Once again, the antique firearms will set bidders' pulses racing, with this section holding some extraordinary rarities in store. Among them are several veritable showstoppers, such as a superlative pair of deluxe flintlock pistols from the armoury of the Princes of Lobkowitz, whose quality and aesthetic appearance unquestionably brought glory on their owner and stressed his social status.

Produced circa 1730 at the Prague workshop of the supremely talented Paul Ignazius Poser, the weapons were finished with the most sophisticated chiselling work by the equally renowned Franz Matzendorf.

The locks present extremely delicate, cut battle scenes, while the lock side plates show skirmishes with Turks. Decorative tendrils trail over the hammers and a procession of antique, mythological figures marches across the trigger guards and butt caps.

The escutcheons with the finely engraved arms of the Princes von Lobkowitz and the gunsmith's signature on the barrel clearly indicate both owner and creator of the masterpieces, for which the asking price is 60,000 euros.

A remarkably gifted artist succeeded in composing a true work of art, thanks to his inlays of engraved and blackened bone that enhance the walnut full stock of a hunting wheellock rifle, produced in Bohemia in 1678.

Numerous hunting scenes and different aspects of castles, interrupted and framed with filigree silver decoration, are vividly depicted with enormous attention to detail and inlaid as contrasting elements in the dark wood.

From a hunter on horseback, his weapon drawn, to a pack of hounds pursuing a lion as it attacks a hunter, every scene is beautifully finished and tells its own story.

With bidding starting at 12,000 euros for the firearm, as sumptuous as it is unique, the metal elements are equally painstakingly and skilfully designed.

The parade continues with a South German deluxe grenade gun, displaying a formidable, cup-shaped bronze mortar barrel and a guide price of 18,000 euros.

Produced circa 1610/20, this extremely rare, museum-grade weapon also boasts superior quality and embellishment.

The engraved trophies and floral decoration on the barrel, the rich inlays of engraved and blackened bone in the walnut stock and the sculptured butt, carved in the shape of a dragon's head, emphasize the particularly stunning elegance of this gunmaker's treasure.

As in previous years, the modern arms section guarantees a number of attractions, like a special catalogue with an entire collection of the legendary weapons made by Carl Walther. With around 380 firearms in all, the set includes virtually every model ever produced since 1908 in the factory at Zella-Mehlis, and later in Ulm.

From the classic Walther PP and PPK pistols, the P 38, built after World War II as P 1, the German Army’s first service weapon, at the new factory in Ulm, right through to the 21st century PPS. The collection encompasses a series of prototypes, samples and unique pieces that have only made their mark by being documented in technical literature.

The pièce de résistance is a cal. 7.25 mm Adler self-loading pistol from 1907, for which bidding starts at 8,000 euros. In total, a mere 100 pieces were manufactured after 1906, making it one of the rarest self-loading pistols of all time. As this firearm comes from the family estate of one of the designers and is in near mint condition to boot, it is truly a find beyond compare.