...ERZSI's KALEZKY TRIO...
Prologue
This post addresses a multi-facet story, of an object which in US auction speak
is a "curio/relic", a matter with incomplete/non-completable research/staffwork,
but genuinely associated with the thread-theme.
Lets have a look into it.
....
The fine trio of Kalezky SLE 20 bores of
"Fürstin Elisabeth Marie zu Windischgraetz" - titled 1902-1919
nee "Erzherzogin Elisabeth Marie Henriette Stephanie Gisela von Österreich" -
titled 1883-1902,
from 1919-1948 named "Elisabeth (Marie) Windischgraetz"
and finally from 1948-1963 named "Elisabeth Petznek".
....
Sic transit gloria de Habsburg
.....
JSE had in their last classic auction a 20-bore Kalezky SLE , the nr. 3 of a trio,
serial nr. 2311, proofmark 1286.06.
Rather unusual with very tight scroll engraving, small fluted fences, similar to
vintage Stephen Grant guns and with its Kalezky signature element of a rhombus
shape on the side-plates. Locks up to the fences, graceful lines without
any archaic element.
I guessed it may have been a special order.
Looking at the crest of the oval confirmed to me it has been one.
It had a "Fürstenkrone" (prince-crown) above the letter W.
The customer records of Kalezky do not exist, so how to unlock the
mystery/provenance.
But the JSE records fortunately do exist.
Lets try a gun-archaeo exercise with a circumstancial proof/evidence.
The wealthy folks of Austro-Imperial times were not addicted to just one
gunmaker but had sourced their weapons from more than one company.
A look into the JSE records may provide some clue.
If you select/sort the JSE records by customer name you get 113 entries with the
initial letter W and 9 of these with the title "Fürst/Fürstin".
3 of these for rifles and 2 for a pair of 20-bores for
"Fürstin Elisabeth Marie Windischgraetz".
The other 4 entries are for 2 pairs of 16-bores for her husband
"Fürst Otto Windischgraetz".
Her JSE 20-bores with the nrs. 9051/9052, delivery date may 12,1902.
One of the 2 JSE pairs of her husband, nrs. 9155/9156, delivery date
may 12, 1902, the SAME date as the pair of his wife.
.....
Kalezky obviously wanted to excel the JSE order of the "Fürstin"and show
his competence with a SLE trio of Vienna-Best quality level.
..
The old Vienna proofhouse records have been transfered to the state archive
and are no longer "state secret". I intend to check these to find out what have been
the proof marks of possible nr. 1 and 2 and the corresponding Kalezky serial
numbers, based on bore-size and barrel-length.
....
Her husband had possibly also a pair of 16-bores SLE Kalezky,
nrs. 2551/2552, proofed ca 1912.
..
The two numbers below the nr. 3 gun, 2309 and 2310, have not been on the market.
The next in the vicinity, 2307 and 2308, were on the market but are no related
to the a.m. nr. 3 gun.
..........
Short excursion into Austro-K&K and post-times.
Who has been this "Fürstin Elisabeth Marie Windischgraetz".
Daughter and single child of Kronprinz Rudolf (Mayerling-drama/suicide) and
favourite grandchild of emperor Franz Josef. She fell in love september 1900 with
Otto Prinz von Windischgraetz. He has not been considered on an aristo-level appropriate
for a Habsburg-Erzherzogin. So after an initial non-concurrence of the emperor against
this marriage he gave in. To correct it, he promotedher husband to
"Fürst Otto Windischgraetz" at the date of her wedding january 23, 1902.
She became "Fürstin" and had to renounce all throne-succession-rights.
All aristo titles abandoned in 1919.
She had a very colourful life, pugnacious, wounded with a pistolshot the mistress
of her husband, finally divorced and decade-long divorce settlements claims.
Became "Sozialdemokratin" of the first hours. Joined 1925 "Sozialdemokratische
Arbeiterpartei" and married the socialist funcionary L. Petznek.
Much of her heritage donated to the state/town on Vienna.
Her nickname in the public "Erzsi - die rote Erzherzogin", with Erzsi the
abbreviation of the Hungarian word Erzsebeth for Elisabeth.
......
This move/habit not necessarily anti-hunt/anti-gun, but favourable towards it
What happened to her guns ?
Together with the divorce conflict/lawsuits I have doubt that any of her
guns ended up with her ex-husband.
Possibly give-aways to her entourage
...
Sotheby's/London had her cased JSE pair in their dec 1986 auction
under lot 84 as actions/stocks/foreparts 20-bore sideplated BLE , hammer 1450 GBP.
Not noted as reimport.
Unclear if originally to her son .
...
Her divorced husband became citizen of Yugoslavia after WWI and lived on his estate near
the Slovenian town of Bled. During WW II he moved to his sister living in a palace in Prague.
Aft er WW II both he and his sister moved to and lived in Lugano/Switzerland, where he died
in 1952.
...
Epilogue
.....
Being a heritage item, neither provenance of the nr. 3 nor whereabout of nr. 1 and nr. 2
known to the vendor.
So the tracks of the trio "gone with the wind".
The stock has a second oval fitted without any aristo crest-element.
Still readable barrel scripts
JOH KALEZKYs WITWE K&K ÖSTERREICHISCHER
KÖNIG SERB HOF-LIEFERANT IN WIEN,
the ACIER COCKERILL script on the underside.
This gun has seen tumultous times, survived the Russian invasion of 1945, when all
rifles and guns were confiscated.
Hiding a gun has been at risk of life.
......
- Old photos of 2 guncase escutcheons with the crest of OW below Fürstenkrone of her
husband existing
(Inclusion here subject to availability of jpgbox/replacement)
- The pair of Kalezky 16-bores were sold in Vienna after the death of their son Franz Joseph
(1904-1981) who lived in Kenia.
I assume that these were built for the father ca 1912 and not for the
then 8-years old son...
The rumour has been that due to his excessive daily dove/pigeon bags the
Kenian government wanted to implement a "Lex Windischgraetz" limiting
the daily bag to sustainable/normal figures.
The comprehensive English collection of the son was auctioned by Christies/ London
in december 1981. It contained 3 HH double bore rifles, a pair of Purdeys, a single
Purdey and a single Boss. Noted as reimports.
His further Austrian/Belgian collection content, 2 pairs of JSE 12-bores, built for him, and a Lebeau,
were sold in Vienna.
Remarkable rarity, one of the 12-bores pair with Holland Self-Opener.
- Erzs's nr. 3 photos (platine,crest) can be seen in JSE auction catalogue may 19,2022.
- The German auction house Hermann Historica had a photo of Erzs's wedding on sale.
In the left upper corner the golden "Fürstenkrone", similar to the one on the gun.
....
F.N.
...

Last edited by felix; 05/21/22 07:26 AM.