BY BOUTET A VERSAILLES, EARLY 19TH CENTURY

with very long tapering barrel sown with gold stars on a matted blued ground over most of its length between the muzzle and breech, the former with a pair of engraved gold Ottoman tassels suspended between triangular panels of foliage linked by a swag of circles, and silver fore-sight centred on a large engraved gold explosion, the latter decorated in chased gold with acanthus against a ground of stars, a web, a plumed Turkish turban on a neo-classical swag and surmounted by flowering foliage and a pair of pineapples, a large quiver of arrows against a pair of Ottoman tassels each suspended from a crossed polearm with crescent head, a star on a sceptre flanked by cornucopia of foliage and branches of oak, and a large pineapple surmounted by a flaming smoking urn, border engraved gold-covered tang engraved with a line of trefoils against a matted ground, blued flat bevelled lock signed along the bottom edge and enriched with encrusted chased gold foliage on the tail, a swag of oak leaves and fruit beneath the pan, foliage on the cock including a crescent and starburst on the top jaw, and with an exploding cannon ball above a feathered crescent on the front of the steel, blued steel-spring with roller, and gold-lined pan with scrolled fence, figured full stock with chequered grip and fore-end, the latter carved with a repeated husk pattern along the upper edge over its entire length along both sides, butt carved in low relief with foliage against finely pricked grounds behind the barrel tang, bordering the rear of the grip and forward of the tang of the butt-plate, and with a flower-head on each side of the butt joined to each other by a stalk, ebony trigger-guard terminal finely carved in relief with a pierced scroll and fruiting foliage, silver-gilt mounts cast and chased in low relief with martial trophies mostly within ribboned borders of flower-heads and comprising side-nail plates, butt-plate, trigger-guard with foliated urn-shaped finial and rear ramrod-pipe terminal with a quiver of arrows, turn barrel-shaped ramrod-pipes, silver barrel-bolt escutcheons, blued trigger, steel sling mounts, original ramrod with horn-capped gilt tip and threaded reversable iron worm, and in fine condition retaining nearly all its blued and gilt finish, 142.0 cm barrel, 184.0 cm overall

Provenance

Sotheby's New York, 13th January 1992, lot 156

Philippe Missillier Collection, no. 57C

A closely related gold-mounted gun, from the Royal House of Orléans, by the same maker was sold in this room 26 June 2024, lot 244, (£475,000 including premium).

Guns of this quality, with this specific iconography, were almost certainly intended for presentation to the Algerian Dey. French-Algerian relations were highly charged during this period, originating in part from the French failure to pay their agents in Algeria for wheat. The tensions came to a head around 1827 when the French Consul reportedly insulted the Hussain Dey who in turn struck him with a fly whisk. The Fly Whisk Incident was used by the French as grounds for their military assault, not least as they were concerned that the English were prepared to seize Algiers. French rule in Algeria followed in 1830.

Nicholas Noel Boutet (1761-1833) is credited with being the principal innovator of the dramatic change in the design and decoration of French firearms that took place from the Revolution of 1789 through to Napoleon’s reign as Emperor (1804-14). Boutet was named directeur-artiste of the newly formed Versailles Arms Manufactory in 1792. The Versailles factory was the principal producer of regulation weapons for the French armies, additionally Boutet was charged with creating richly decorated arms for presentation to military heroes and foreign heads of state.