Taking Stock
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TIME MACHINES PALACE intrigue and personal bravery provided the backdrop for a pair of compelling transactions under the hammer during the Holt’s December 2021 auction at the company’s facilities at Church Farm Barns, Wolferton, Norfolk. The first was steeped in rivalry and thirst for power, as a ManuFrance 16-bore ‘Fusil Ideal Perfection’ Triggerplate-Action Ejector shotgun was offered. While the gun is, in itself, an interesting piece of history, its original owner, Amanullah Khan, was a central figure in the evolution of Afghanistan from a territory administered by the British Empire to an independent nation. Selling at £4,500, well above the estimated £1,000-£1,500, the gun is serial numbered 38714, with 29-in Hercule Tremple steel barrels (five palm branches and Director’s mark), sunken matt rib ramped at the breech and muzzle and carved with foliate designs, the breech ends of the tubes with ornate deco bordered acanthus scroll detailing, the underside with matt sunken rib with laurel engraved sling eye mount (sling eye ground off), the sides of the tubes engraved ‘MANUFACTURE FRANÇAIS D’ARMES ET CYCLES. SAINT ETIENNE.’, ‘FUSIL IDEAL BREVETE DANS TOUS LES PAYS’, 2½-in chambers, bored approx. ½ and ¾ choke, rounded bar action ejectors at fault, right firing mechanism at fault, quadruple-grip action with rising bite and side-clips, the standing breech with serial numbered disc-mounted loaded indicators, triggerguard-mounted pull-back lever, the triggerplate with manual sliding safety bar, the fences carved in high relief with stylised leaf motifs on a finely stippled background, the action and furniture profusely engraved with fine acanthus scrollwork interspersed with stylised scrolling foliate art deco designs, bright finish, 14¼-in figured stock including horn buttplate, the right side inset with a gold oval escutcheon bearing the Tughra of Emir Amanullah Khan over a Persian calendar date of 1303 (1924).
Amanullah Khan Manufactured circa 1912, the shotgun was the personal property of Amanullah Khan, ruler of Afghanistan as emir and then its king from 1919 to 1926. During the period, he successfully severed the British hold on his country as the Empire dealt with the astronomical cost of the recently concluded Great War. Amanullah, the third son of Habibullah Khan, gained control of his country after the assassination of his father in early 1919. The assassination occurred during a hunting trip as Habibullah’s entourage travelled to the province of Laghman. On Amanullah’s orders, a young servant killed Habibullah, leaving another son, Nasrullah, as heir apparent. At first, Nasrullah was hesitant and declared support for the eldest son, Inayatullah. The party continued its journey, reaching the city of Jalalabad, and with the support of Inayatullah, Nasrullah was proclaimed emir. Meanwhile, Amanullah had remained in Kabul. With the news of the assassination, he moved swiftly to usurp the authority of the new emir. Amanullah seized the royal treasury and staged a coup d’état against Nasrullah. Apparently, Amanullah counted on the fact that Nasrullah was a righteous and peaceful man in order to consolidate his hold on power. Indeed, Nasrullah decided to go into exile in Saudi Arabia and informed Amanullah that he could take the kingdom. Treacherously, Amanullah assured Nasrullah that he could return to Kabul without fear and live a peaceful life.
All images courtesy of Holts Auctioneers
Michael E Haskew discovered that December Holt’s sale provided lessons in history
