Shell carving.

[Pukka Bundook]

Gents,
We sometimes see English style guns being made here, and one of the most charming features of 18th C arms, is the shell carving behind the tang.

Here are a couple of photos of one I particularly liked, on a gun from the1780's if I remember right.
I saw it at auction years ago, but it did not come to live with me!






Best,
Richard.

[msellers]

Richard,
Thanks for sharing these. They details are spectacular and inspiring.  It shows how masterful they were in the fine details to make it even better, also shows how masterful smart dog and others here are sharing their works.
Mike

[Matt / PA]

My turkey gun......

[flehto]

What ever it's called, the shown examples are always beautiful and appropriate. The above pic  is my version of "shell carving"...which is on my 2nd build. .....Fred

[D. Taylor Sapergia]

Great subject Richard!  There are many photos of examples of this type of carving in John Schipper's engraving text.  Excellent reference resource!

[James Rogers]

Good topic Richard.
I have always loved how the tang carving on English firearms changed thru the 18th century.

[Matt / PA]

Richard,
I hope you don't mind....I played with your top picture a bit to make it a little easier to see the details of that shell and tang area.

[smart dog]

Hi,
To complement Richard's photos, here are 2 more styles of rococo shells carved on British guns. The first is the rolled shell on a gun by John Twigg:
 

If you look closely at the engraving on Twiggs breech tang you can see where I got the inspiration for this:


The second form is what I call the folded shell often used, as in this case, by Griffin:





dave

[Mike Brooks]

I'm a big Griffin fan, been bending his design around for years.

[smart dog]

Hi,
Mike thanks for those photos. You handle that design very, very, very well. What a treat to see those photos.  I am really glad Pukka started this thread. Rococo as a style of art is largely associated with the reign of King Louis XV (1715-1774) and it had various flavors such as German rococo and even American rococo.  Rococo is derived from the French word "Rocaille" which means the shell covered rock work often decorating artificial grottos or sculpted cave-like areas in formal gardens. Rococo was a reaction against the formal symmetry and realism of Baroque designs. Think of the repetitive mathematical structure of Bach's music versus the wild and almost chaotic music of Mozart. Bach was baroque, Mozart was rococo. The foundation of rococo was complexity, asymmetry, and a celebration of nature unconstrained by formal rules.  So think of shells flowing from leafy tendrils and folded as if soft as a wet leaf.  Shell-like designs connected to volutes and plant tendrils but the curves uneven and suggesting motion and freedom, not static, stone-like perfection.  What fascinates me is why almost the entire British gun industry copied the same motifs. This is not rural Pennsylvania gun shops but a huge distributed industry that converged on a limited set of decorative designs.  Who determined that?  Customers?  Decorative artists working for the furniture makers because much of the decoration on guns can be found in furniture? The FRENCH?  Why would British artisans adopt styles from their mortal enemies? Did they have no good designers of their own?  I love this stuff.

dave   

[thecapgunkid]

Thanks a bunch.  I will be starting an English rifle as my next project.  Very Helpful

[Craig Wilcox]

Dave - Smart Dog - I have often wondered where Rococo came from, and Baroque.  So, the Frenchies done it!  Jimminy Crickets, no wonder I am no Francophile!
I do like the shell carvings, though.  And Mr. Brooks seems to have a firm handle on them.

[rick/pa]

It seems like English rifles are the next project for several of us. Very informative thread and great pictures. Thanks to all for both.  Now if I can just get past "my reach exceedeth my grasp" thing.

[Pukka Bundook]

Gents,

I had  a quick look at this thread about noon, but had no time to reply.  (Hay to ted, rake and bale!)
Thanks for all the replies and photos!  More than I thought I'd see.
There is some very interesting and valuable comments posted, so would like to address some of them;

Matt,

That shell is beautifully cut!   It is as nice as any I have seen. I had to look twice to 'make sure' is wasn't an original.  :-)

Thanks for blowing up and clarifying that shell in the O.P.   V good of you.

Flehto Fred,
Again, lovely work!

James Rogers,
That is an important point, that the shell carving did change, but you hit another very important point;
The shell belongs in the 18th Century, and hardly a vestige of it carried over into the 19th century.
This is an important point for today's builders;  Don't mix up architecture from different periods.  :-)

Smart dog Dave,

I recognise that wrought iron seat that the gun is leaning against!   :-)
You have touched on a shell most dear to my heart, the shell scrolling in from the left or right.
I believe William Bails was the first to produce shells in this manner.  Or, his work is the earliest yet seen done in this manner.

Mike,
Some Very nice shells there!  The Griffin is a 'funky' shell, but Very Griffin.  I made a copy of a Griffin, and it too has this folded type of shell.

Smart Dog again,
You ask or ponder why the Whole British Gunmaking company seemed to go with a shell behind the tang.
(I am paraphrasing you here)
The way I see it, the shell is so delightful, what else could have been used, that would be better?  Yes, a silver wire shell at times, (Bailes again, amongst others), but to be honest, I'd much rather have the carved shell with a roll, than a silver wire one.   There is something so organic about a shell carved in wood.  LOL!
Mind, a shell And a  (silver wire)  basket of flowers on a William Bailes 14 bore is staggeringly beautiful.  Has someone a photo of that gun?  .....One of my favourites!

I said above that the shell belongs in the 18th century, BUT! I have a gun from 1837 with a shell.  I will see if I have  a photo.  :-)

In the meantime, here is one I really liked, marked Williamson, but the sideplate reminds me of a style Griffin used.
The lock is newer than the gun I think.  I didn't bid on this one in the end....

Please see below;







Here is a photo of the Griffin I made, before it was finish'd.
Very wrong to not have a hooked breech, but was working with what I had in class, at WKU school.  (2003).






Lastly, the only picture I have of that Bailes with silver wire work, it is from Christies auction, when W Keith Neil's collection was being sold off.



Richard.

[Mike Brooks]

Reeves used to sell that set like the gun marked Williamson. Wish I would have bought dozens of them. In fact I wish I had those molds, we'd have all of this stuff available again. I believe there is quite a market for it. I'm hoarding my last sterling sideplate and thumbpiece, it's a martial design, panoply of arms....cool stuff for a personal gun for Mr. Brooks.

I always avoided the shell Twigg was famous for, the one that had the shell curling left or sometimes right. I might have the confidence to do it before I retire.

[BOB HILL]

Thanks for posting all of these shell carvings, fellows. They are great study pieces.
Bob

[Ed Wenger]

Great thread, and some really nice examples of shell carvings.  This is one I did...



Another one with a more Germanic flair.

[Pukka Bundook]

Really great work, Ed!  Fantastic in fact.

Mike,

Yes, a set of those castings would be worth a lot!

Couple of photos of a set of most likely Real Officer's fusils.   Talked to Joe P about these when they came up for auction, and we agreed they likely are the real deal, (for once!)

Nice shell carvings.....







It always amazes me how much life can be put into som eof these carvings, not in the least 'flat' looking, yet the carving is not deep in most cases.

[nemovir]

I am definitely requesting a shell carving on my English sporting rifle.

  I am not a fan of carving as done on American rifle.  To my eye, it’s a bit gaudy, but shells carvings screams, or is it whispers, elegance to me.