A fowler owned by a direct descendant of John Lowmaster. It is signed J. Lowmaster. It has a 47 5/8"octagon to round smoothbore barrel .630 bore. Length of pull 13", O.A. length 60 3/4". He lived in York County Pennsylvania and Ohio. He died in 1832.
Comments:
A very nice York County fowler in honest, unrestored condition. I think it will make a nice addition to the library. One question though, is it signed or attributed? I see a photo of a section of the barrel, but I can't tell if it's trying to show a signature, or just showing the barrel flats.
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It's a great find and still in the family, to boot. The fact that it is in untouched condition makes it even more stately. Kindig liked Lowmaster's work and commented that it was rare, so that fact makes this piece even more important, in my opinion.
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This fowler shows a side of Lowmaster that is seldom, if ever, seen. This is a nice gun in great original condition, showing us its original configuration except for the old conversion to percussion. I particularly like the front finial on the guard, with the crispness of its details, and the little touches of engraving. Most Lowmaster work is highly engraved in an excellent hand, yet this simpler gun still has small details that let Lowmaster's skills shine through. Bet we don't see another of these any time soon!
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Most Lowmaster guns have more bells and whistles, but this is more simply made, what I like to call "quiet elegance". No question that this is a York County made fowler.
