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Included with the garniture is the 1976 Christie’s “Highly Important Firearms: The Property of Mr. and Mrs. Luke Dillon-Hahon” catalog featuring the set
in color on the title plate and in black and white as lot 8 where it is listed
as “removed from Clonbrock, Ahascragh, Co. Galway” and headlined “An Important Garniture of Flintlock Firearms and a Sword, by Boutet, Versailles, Presented to Napoleon in 1797.” In addition, scans of the catalogs from
the Gothic Hall in 1820 and 1821 listing “Napoleon’s Fire Arms, &c.” as “presented to General Bonaparte by the Directory of the French Republic
in the year 1797” and relating the provenance from the Oplotheca catalog,
a description of the sword from Peter Finer, and a Butterfield & Butterfield catalog entry for the carbine from 1996 listing the provenance as “Napoleon Bonaparte, Marshall Junot, Duke of Abrantes, and Dutchess Abrantes” are included.
CONDITION: Very fine with mostly bright metal surfaces exhibiting finely detailed engraving, crisp markings, and some areas of minor patination. The grip is also very fine and has crisp carving, slight shrinkage at the junction with the frame, faint repairs on the rear near the upper tang screw, discreet repairs on the boxwood accents, and thin hairline cracks starting by the lower tang screw. Mechanically fine.
This is an absolutely incredible garniture of some of the finest arms
from the Versailles Manufactory under Directeur Artiste Nicholas-Noel Boutet consisting of a rifled carbine, carriage pistols, pocket pistols, and
a distinctive sword and scabbard. Its documented history published
shortly after Waterloo when the garniture was on display along with
other Napoleonic artifacts in England links the garniture to Napoleon
and his aide-de-camp General Junot and makes this set among the most fascinating, historic, and valuable European arms ever sold by Rock Island Auction Company and a excellent opportunity to add incredible history and value to any institutional or private collection.
Provenance: Purchased by the Directory of the French Republic for 1,000 Louis, Presented in 1797 by the Directory of the French Republic to then General Napoleon Bonaparte, General Jean-Andoche Junot as a gift from then Emperor Napoleon circa 1803-1805, sold by Junto’s widow Duchess Abrantes to an unnamed French Officer and Exhibited in the 1816 “Antient Armour” Exhibition at Oplotheca in London celebrating the British Victory at Waterloo as Object No. 17, British Royal Armory, Sold 1833 “Napoleons case of firearms etc”, purchased Robert Dillon, 3rd Lord Clonbrock (1807-1893), sold by his descendants in 1976 Christies London 1976, The Robert M Lee Collection.
Estimate: 1,500,000 - 3,500,000
 


















































































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