◉ AN EXCEPTIONAL, PROBABLY UNIQUE, FRENCH GOLD-MOUNTED... Lot n° 244
result :
Not available
Estimate :
Subscribers only
◉ AN EXCEPTIONAL, PROBABLY UNIQUE, FRENCH GOLD-MOUNTED FLINTLOCK DUCK GUN BY BOUTET A VERSAILLES, MARKED FOR JEAN MASSON, CIRCA 1805-09, FOR PRESENTATION TO A NORTH AFRICAN OR EASTERN RULER
with very long lightly swamped barrel decorated over the greater part of its surface with a finely punched ground sown with minute gold stars, the muzzle with a gilt panel of trellis filled with an expanded flowerhead and acanthus foliage ahead of a gilt neoclassical shell, conventional foliage, a star, crescent and garland, silver bead fore-sight on a gold shell, a pair of Ottoman tassels each rising from a crescent, the lower third decorated in gold with stars, crescents, an elaborate flaming grenade, acanthus foliage, a sunburst, garland, bound lances, a quiver of three arrows framed by olive foliage, the breech section engraved and gilt with arrows enclosing a diamond shaped panel of crescents and stars, a raised panel with a spray of palmette centring on the barrelsmith’s stamp of Jean Leclerc (Neue Støckel 179), gold-lined vent and breech section ahead of the pan (the gold with small losses), integral tang punched and gilt en suite with the barrel, blued stepped bevelled lock, signed ‘Boutet’ and ‘A Versailles’ on the upper and lower edges at the front on each side of the steel spring, encrusted with gold foliage on the tail, a shield and a quiver of arrows beneath the pan, the inside blued, stamped ‘P4’ and with burnished fittings and springs, fitted with blued bevelled cock encrusted with a gold cornucopia, and, on the top-jaw, with a thundercloud charged with a crescent, steel encrusted in gold with a further cornucopia, semi-rainproof pan lined with gold, roller, and delicately filed steel spring (the bluing faded in parts), full stock profusely inlaid with finely engraved gold sheet within gold wire frames, comprising a symmetrical arrangement on each side of the fore-end of neo-classical designs including arrows, stars, cornucopia, crescents, olive foliage, an Ottoman trousse, a turban with aigrette, an Ottoman bow and a quiver of three arrows, on the underside of the fore-end an elaborate trophy-of-arms, surmounted by a turban, incorporating a pair of stylised Ottoman swords, arrows and spears carrying a shield charged with a pair of addorsed crescents, three ostrich feathers flanked by further crescents, tang enclosed by a gold line with an Ottoman bow on each side and a crescent behind, the side-plate and lock each bordered by crossed axes and garlands, the butt decorated en suite with the fore-end, including an elaborate trophy of a star and crescent borne by a winged spear issuant with thunderbolts and a tassel beneath on the spine, a symmetrical design of a quiver of arrows surmounted by a flaming grenade, rose and olive foliage, jambiya, aigrettes, crescents, a further shield charged with a crescent on a sunburst, and a frieze of neoclassical foliate scrolls framing shell flowers (a small number of very small dents, two small inlays on the butt lifting, the fore-end with a small closed split in the ramrod channel), full gold mounts comprising butt plate struck with three marks, cast and chased with an elaborate urn on the tang, side plate chased with feathers and foliage on a finely matted ground, trigger-guard struck with a mark on the inside (very slightly bent in profile), with an elaborate finial and a further trophy-of-arms, including a pair of fly whisks and a crescent on the bow, side plate chased with feathers and foliage on a finally matted ground, vacant oval escutcheon engraved with a frame of small circles, five moulded faceted ramrod pipes, the rear-most en suite with the trigger-guard, and octagonal barrel bold escutcheons engraved en suite with the escutcheon, finely carved ebony trigger-guard support decorated with a scroll, foliage and a garland of fruit, blued trigger-plate, hardwood ramrod with ivory tip and brass finial, perhaps the original, and remaining in very good condition with much original finish throughout, In a later green leather-covered padded case, 153.0 cm barrel, 193.5 cm overall
Provenance
The Royal House of Orléans
Duchesse de Guise (probably Princess Isabelle of Orléans, Duchesse de Guise (1878-1961)), Larache, Morocco
Raphel Manchon (1886-1975), circa 1923/4
Daniel Manchon, circa 1975-85
An Important private collection (since 1985)
Sold together with a copy of a statement from Daniel Manchon recording the presentation of this gun to his father who had painted a series of portraits for the Orléans family at their Villa in Larache, Morocco.
Raphael Manchon (1886-1975), studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts, Caen, and later with G. Ferrer in Paris. He exhibited at the salon of 1911, won the Prix Grand Prix de Rome in 1914 for engraving and a silver medal in 1924.
The entry of Boutet’s Annuaire for the period of AN XII (September 24, 1803 to September 22, 1804) includes the following entry:
Ministre du Relations Extérieur
We use cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience, perform site traffic analysis, and deliver content and advertisements most relevant to your interests.
Cookie management:
By allowing these cookies, you agree to the deposit, reading and use of tracking technologies necessary for their proper functioning. Read more about our privacy policy.