This deluxe engraved pair of French dueling pistols were produced by award winning French gunmaker Louis-Julien Gastinne-Renette (1812-1885) c. 1850s-1860s. Gastinne-Renette was a gunmaker to Emperor Napoleon III of France and his son Louis-Napoleon as well as the King of Spain and produced phenomenal pistols both for use in duels and target shooting as well as for exhibition pieces at the World's Fairs. In addition to producing fine firearms, Gastinne-Renette also ran an exceptional shooting gallery where would be duelists could practice and compete shooting at dueling silhouettes. This pair features rifled barrels signed "Gastinne-Renette arq. de L'Empereur & du Prince Imperial," and each lock is similarly signed "Gastinne Renette." in banners. In keeping with Gastinne-Renette's legendary quality, the pistols feature exceptional engraving and carving. The barrels feature incised engraving at the muzzles and breech sections and further relief chiseled patterns that extend onto the breech plugs and standing breeches. "1" and "2" are executed in relief on the breech plugs and standing breeches of the respective pistols, and each pistol has a dovetailed blade front sight towards the muzzle and a fixed notch rear sight on the standing breech, the latter being more typical for dueling pistols whereas target pistols may have adjustable rear sights. The trigger guards are spurred and enclose single triggers tuned for precision shooting. The locks each feature elaborate scroll and foliate engraving inhabited by a wyvern towards the center, and the remaining components feature coordinating scroll and border patterns. The backgrounds are finely textured throughout adding depth and contrast. Additionally, each trigger guard bow features a raised gold "ML" monogram. The pistols feature very attractive one-piece ebony stocks that have been lavishly deep relief carved with laurel branches on the wrists set on stippled backgrounds. Laurel leaves are classical symbols of victory. The pair comes in a fitted wood case with the coat of arms of the Second French Empire (1852-1870) in gold over "GASTINNE-RENETTE/ARQR ORDINARIE/de S.M. l'Empereur/A PARIS" in gilt lettering inside the lid highlighting Gastinne-Renette's title of gunmaker in ordinary to Napoleon III. The pair is accompanied by a suite of loading and maintenance equipment, including ebony loading and cleaning rods, an ebony mallet, matching handled screwdriver and nipple wrench set, bright polished ball mold, small powder flask, two ebony containers for ammunition, and lidded compartments in the upper left and lower right.

Fine. The finish on the barrel has faded primarily a mix of plum blue and gray and brown patina. The lock and furniture mostly displays a mix of silver-gray patina with darker brown patina in the backgrounds. The gold is mostly bright. There are small patches of oxidation and pitting. The engraving and markings are crisp. The stock has exceptional carving, two partially stabilized cracks on the right side of the forend, and light handling and storage marks. The case is fine with a slight crack across the lid, small areas of wood missing on the bottom front right corner, and some age and storage related wear, including some fading, staining and contact wear on the lining. The accessories are fine to very fine and generally display minor wear mainly from age and storage.

Fine overall. The barrel retains the majority of the plum blue toned finish. The engraving and markings remain crisp. The lock and furniture are a mix of gray and brown patina. There are some small patches of oxidation, and a small section of the gold inlay is missing on the one leg of the letter "M" while the remaining gold is bright. The stock has excellent carving, a glued crack on the right side of the forend at the tip, and some minor handling and storage marks. Mechanically excellent.