Good day,
I also have one pistol from Tadeas Poltz - Thaddaus (Also referenced as Thaddeus) Poltz is recorded as working in Karlovy Vary. Here I provide an article translated from Czech researchers "Very few weapons have survived from this artist. There are only a few in Czech collections.
Petr
Collection of historical weapons of Karlovy Vary gunsmiths from the 18th century - The ultimate art of its time
Karlovy Vary, as a famous spa, has been frequently visited by members of the European aristocracy in the past. Due to the fact that the period concept of spa treatment included a varied social life and the surroundings of the spa abounded in rich hunting grounds, it was a good tone for a visitor to the spa to take home as a souvenir, among other things, a quality weapon. Pistols and rifles, the work of famous Karlovy Vary gunsmiths and masters, were sought in the 18th century by a social elite from all over the "old continent".
Moreover, history has made the Karlovy Vary weapons famous throughout Europe: in the victorious battle with the Turks at Cesma in 1770, the commander of the Russian fleet, A. G. Orlov, shot the enemy Turkish helmsman with a Karlovy Vary rifle. For this victory, he was able to use the nickname Cesmenský on his surname based on the decision of the Russian monarch.
KARLOVAR RIFLE
It is said that the foundations of Karlovy Vary riflemanship were laid by the Cheb masters, who sought refuge in relatively quiet Karlovy Vary during the Thirty Years' War before the rampage of the military soldiers and the negative consequences of the long war. Whether this was the case is still unknown, as Karlovy Vary also suffered from the frequent presence of troops during the Thirty Years' War. What is certain, however, is that from the second half of the 17th century, the rifle craft flourished in this town, which culminated in the first half of the 18th century. Ten masters - riflemen - are known in Karlovy Vary from 1673, in 1700 there were already 19 of them in the Karlovy Vary guild, and around 1738 even 26. From the second half of the 18th century, however, the importance of Karlovy Vary riflemanship gradually decreased. By 1788, only 12 masters were already producing weapons, who were apparently dealt heavy blows by both the pan-European armed conflict with revolutionary France and the Napoleonic Wars. In 1835, the Karlovy Vary Rifle Guild, which then had only nine members, broke up.
Riflemen did not have it easy at the time. The experience accumulated over generations and the good name of the company played an important role. The experience was passed on orally, as there were no vocational textbooks or craft educational institutions. Knowledge of materials and technologies was gained in practice, the nature of many chemical and physical processes was unknown. Even in Karlovy Vary, we meet families of riflemen, in which the rifle craft was inherited from generation to generation - 100 and 150 years. Among the most important were the families of Becher, Peter, Breitenfelder, Poltz, etc. The sons learned the craft from their father - master and then went on an experienced, most often to Vienna. In order to meet the relatively strict requirements of the guild regulations, they had to be "on hike" for at least three years after the apprenticeship and work in Vienna for another three years. For admission to the guild, they presented a demanding masterpiece, most often a cleverly crafted rifle or a pair of pistols.
The surviving works of Karlovy Vary gunsmiths are truly unique. They are characterized by an excellent overall composition of all materials used and high quality craftsmanship, including color and optical matching, which makes them literally a jewel. Karlovy Vary riflemen were able to make the most of the choice of wood from which the stock was made, so that its drawing and color tone became an integral part of the overall aesthetic impression of the weapon. Closely correspond to this are the richly executed engravings on the metal parts, enriched with gold and silver. Weapons, therefore, often represent the pinnacle of the rifle art of their time. For these reasons, most known works are not freely available. The majority of Karlovy Vary riflemen 's weapons are owned by public cultural institutions or in large private collections inaccessible to the public. It must be said that this is entirely justified, as in most cases these are objects for which the designation National Cultural Treasure is used and they have the status of cultural monuments.
freeobrazky
