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Presented to the Last French Monarch, King Louis Philippe I
LOT 295 has “COURAGE!/PRINCE/QUE/NOUS AIMONS/1830” (Courage! Prince that we love. Extraordinary and Immensely Historic Engraved, Gold Inlaid, and Raised 1830), “LOUIS VINCET NOTAIRE” on the left edge and “VILLE-FRANCHE (RHONE)” on
Relief Carved French Double Barrel Percussion Shotgun Presented to
the Last French Monarch King Louis Philippe I Commemorating the July Revolution of 1830 in France - NSN, 20 gauge, 36 3/4 inch solid rib bbl., gray/ gold finish, ebony stock. This fascinating shotgun was commissioned in St. Etienne for presentation to King Louis Philippe I , the last French King following the July Revolution in 1830. The relief cast silver lion figural hammers use the lion’s mouths as the striking point and have “EXULTAVIT/UT GIGAS...” (short for Psalm 18: “He rejoices like a giant/strong man to run the way”) on the left with the lion stepping on the body of the serpent that is coming up a log and “VICIT LEO/DE TRIBU JUDA...” (short for Revelation/Apocalypse 5:5: “Weep no more; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah [aka Jesus Christ], the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.”) with the lion stepping on the head of the snake wrapped around a log. The wrist escutcheon has “DE CINERE VITA” (From ashes, life) and a phoenix emerging from a fire in gold inlay. The inside of the buttplate’s door
the right edge (probably an engraver from the Villefranche-sur-Saône commune in the Rhone department of France), and the compartment has a matching Damascus nipple wrench with container in the handle and another Damascus container with gold inlays on the lids. The edges of the lock and furniture have borders with floral blooms and alternating gold star and scroll designs. The fences on the bolsters and borders of the triggers are also gilt. The stock has a floral pattern “checkering” on the forend and elaborate raised relief carving of two entwined snakes facing a bird (likely a phoenix) perched on an oak branch and staring down upon the snakes, a bird’s head design on the front of the comb, and a curved cheek rest terminating in a floral motif. The barrel rib has “Parallelisme Parfait” (Perfect parallelism), and the underside of the barrels have French proofs, “MERLEY/*DUON*” (Augustin Merley- Duon was one of the best known barrel makers in St. Etienne), and what appears to be “REPOS.”