Price on request

Arms & Armour

artist

Nicolas Noël Boutet

period

Consulate - First Empire, circa 1803-1804

materials

Vermeil, mother-of-pearl, gilded silver cannetille, wood, Damascus steel, shagreen

dimensions

Blade length 79 cm, total scabbard length 81.8 cm

provenance

Offered to Grouchy by the Emperor in 1815; given to Charlotte Félicité de Grouchy (1768-1844) upon Marshal's exile; by direct descent.

Sabre signed by the Manufacture de Versailles, work of Nicolas Noël Boutet. France, Consulate - First Empire, circa 1803-1804. This precious sabre, offered to Grouchy by the Emperor in 1815, was then given to his sister, Charlotte Félicité de Grouchy (1768-1844), wife of Pierre Jean Georges Cabanis (1757-1808), upon the Marshal's exile to the United States. It has remained in direct descent. The hilt is of Turkish inspiration, known as "à la Marengo," entirely in vermeil. The cruciform guard is lozenge-shaped, H. 6.9 cm, L. 3.5 cm, thickness 2.7 cm. It is molded in relief with a Medusa head crowned with the Nemean lion's head, surmounted by two laurel branches with a club in the background. On either side, two strong inverted quillons connected to the guard by a large palmette, each ending on the inner side with a curved ram's head facing downwards, and on the outer side with a mythological dog's head holding a raised serpent in its mouth. The rear quillon measures approximately 7.1 cm high, the front quillon approximately 8.1 cm high. The pommel has a short tail representing a stylized mythological lion, holding a suspension ring in its mouth. H. of the pommel approximately 9.8 cm, L. approximately 6 cm, thickness 2.7 cm. L. of the ring 1.9 cm, H. of the ring 1.7 cm. A triple chain is attached to this suspension ring, which fastens to the upward-pointing quillon. The pommel is fixed to the grip on each side by a gilded screw. The wooden grip has mother-of-pearl plates filigreed with gilded silver cannetille. The edges of the grip are completed with a 3 mm wide vermeil band. The curved Damascus blade with hollow panels is 79 cm long, with a rounded spine, signed in gold "Manufacture De Klingenthal Nal Coulaux Frères". The tang of the blade bears the engraver's name Isch and is dated An XI (September 23, 1802 - September 22, 1803). On the front side, the first third is richly engraved with a mirror-polished relief decoration on a gold background. In the center, a hexagonal cartouche depicts the First Consul on horseback, leading an army with a cloudy sky and a winged god holding a civic crown in his hand. Above the cartouche, a winged goddess with a civic crown, and in the lower part, a terrestrial globe against a background of military trophies and floral decoration. The second third bears the inscription in Damascus letters "N • BONAPARTE". The reverse side is similarly organized; the central cartouche depicts the helmeted and armed god of War with a radiant sun in the heavens, above the cartouche, a profile of Hercules holding a club on his shoulder, and in the lower part, a terrestrial globe against a background of military trophies with the Nemean lion's skin serving as a base, and on the second third of the blade, "PMIER CONSUL" is inscribed in the Damascus. The scabbard is made of wood covered with grey shagreen with a spring seam of gilded silver cannetille threads, with three vermeil and steel fittings. Total length 81.8 cm. The vermeil chape has a non-protruding mouth, the upper part is smooth, engraved "Manufre Imple / à Versailles / Boutet et Fils". In the lower part, the chape is completed by an ovoid belt bracelet whose center is decorated with a large palmette bordered by a flat molding and separated from the outer molding by an openwork decoration. On either side of the bracelet, a cartouche is decorated with a lion's head; the inner cartouche of the sabre is fitted with a suspension ring. H. of the chape 12.4 cm, H. of the belt bracelet 6.7 cm, H. of the lateral cartouches 2.2 cm, outer width of the ring 1.8 cm, H. of the ring 1.6 cm, width of the chape at its upper part 3.8 cm, total width of the belt bracelet 5.2 cm. The central scabbard fitting is a belt bracelet identical to the chape's bracelet. H. of the bracelet 6.8 cm, L. 4.9 cm. In the lower part of the scabbard, a 23 cm high ferrule ends in a molded steel dart, H. of the dart 1.2 cm at its tip, total H. of the dart 4 cm, width of the dart 3.7 cm, thickness of the dart at the upper part 4 mm and at the lower part 6 mm. L. of the ferrule at the upper part 4.2 cm, and at the lower part 2.8 cm. The ferrule is richly decorated with lyres, palmettes, florets, acanthus leaves, geometric designs, and in the lower part, a series of scales.