Louis-Julien Gastinne-Renette was a gunmaker for Emperor Napoleon III of France and the king of Spain and was among the best "de luxe" gunmakers in French history. Arms by Gastinne-Renette earned international recognition in the 1840s for their high quality both as firearms and works of art, and dueling pistols and beautiful exhibition pieces from his shop grace some of the finest art and museum galleries in the world today. This highly attractive pair of pistols from Gastinne Renette of Paris dates to fairly early in his career and are an excellent example of his work. The barrels are rifled and have coned muzzles for easier loading and are equipped with bead style blade front sights. Fixed notch rear sights are mounted on the standing breeches. The barrels have "Gastinne Renette a Paris" in gold inlay on top, scroll engraving at the muzzles and breech ends, fluted mid-sections, and two "crown/AB" marks on the breech plug followed by "1843" and then "363" on the bottom of the barrels. The locks and furniture are finished in smooth French gray with darker backgrounds and have intricate scroll and mythology themed engraving patterns. The locks have "Gastinne Renette/a Paris" signed below the hammers, varied mask designs at the nose and tail of the lock plates as well as on the hammers, a scene of a nude figure pouring wine for a satyr or faun at the center and nice sculpting on the hammers as well. The trigger plate and front of the trigger guard also include mask designs, and the bows have an eagle or harpy flying straight at the viewer that looks like a stylized "M." Additional masks appear on the side plate and upper tangs. The ebony stocks have silver wedge escutcheons, silver wrist escutcheons inscribed "1" (A) and "2" (B) relief scroll and floral carving, and fluted wrists. The ebony case has inlaid brass and mother of pearl scroll patterns on the lid flanking a central escutcheon with a coat of arms with a hound and coronet crest, an escutcheon with three bars, and two hound supporters. The inside of the lid is embossed "GASTINNE-RENETTE/PARIS." In addition to the pistols, the case contains loading and cleaning rods, containers and compartments for smaller accessories and ammunition, a mallet, an engraved ball mold, reversible screwdriver and nipple wrench, small powder flask with compartments for balls and caps, and a small engraved powder measure.

Exceptionally fine with crisp engraving, 85% of the plum brown finish remaining on the barrel, bright original gold inlaid markings, dark aged patina on the silver, mostly smooth French gray on the remaining surfaces, some signs of cleaning and minor pitting on the breech plug, and generally minor overall wear. The otherwise exceptionally fine stock has crisp carving, some cracking at a knot in the wood on the left side behind the flat, and otherwise mostly only light scratches and marks from handling and storage. Mechanically excellent. The bullet mold has been refinished. The refinished case and accessories are fine with general mild age and storage related wear and some thin cracks in the exterior.

See "A."

Very fine with crisp engraving, bright original gold markings, 85% plus of plum tone finish on the barrel, dark aged patina on the silver, mild pitting on the bolster, mostly smooth French gray on the balance, and general mild overall wear. The stock has a crack under the barrel but is otherwise very fine and has crisp carving and some light marks and scratches. Mechanically excellent. Overall, this is a very attractive cased set by one of the finest French gunmakers of the percussion era.