian Gunmakers of the American Revolution by the KRA. I have looked at this carving for over 25 years since RCA volume 1 came out, but never "understood it". All I could say about it is "baroque, I guess". What was the maker trying to do? There is a rhythm to the carving, for sure. But I guess we could say that there's nothing much else like it.
The gun is reported to have associations with Bethlehem, and is early, pre-1770's, perhaps, and so that leaves us a few gunmakers to consider. Noting that the sideplate is identical in form to later Antes rifles, and that there is an A engraved on the barrel in the same form as Antes always used, the author of the gun sections in the new Moravian Gunmakers book, Steve Hench, has tentatively attributed the rifle to William Antes. All tentative attributions are just that, but this one has some legs (location, sideplate design, and an engraved motif later used by the maker).
The more I looked at it after reading the chapter in the new book, the more it popped into my head that this might be a monogram. A “W” is pretty obvious. The “A” requires a lot more imagination. It’s not perfectly satisfying and for sure this is no “Adam Haymaker” monogram.
Here it is for your amusement.
Now before you snort in your coffee, you can thank my wife for this next view. Clever and artistic lass, she said, “look at it upside down”. To me this is more satisfying.
By no means am I (or Steve Hench) suggesting this “nails” the William Antes attribution. It could just be that my brain reacts to Rorschach tests this way. It somewhat satisfies my perplexity over this carving design as a possibility. I talked to Steve on the phone about it and he had no trouble seeing the W, of course, and also thought the A could be seen by those looking for it. I didn’t mention turning it upside down. That works better for me. Your thoughts?
