RARE PAIR OF FLINTLOCK PISTOLS GENERAL OFFICER'S... Lot 38

RARE PAIR OF FLINTLOCK PISTOLS GENERAL OFFICER'S FLINTLOCK PISTOLS, LUXURY MODEL BY COULAUX FRERES IN MUTZIG. Flintlock barrels with hairline rifling, slightly blunderbusses at the muzzles, damascus ribbon, decorated in gold: at the muzzles and thunderbolts with friezes, and on the upper three sides with the signatures "Coulaux Fres à Mutzig" and pikes adorned with laurel wreaths. Silver sights. Patinated breech pins, engraved and numbered in gold "1" and "2". Flat-bodied locks engraved with foliage, decorated with gold dog heads with tails and inlaid with gold pastilles signed "COULAUX Fres A MUTZIG" in gilded laurel surrounds. Flat-bodied dogs engraved on bodies and jaws with leaves, snakes and flaming torches. Spark arround baskets, engraved and chased batteries. Silver-trimmed lights. Triggers with adjustment screws. Large chased silver fittings with gold bases: -Lion's head end caps. -Finger rest bridges decorated with winged spindles enriched with lightning bolts. -Fronts decorated with shields and swords. -Counterplates with drinking swans. - Flat caps with screaming Medusa heads. - Carved walnut crossbars, partly squared, carved with foliage friezes. Title and medium guarantee hallmarks Paris (1809-1819). Goldsmith's hallmark of Jean Lepage. Dated 1810 and n°1326 on the breech plugs. Length: 36 cm. B.E. First Empire - Restoration period. COULAUX Frères, Jacques (died in 1834) and Julien (died in 1844), active under this name from 1801, were awarded the gold medal at the 1806 Paris exhibition. It is extremely interesting to note that the Coulaux brothers used Lepage mounts and barrels to customize their own. Provenance : Butterfield Butterfield sale, with attribution to surgeon Jean Dominique Larrey.