A Very Fine 40-Bore French Flintlock Pistol

SIGNED LE PAGE PARIS, FRENCH PROVINCIAL SILVER MARKS FOR 1809-1819

Details

A Very Fine 40-Bore French Flintlock Pistol
Signed Le Page Paris, French provincial silver marks for 1809-1819
With swamped octagonal multigroove rifled sighted barrel with gilt decoration at the muzzle and breech involving pennants and a trophy of Classical arms, and sem with gold stars on a matted ground, blued patent breech with three gold-lined stamps, each of a crowned Napoleonic eagle, gold-lined touch-hole, finely engraved tang fitted with gold back-sight, signed flat lock finely engraved with winged monsters and with raised gold-lined pan (top jaw and screw replaced), figured walnut full stock, silver-gilt furniture finely cast and chased with neo-classical decoration in relief, chequered butt studded with silver nails, silver escutcheon, chequered set trigger, and silver-tipped ramrod, silver maker's mark NB, a pistol between, the barrel numbered '460'
15in. (38.7cm.)

Lot Essay

This pistol appears to have been made by Nicolas-Nol Boutet in his Manufacture d'Armes at Versailles, and subsequently to have been refurbished by Jean Le Page in Paris. The signature on the lock is engraved over traces of a previous signature ending in '...lles', and the silver maker's mark is believed to be Boutet's own
Both Le Page and Boutet worked for Napoleon I - the former had the contract for shoulder arms, and the latter the contract for pistols. Both makers succeeded in surviving the many changes in government and gunmaking fashion that took place in France between 1789 and 1815, but of the two, Le Page showed more individuality in the production of armes de luxe

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