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In 1795, the department for luxury arms was added to produce presentation arms for the Directory and Minister of War. Under Napoleon, Boutet was the head director at Versailles and given an 18 year concession by the First Consul. Under Boutet’s direction, some of the finest “de luxe” firearms ever made were created by an incredible team of specialized artisans, and many of them were commissioned by Napoleon as presentation pieces for his officers, political allies, and foreign dignitaries as well as for the emperor himself and his family. Often the arms from this period included incredible neo-classical designs popularized following Napoleon’s expeditions in Italy, Egypt, and Syria, but pistols like this pair reflect the more delicate style of the Bourbon Restoration, and clearly indicate the continued quality of Boutet’s arms during the latter period of his life when he was in serious competition with the other high end Parisian gunmakers. In fact, some of his best and
most valuable work dates to this period. The markings on the breech plugs are listed by Dean Taylor as used by Boutet in 1815-1831, and the Victoria & Albert Museum states, “When Boutet left Versailles in 1818 he set up at No. 87 Rue de Richelieu in Paris but continued to use the signature, ‘Boutet à Versailles’” and also indicates that serial numbers on the barrels were consistent with Boutet’s private work after 1818.
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