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A FRENCH FLINTLOCK OFFICER'S PISTOL BY BOUTET, DIRECTEUR ARTISTE, MANUFACTURE À VERSAILLES

NO. 382, EARLY 19TH CENTURY

Details

A FRENCH FLINTLOCK OFFICER'S PISTOL BY BOUTET, DIRECTEUR ARTISTE, MANUFACTURE À VERSAILLES
No. 382, early 19th Century
With rebrowned twist octagonal sighted barrel swamped towards the muzzle and signed in full, the breech struck four times with a gilt rectangular mark 'SB' enclosing a gilt oval mark 'PR' crowned, gilt vent (the breech now browned), engraved breech tang, back-sight, flat lock with bevelled fluted edges, inscribed 'Manufacture à Versailles', engraved with a hare at the rear and fitted with roller, carved figured walnut full stock, the butt cut with a scale pattern over the sides and lightly incised with foliage down the back, engraved iron mounts decorated with animal subjects throughout, including side-plate formed as an opposing pair of horses at rest and the forward side-nail plate formed as a camel's head, trigger-plate final decorated with a large neo-classical urn, set trigger, and ivory-tipped ramrod, Liège proof.
14in (35.6cm)

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

Lot Essay

An engraved camel's head plate of the same pattern is also found on a very similar pair of pistols, the pair described as 'the fighting pistols of First Consul Napoléon Bonaparte à Marengo'. See Michel Sololowski, Les Pistolets de combat di Premier Consul Napoleon Bonaparte à Marengo, I.E.N.A, Paris, 1980, p.9

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