The Devil's Shotgun

Nicknamed "The Devil's Shotgun," this regally crafted and cased 16 ga. percussion shotgun won a medal at the 1849 Paris Exposition.

It is ebony-stocked and elaborately embellished with numerous multi-color gold inlaid renderings of demons and other bizarre creatures, along with their human victims. French humor of the period sometimes involved  private health issues in open discussion; in this case the use of a clyster syringe in several scenes.

Of equally ornate and rococo construction are the cased accessories, including an elegantly curved horn powder flask and a ramrod made of baleen. Brun's craftsmanship exemplifies the pinnacle of the Parisian Empire movement that blended engraving, sculpture and precious metal work to transform sporting arms into works of art.